Valentine's Day

The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and–most importantly–romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.

ORIGINS OF VALENTINE’S DAY: A PAGAN FESTIVAL IN FEBRUARY
While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial–which probably occurred around A.D. 270–others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.

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Interestingly, a movie that i am not interested in, but know about from the media, concerning S&M and romance is in movie theaters...and the male lead's character is Christian...something of coincidence or was the author of the Fifty Shades stories, knowingly/unknowingly influenced by the pagan/Christian histories...both romantic in a sense...that the strange pagan tradition sometimes lead to pairing, that is.

For more on Lupercalia,
Dark Origins of Valantine's day

So, from what we know of the pagan roots of Valentines day, I for one am glad the Christian church aligned/reprogrammed the middles of February with the Valentine traditions of today....Candy, roses, pretty cards...
We have the Victorian era to thank for the sentiment of card giving,

Although pre-Victorian valentines are virtually unavailable today, but cards have survived over a century due chiefly to the fact that they began to be mass-produced around 1850. However, the majority of early Victorian valentines were customarily made by hand from honeycombed tissue, watercolors, paper puffs, colored inks, embossed paper hearts and exquisite lace. These were truly beautifully-created small works of art, often adorned with silk or satin (in addition) to lace, flowers or feathers and even gold leaf. Such fragile honeycomb designs remained the vogue until around 1909. Some of the most unusual valentines were fashioned by lonely sailors during this time...unique cards sporting seashells of various sizes employed to create hearts, flowers and other designs, or to cover heart-shaped boxes. Sailors also sent what were known as "Busk Valentines," rounded long sticks fashioned from ivory or wood, somewhat resembling a tongue depressor but approximately five time longer. Upon these sticks, the sailor would carve hearts and other loving designs. The "Busk Valentine" was worn by the sailor's sweetheart inside her corset. It was not unusual for a manufactured valentine of this era to cost as much as a month's earnings, particularly the "proposal valentines" which were very popular and might contain the depiction of a church or a ring. In keeping with Victorian etiquette, it was considered improper for a lady to send a valentine greeting to a man.

History of the Card

This is what I think of on Valentine's day, pretty cards...and of course scrumptious treats, because my dear ole Dad would bring the family the best sugary treats.

Happy Valentine's day ATS!

Happy Valentine's Day ATS!

a reply to: Black_Fox

Hey, your video disappeared! ETA:now its back! It had inspired me to find a stinky love poem and what i found was actually quite true of love,
If you love me you'll tell me when I stink
Author: Kathryn Muyskens

Editor: Renee Picard

and so of course since this is the history forum, I looked for the worlds oldest love poem, The Love Song for Shu-Sin...

In the 19th century CE, archaeologists descended on the region of Mesopotamia seeking physical evidence which would corroborate the biblical narratives of the Old Testament. While this may not have been initially their driving purpose, their need for funding (based on public interest to justify such funding) soon made it so. When the archaeologist Austen Henry Layard began excavations at Kalhu in 1845 CE, assisted by Hormuzd Rassam, he was under so much pressure to find biblical sites that he jumped to the conclusion the city he had uncovered was Nineveh. His published account of the excavations, in 1849 CE, was titled Nineveh and its Remains and, owing to Nineveh’s fame from the Bible, the book became a best seller. The success of the book sparked further interest in Mesopotamian history as a means of corroborating biblical narratives and so further expeditions were sent to the region in search of other cities mentioned in the Bible.

Marriage of Inanna and Dumuzi

Prior to this time, the Bible was considered the oldest book in the world and The Song of Songs from the Bible (also known as The Song of Solomon) the oldest love poem. Interestingly, the expeditions sent to historically corroborate the stories from the Bible did precisely the opposite. When Layard excavated the actual site of Nineveh in 1846-1847 CE he discovered the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (reigned 668-627 BCE) and the cuneiform texts, which were then translated by the legendary George Smith, made it clear that the story of the Fall of Man and The Great Flood and Noah's Ark were not original compositions of the authors of the Book of Genesis but were pre-existing Mesopotamian tales which were re-worked by later Hebrew scribes. The Song of Songs, dated to the 6th-3rd centuries BCE, could no longer be considered the oldest love poem once The Love Song for Shu-Sin (written c.2000 BCE) was discovered.

