Lupercalia and the legend of Romulus and Remus
History of Valentine’s Day
No one knows the exact origin of Lupercalia, but it dates back to the 6th century BC.
According to Roman legend, ancient King Amulius ordered Romulus and Remus, his twin nephews and founders of Rome, to be thrown into the Tiber River to drown as retaliation for their mother’s broken vow of celibacy.
However, a servant took pity on them and placed them in a basket on the river. The river god carried the basket and the brothers downstream to a wild fig tree where he found himself caught in the branches. The brothers were then rescued and cared for by a she-wolf in a den at the foot of the Palatine Hill where Rome was founded.
The twins were then adopted by a shepherd and his wife and learned their father’s trade. After killing the uncle who had ordered their deaths, they found the cave of the she-wolf who had fed them and named it Lupercal.
Lupercalia is believed to have been held to honor the she-wolf and please the Roman fertility god Lupercus.
Sacrifice Ritual
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The Lupercalia rituals took place in a few places: the Lupercalia Cave, on the Palatine Hill, and in the open-air Roman public meeting place called the Comitium. The celebration began at the Lupercal cave with the sacrifice of one or more goats – representation of sexuality – and a dog.
The sacrifices were performed by the Luperci, a group of Roman priests. Then the foreheads of two naked Luperci were smeared with the blood of the animals using the bloody sacrificial knife. The blood was then removed with a piece of wool soaked in milk while the Luperci laughed.
Lupercal Festival
In Ancient Rome, the celebration began after the ritual sacrifice. At the end of the Lupercal festival, the Luperci would cut strips, also called strips or februa, of goatskin from the newly sacrificed goats.
They then ran naked – or almost naked – around Palantine, whipping any woman within reach with the straps.
During Lupercalia, men would randomly choose a woman’s name from a pot to pair with them for the duration of the festival. Often the couple would stay together until the following year’s festival. Many fell in love and got married.
Over time, nudity during Lupercalia declined in popularity. The party became more chaste, although still undignified, and women were whipped on the hands by fully clothed men.
In Plutarch Life of Julius Caesar, Caesar we know that he refused a golden crown presented to him Marc Antoine during the festival of Lupercalia.
Valentine’s Day
There are several legends surrounding the life of Valentine’s Day. The most common is that on February 14 in the 3rd century AD, a man named Valentine was executed by the Roman Emperor Claudius II after being imprisoned for aiding persecuted Christians and secretly marrying Christian couples lover.
According to history, during Valentine’s imprisonment he attempted to convert Claudius into Christianity. Claudius became furious and ordered Valentine to reject his faith or be killed. He refused to give up his faith, so Valentine was beheaded.
Legend also tells another story that occurred during Valentine’s imprisonment after he tutored a girl named Julia, the blind daughter of his jailer. Legend has it that God restored Julia’s sight after she and Valentine prayed together. On the eve of his execution, Valentine reportedly wrote a note to Julia and signed it: “From your Valentine.”
Some historians believe that more than one man named Valentine was executed by Claudius II. Despite the ambiguity surrounding Valentine and his life, the Catholic Church declared him a saint and placed him on the list of Roman martyrology as having been martyred on February 14.
Origins of Valentine’s Day
Thanks to Saint Valentine’s reputation as the “patron of lovers,” he has become synonymous with romance. In the late 5th century AD, Pope Gelasius I eliminated the pagan celebration of Lupercalia and declared February 14 a day to celebrate the martyrdom of St. Valentine, although it is very unlikely that he wanted this day to commemorate love and passion. In fact, some modern biblical scholars warn Christians not to celebrate Valentine’s Day at all since it is believed to be based on pagan rituals.
It is true that Valentine’s Day uses some symbols of Lupercalia, intentionally or not, such as the color red which represented a blood sacrifice during Lupercalia and the color white which signified milk used to wipe away blood and which represented new life and procreation.
Is Valentine’s Day based on Lupercalia? Like many ancient traditions, there is a lot of vagueness surrounding the origins and rituals of Lupercalia and how they influenced the holiday of Valentine’s Day. Lupercalia is no longer a traditional public celebration for obvious reasons, but some non-Christians still recognize the ancient event of February 14 (instead of Valentine’s Day) and celebrate it privately.
Sources
History of Valentine’s Day. Society for Confluence of Festivals in India.
Valentine’s Day. Catholic Online.
The dark origins of Valentine’s Day. National Public Radio.