Jonathan Pageau exploring the rich and enigmatic symbolism of the Janus, the two-faced god of January, after whom this month is named, connecting this pagan deity to the themes of transition, thresholds, and the duality of light and darkness. Full description.
Premiered on December 30, 2023, this video features Jonathan Pageau exploring the rich and enigmatic symbolism of the Janus, the two-faced pagan god of January, after whom this month is named.
Through an intricate analysis, Pageau connects Janus to the themes of transition, thresholds, and the duality of light and darkness—concepts deeply embedded in this time of year, from the winter solstice to Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.
Janus: the god of thresholds and transitions
Janus is best known as the Roman god of thresholds, doors, and transitions, often depicted with two faces—one looking toward the past and the other toward the future. Pageau explains that Janus represents the ambiguity and indefinable nature of transitions. A threshold, by its very nature, exists between two states—neither fully inside nor outside.
This duality makes Janus a symbol of moments of change and contrasts, such as youth and age, light and darkness, or the natural and the wild. Sometimes, Janus is depicted with additional faces or contrasting features, such as masculine and feminine aspects or human and animal characteristics, further emphasizing the complexity of his symbolic role.
The symbolism of the solstice and Christmas
Pageau connects Janus to the winter solstice, a pivotal moment when the days begin to grow longer after reaching their darkest point. This transition mirrors the themes of Christmas: the coming of light into darkness, the shift from the old to the new, and the birth of hope amidst despair.
He notes that the Christmas story also has its own duality, juxtaposing the joy of Christ’s birth with the tragedy of the Slaughter of the Innocents. It is an interplay of light and dark, celebration and sorrow.
Janus and the Feast of Fools
Pageau delves into the historical celebrations associated with January, particularly in medieval Europe. January 1st was traditionally marked by the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ, but it was also a time for the Feast of Fools, a carnival-like event that turned societal norms upside down.
These celebrations often highlighted themes of chaos, ambiguity, and the interplay between the sacred and the profane. The juxtaposition of these two feasts reflects Janus’s symbolic role as a mediator between the old and the new, the wild and the civilized.
The two-faced god and Christian symbolism
While Janus originates in pagan tradition, Pageau argues that his symbolism can help us understand certain Christian themes. The dual faces of Janus echo the paradoxes of the Christmas season:
- The King of Kings is born in a humble manger.
- The light of the world emerges in the darkest time of the year.
- Joyful carols coexist with the mournful memory of Herod’s massacre.
This duality is also evident in the figure of St. Nicholas and his dark counterpart, Krampus. Together, they embody contrasts such as reward and punishment, light and darkness, or grace and judgment, paralleling Janus’s symbolic duality.
Thresholds as points of transformation
At its core, Pageau’s analysis highlights the transformative power of thresholds. Whether temporal (the turn of the year) or spiritual (the transition from the Old Covenant to the New), thresholds are moments of potential where opposites meet and change is possible. The symbolism debated in this video argues that these moments of ambiguity are not merely spaces of confusion but opportunities for renewal, reflection, and growth.
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Overview
- Length: 11:30
- Channel: Jonathan Pageau
- Categories: Comments
- Views: 1
- Added by: Valewson