THE POEM WAS NOT JUST A LOVE POEM, HOWEVER, BUT A PART OF THE SACRED RITE, PERFORMED EACH YEAR, KNOWN AS THE "SACRED MARRIAGE".
When it was found, the cuneiform tablet of The Love Song for Shu-Sin was taken to the Istanbul Museum in Turkey where it was stored in a drawer, untranslated and unknown, until 1951 CE when the famous Sumerologist Samuel Noah Kramer came across it while translating ancient texts. Kramer was trying to decide what works to translate next when he found the love song in the drawer. He describes the moment in his work History Begins at Sumer:

The little tablet numbered 2461 was lying in one of the drawers, surrounded by a number of other pieces. When I first laid eyes on it, its most attractive feature was its state of preservation. I soon realized that I was reading a poem, divided into a number of stanzas, which celebrated beauty and love, a joyous bride and a king named Shu-Sin (who ruled over the land of Sumer close to four thousand years ago). As I read it again and yet again, there was no mistaking its content. What I held in my hand was one of the oldest love songs written down by the hand of man (245).

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To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year.

The play Juiius Caesar begins on the Lupercal and refers to this custom.
"Caesar;
Calpurnia... Stand you directly in Antonius's way
When he doth run his course...
Forget not in your speed, Antonius,
To touch Calpurnia; for our elders say,
The barren, touched in this holy chase,
Shake off their sterile curse."

a reply to: DISRAELI

Thank you for that, i will have to look into the play now!

a reply to: ColdWisdom

Omegosh, i am afraid to watch your video!

a reply to: peppycat

The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year.

Thank gosh all of that is over with!

My Valentines date (my weiner dog Wally) is safe, this year.

originally posted by: TNMockingbird
a reply to: peppycat

The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year.

Thank gosh all of that is over with!

i know right! eeks!

My Valentines date (my weiner dog Wally) is safe, this year.

awe, say hello to Wally and have an excellent day with him!

a reply to: peppycat
Happy Valentine's Day Peppy!

a reply to: peppycat

To pass the time this morning at work, I am looking at the artwork of 19th Century Valentine's Day cards and they are quite elaborate. Although some of them are disturbing with men depicted as snakes and one I viewed had a woman handing a man a large bag of money and asking him to be her Valentine.

This is the inscription for this beautiful card -

“Affection/Not Sunlight in it is prime/Nor Moonlight’s gentle ray; Is half so fair as Love, Which brightens day by day.”



www.worthpoint.com...

a reply to: Martin75

Happy Valentines Martin75, thank you for that video! It reminded me of an ex, lol!

originally posted by: InTheLight
a reply to: peppycat

To pass the time this morning at work, I am looking at the artwork of 19th Century Valentine's Day cards and they are quite elaborate. Although some of them are disturbing with men depicted as snakes and one I viewed had a woman handing a man a large bag of money and asking him to be her Valentine.

lol, giving a man money, is one way to get a valentine's date...strange

This is the inscription for this beautiful card -

“Affection/Not Sunlight in it is prime/Nor Moonlight’s gentle ray; Is half so fair as Love, Which brightens day by day.”

That is so lovely, what a beautiful card and I could read poetry like that all day long!
Thank you for your post and I am hoping the link is to where you were looking at the cards, like in photo above...will check it out.
Have a wonderful day!

Valentines poem
The Maestro's Kiss

Our eyes meet and our hearts fleet
He knows what our souls seek
I am the golden apple of his eye
But in that moment I've become yours
and you've always been mine

Your fruit falls into my hand
watching me as the silver drips my lips
I know He will make the days soon
as I feel your eyes on my hips

White gown and a halo crown
You take me in to be yours
People watch from all around
The beautiful marble floors
My hand slides into yours

Our high room with the waterfall
is waiting and prepared
but as i look into your eyes
Its so intense , I cant help feeling scared

You tell me never to fear
and gently run your hands down my chest
and pull me to your heart so near
you lay me in the water to calm and rest

You pick me up like a baby bird
and lay me on our feathery perch
The feeling starts down in my soul
when I look in your eyes the diamond glows

As we walk through the flowers
you saw my heart's desire
I still never speak a word of the joyous want
but you knew what Id admire

I walk into a room so beautiful
A marble crib, a crystal stream
both made by yours hand's stone
you take my hand
say you hope we will no longer be alone

With only the lightest touch you'll caress my hair
touch my skin like fragile silk
sometimes holding me in such despair
it makes my heart milk

Dark days comes when your light goes out
He breaks your heart with a violin mouth
Our crystal stream is now a tear on your lip
Your eyes seek justice , you look to me and seek bliss
but all i can give you is one kiss
goodbye

I hate this particular holiday...

So hence forth my name for it shall be... Happy Massacre day...

a reply to: emeraldchloe

Wow, thank you for sharing, did you write that? ATS has a short story forum and it would be nice to see you write poems/stories there!
Welcome to ATS!

No one had more of a bang up than old Alfons Capone. But yous guys 'ready knew dat.

a reply to: emeraldchloe
Emerald that was beautiful!

a reply to: peppycat

hey, yeah wrote it earlier, was feeling romantic ...

a reply to: Martin75

thanks xx
all the niceness here is awesome yay