I was just about to cancel my subscription to the
Sanctury's Newsletter as I'm quite a way from Thailand now but then this newsletter
came in....
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Happy what, we hear you cry? Happy
Valentines Day, surely?
Lupercalia was the Roman Festival that pre-dates Valentines Day. Sexier by half, it featured wolves, blood sacrifice, and semi-naked men running through the streets whipping women to increase their fertility – what’s not to like?
Lupercalia (derived from lupus = wolf) was observed on February 13 through 15 to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility. Lupercalia subsumed Februa, an earlier-origin spring cleansing ritual held on the same date, which gives the month of February (Februarius) its name.
In Roman mythology, Lupercus is a god sometimes identified with the Roman god Faunus, who is the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Pan, who is a naughty little scamp. The festival began with the sacrifice of two male goats and a dog. Next two young patrician Luperci were led to the altar, to be anointed on their foreheads with the sacrificial blood, which was wiped off the bloody knife with wool soaked in milk, after which they were expected to smile and laugh as part of the ritual.
The sacrificial feast followed, after which the Luperci dressed themselves in the skins of the sacrificed goats, and ran round the walls of the old Palatine city with thongs in their hands, striking the people who crowded near. Girls and young women would line up on their route to receive lashes from these whips. This was supposed to ensure fertility, prevent sterility in women and ease the pains of childbirth - the ancient equivalent of IVF treatment, with a hint of fetish thrown in for fun.
Lupercalia was the Roman Festival that pre-dates Valentines Day. Sexier by half, it featured wolves, blood sacrifice, and semi-naked men running through the streets whipping women to increase their fertility – what’s not to like?
Lupercalia (derived from lupus = wolf) was observed on February 13 through 15 to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility. Lupercalia subsumed Februa, an earlier-origin spring cleansing ritual held on the same date, which gives the month of February (Februarius) its name.
In Roman mythology, Lupercus is a god sometimes identified with the Roman god Faunus, who is the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Pan, who is a naughty little scamp. The festival began with the sacrifice of two male goats and a dog. Next two young patrician Luperci were led to the altar, to be anointed on their foreheads with the sacrificial blood, which was wiped off the bloody knife with wool soaked in milk, after which they were expected to smile and laugh as part of the ritual.
The sacrificial feast followed, after which the Luperci dressed themselves in the skins of the sacrificed goats, and ran round the walls of the old Palatine city with thongs in their hands, striking the people who crowded near. Girls and young women would line up on their route to receive lashes from these whips. This was supposed to ensure fertility, prevent sterility in women and ease the pains of childbirth - the ancient equivalent of IVF treatment, with a hint of fetish thrown in for fun.
My 14th Feb hasn't been nearly as
wild (so far!). Although I was happy being single most of the time,
Valentine's would tug at my doubts (why hadn't I been able to attract
love? what was wrong with me). Then I'd see couples out 'being
romantic' but looking more like they were going through the motions of what was
expected rather than having any genuine celebration. And I wasn't too
keen on that either! I'm very pleased not to be waiting for a sign to
show me how my man feels (he tells me regularly) and waking with him stroking
my face this morning was just bliss. Alternative celebrations planned for
Saturday so I'll let you know if Lupercus turns up then!
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