Vday_history

St. Valentine

At least three different Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs, are
mentioned in the early martyrologies under date of 14 February. One is
described as a priest at Rome, another as bishop of Interamna (modern
Terni), and these two seem both to have suffered in the second half of
the third century and to have been buried on the Flaminian Way, but at
different distances from the city. In William of Malmesbury's time what
was known to the ancients as the Flaminian Gate of Rome and is now the
Porta del Popolo, was called the Gate of St. Valentine. The name seems to
have been taken from a small church dedicated to the saint which was in
the immediate neighborhood. Of both these St. Valentines some sort of
Acta are preserved but they are of relatively late date and of no
historical value. Of the third Saint Valentine, who suffered in Africa
with a number of companions, nothing further is known.

Saint Valentine's Day

The popular customs associated with Saint Valentine's Day undoubtedly had
their origin in a conventional belief generally received in England and
France during the Middle Ages, that on 14 February, i.e. half way through
the second month of the year, the birds began to pair. Thus in Chaucer's
Parliament of Foules we read:
For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day Whan every foul cometh ther to
choose his mate.
For this reason the day was looked upon as specially consecrated to
lovers and as a proper occasion for writing love letters and sending
lovers' tokens. Both the French and English literatures of the fourteenth
and fifteenth centuries contain allusions to the practice. Perhaps the
earliest to be found is in the 34th and 35th Ballades of the bilingual
poet, John Gower, written in French; but Lydgate and Clauvowe supply
other examples. Those who chose each other under these circumstances seem
to have been called by each other their Valentines. In the PastonLetters,
Dame Elizabeth Brews writes thus about a match she hopes to make
for her daughter (we modernize the spelling), addressing the favoured
suitor:
And, cousin mine, upon Monday is Saint Valentine's Day and every bird
chooses himself a mate, and if it like you to come on Thursday night, and
make provision that you may abide till then, I trust to God that ye shall
speak to my husband and I shall pray that we may bring the matter to a
conclusion.

Shortly after the young lady herself wrote a letter to the same man
addressing it "Unto my rightwell beloved Valentine, John Paston Esquire".
The custom of choosing and sending valentines has of late years fallen
into comparative desuetude.

HERBERT THURSTON
Transcribed by Paul Knutsen

The Feast of Lubercus

The first interpretation has this celebration originating as a pagan
tradition in the third century. During this time hordes of hungry wolves
roamed outside of Rome where shepherds kept their flocks. The God
Lupercus, was said to watch over the shepherds and their flocks and keep
them from the wolves. Every February the Romans celebrated a feast called
Lupercalia to honor Lupercus so that no harm would come to the shepherds
and their flocks.

Also during Lupercalia, but in honor of the goddess Juno Februata, the
names of young women were put into a box and names were drawn by lot. The
boys and girls who were matched would be considered partners for the
year, which began in March. This celebration continued long after wolves
were a problem to Rome.

St. Valentine's Day

As Christianity became prevalent, priests attempted to replace old
heathen practices. To Christianize the ancient pagan celebration of the
Feast of Lubercus, the church officials changed the name to St.
Valentine's Day. To give the celebration further meaning and eliminate
pagan traditions, priests substituted the drawing of Saints names for the
names of the girls. On St. Valentine's Day the priest placed saint's
names into an urn or box. The young people then drew a name from the
container. In the following year, the youth was supposed to emulate the
life of the saint whose name he had drawn.

By the fourteenth century they reverted back to the use of girl's names.
In the sixteenth century they once again tried to have saintly valentines
but it was as unsuccessful as the first attempt.

While it can't be proved historically, there were seven men named
Valentine who were honored with feasts on February 14th. Of these men,
two stories link incidents that could have given our present day meaning
to St. Valentine's Day.

One of these men named Valentine was a priest during the reign of Emperor
Claudius. Valentine was revered by the young and old, rich and poor, with
people of all walks of life attending his services. At this time Emperor
Claudius was heavily recruiting men to serve as soldiers for his wars
without much success. The men preferred not to leave their wives,
families and sweethearts to fight in foreign lands. Claudius became angry
and declared that no more marriages could be performed and all
engagements were cancelled.

Valentine thought this to be unfair and secretly married several couples.
When Claudius found out, he threw Valentine in prison where he died.
Friends of the priest retrieved his body and buried it in a churchyard in
Rome.

Another version had St. Valentine jailed for helping Christians. While
Valentine was in prison he cured a jailer's daughter of blindness.
Claudius became enraged and had Valentine clubbed and beheaded on
February 14, 269 A.D.

Yet another story claims that Valentine fell in love with the jailer's
daughter and wrote her letters that were signed "From your Valentine."

All of the seven Valentines eventually evolved into one. In 496 Pope
Gelasius declared the day in honor of St. Valentine. Through the
centuries the Christian holiday became a time to exchange love messages
and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. Lovers' quarrels
come under his jurisdiction and, naturally, he is the patron saint of
engaged couples and of anyone wishing to marry.