The said ceremony in which the Bucentaur is used is an annual ceremony of the Marriage of Venice with the Adriatic. This was intended to establish and maintain the true and perpetual dominion of Venice over the Adriatic, for which the dominion of a husband over his bride is the key metaphor of the whole drunken charade of joy. The male chauvinist piggery implied by this is slowly becoming contradictory, as the Adriatic comes closer and closer to submerging Venice once and for all. Sounds like the apt time for a divorce...

Bu*cen"taur (?), n. [Gr. ; ox + centaur.]

1.

A fabulous monster, half ox, half man.

2. [It. bucentoro.]

The state barge of Venice, used by the doge in the ceremony of espousing the Adriatic.

© Webster 1913.