Happy Valentine's Day!
Thus shall I begin by relating to you one of the earliest rituals which led to our modern Saint Valentine’s Day; Lupercalia. The origins of Lupercalia are hidden deep in antiquity, but the rituals were “probably a symbolical purification of the shepherds (Smith 718).” Lupercalia began on the 15th of February and by Roman times the festival was celebrated, “in honour of Lupercus, the god of fertility (Smith 718).” Parts of the fertility ritual included the slaughter of Dogs and goats, renowned for their fertility, followed by a run through the streets with goatskin thongs. These thongs were used to hit anyone within range, but mostly the women. These women would often get voluntarily hit with the thongs, as a good smacking was thought to bring fertility to the barren and good health to children within the womb. These rituals fell into disuse but were then revived by Augustus Caesar, sometime before AD 14 (Augustus). After the reign of Anastasius, circa 430, the festival was no longer celebrated in Rome, but was still observed in smaller farming villages in Italy and Gaul.
The era that extends from the fall of Rome to the sixteenth century is known as the Middle Ages. During this vast expanse of human history, many men were martyred who bore the name Valentine. According to Leigh Eric Schmidt, “Two third-century martyrs by this name, a bishop in Terni and a priest in Rome, were especially lifted up in the early medieval hagiography (Schmidt 40).” Either of these men could be The Saint Valentine, but it is more likely that both are. He goes on to say that “Each was putatively executed on 14 February (Schmidt 40),” which is why the saint’s day is celebrated on the 14th. The whispers of our modern holiday begin with Valentine’s martyrdom on a day so close to Lupercalia. Throughout the Middle Ages Valentine was represented as a holy intermediary between the common man and God. Many plays were written and performed that kept him alive in the public consciousness until the 14th century. Chaucer took a humble man of God and associated him forever with the ideas of love, loyalty, and sacrifice.
Despite the similarities between Lupercalia and Valentine’s Day, most scholars believe that no actual link exists; instead they credit Chaucer with the association between love and Saint Valentine. One poem in particular is cited as the turning point:
For this was on seynt Valentynes Day,
Whan every foul cometh there to chese his make.
The poem alludes to birds chasing a potential ate and finding “love”. Schmidt points out that the link between love and Saint Valentine was made by “Repeating such allusions to matchmaking and waxing amorousness in a number of additional works that addressed the holiday (Schmidt 41).” Chaucer was not alone in transformation of Valentine’s Day. One of his contemporaries, “Charles, Duke of Orléans (1394-1464/5) was a poet and musician, among many other accomplishments. During his 25-year captivity in England after the battle of Agincourt in 1415 he wrote poetry about love, with several references to Saint Valentine (Charles).”
For centuries Valentine’s Day was a time for lovers to exchange tokens of esteem. The mid nineteenth century saw the arrival of Valentines; cards that were exchanged among lovers. From Wikipedia, “the first mass-produced valentines of embossed paper lace were produced and sold shortly after 1847 by Esther Howland (1828-1904) of Worcester, Massachusetts.” This was the beginning of Valentine’s Day as we know it today. The exchange of gifts, candy, and cards is a recent addition to an ancient tradition. Even so, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Thus ends my treatise upon Saint Valentine's Day.
Works Cited
"Augustus." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 13 Feb 2008, 18:12 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 15 Feb 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Augustus&oldid=191184496>.
"Charles d'Orleans: A farewell to love." Canadian Virtual Museum. 2004. 14 Feb 2008 .
Schmidt, Leigh Eric. Consumer Rites: The Buying & Selling of American Holidays. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1995.
Smith, D.C.L., LL.D., William. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. First. London: John Murray, 1875.
"Valentine's Day." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 14 Feb 2008, 23:54 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 15 Feb 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Valentine%27s_Day&oldid=191533366>.
The era that extends from the fall of Rome to the sixteenth century is known as the Middle Ages. During this vast expanse of human history, many men were martyred who bore the name Valentine. According to Leigh Eric Schmidt, “Two third-century martyrs by this name, a bishop in Terni and a priest in Rome, were especially lifted up in the early medieval hagiography (Schmidt 40).” Either of these men could be The Saint Valentine, but it is more likely that both are. He goes on to say that “Each was putatively executed on 14 February (Schmidt 40),” which is why the saint’s day is celebrated on the 14th. The whispers of our modern holiday begin with Valentine’s martyrdom on a day so close to Lupercalia. Throughout the Middle Ages Valentine was represented as a holy intermediary between the common man and God. Many plays were written and performed that kept him alive in the public consciousness until the 14th century. Chaucer took a humble man of God and associated him forever with the ideas of love, loyalty, and sacrifice.
Despite the similarities between Lupercalia and Valentine’s Day, most scholars believe that no actual link exists; instead they credit Chaucer with the association between love and Saint Valentine. One poem in particular is cited as the turning point:
For this was on seynt Valentynes Day,
Whan every foul cometh there to chese his make.
The poem alludes to birds chasing a potential ate and finding “love”. Schmidt points out that the link between love and Saint Valentine was made by “Repeating such allusions to matchmaking and waxing amorousness in a number of additional works that addressed the holiday (Schmidt 41).” Chaucer was not alone in transformation of Valentine’s Day. One of his contemporaries, “Charles, Duke of Orléans (1394-1464/5) was a poet and musician, among many other accomplishments. During his 25-year captivity in England after the battle of Agincourt in 1415 he wrote poetry about love, with several references to Saint Valentine (Charles).”
For centuries Valentine’s Day was a time for lovers to exchange tokens of esteem. The mid nineteenth century saw the arrival of Valentines; cards that were exchanged among lovers. From Wikipedia, “the first mass-produced valentines of embossed paper lace were produced and sold shortly after 1847 by Esther Howland (1828-1904) of Worcester, Massachusetts.” This was the beginning of Valentine’s Day as we know it today. The exchange of gifts, candy, and cards is a recent addition to an ancient tradition. Even so, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Thus ends my treatise upon Saint Valentine's Day.
Works Cited
"Augustus." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 13 Feb 2008, 18:12 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 15 Feb 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Augustus&oldid=191184496>.
"Charles d'Orleans: A farewell to love." Canadian Virtual Museum. 2004. 14 Feb 2008 .
Schmidt, Leigh Eric. Consumer Rites: The Buying & Selling of American Holidays. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1995.
Smith, D.C.L., LL.D., William. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. First. London: John Murray, 1875.
"Valentine's Day." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 14 Feb 2008, 23:54 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 15 Feb 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Valentine%27s_Day&oldid=191533366>.