[Ravensfort] Mister Valentinus' Day Part Two

[byzytym]

Mister Valentinus' Day

A Brief History Of Heavenly Amorous

Part Two

By Marius Atreidae

 

But Christians are anything but easily discouraged.  A backup plan was implemented that would turn the overly sexual "feast of the flesh" into a "ritual of romance".  A single saint was selected to do battle with the pagan goddess Juno.  In 496 Pope Gelasius attempted to abolish the superstitious heathen's lewd celebrations by decreeing February fourteenth the feast day of Saint Valentine.  Valentine was the prefect choice.  He had been executed for marrying couples into monogamy on the fourteenth day of February, the eve of the Lurercalia orgies.  Slowly the festivities became focused on affection and devotion rather than fertility and lust.

 

Despite the churches best efforts lottery drawings to select "Valentines" persisted well into the eighteenth century.  Once paired, a couple would rarely exchange more than gifts and love tokens.  During the medieval days of chivalry the man would wear the name of his Valentine on his sleeve and was bound to attend and protect her for a year.  This is possibly where the term "wearing  his heart on his sleeve" originated.

 

The first modern style Valentine cards are attributed to Charles, Duke of Orleans, who after his capture in 1415 and imprisonment in the Tower of London, wrote romantic verses for his wife.  By the seventeenth century handmade cards became quite elaborate.  By the nineteenth century printers were mechanically producing cards and a reduction in postal rates ushered in the practice of mailing Valentines.  This made it possible to exchange cards anonymously.  As one might guess, racy, sexually suggestive verses started appearing. The large number of obscene Valentines caused several countries to ban the card exchange.  The Chicago post office rejected some twenty-five thousand cards on the grounds they were not fit to be carried through the U.S. mail.

 

Chocolate was a relative late comer, but a natural for this over sexed celebration.  Eating chocolate causes the release of beta phenytethylamine, a neuromidulator associated with mood enhancement and sexual stimulation.  In other words it makes one a little high and amorous.  Many highly regard this combination in a woman.  The first sweet chocolates in heart shaped boxes rolled off the assembly line around 1870 and have been a staple on the menu of romance ever since.  

 

>From the earliest times flowers have carried a wide array of meanings and symbolism.  Roses and Violets are favorites at this time of year as they both represent love.  A rose also represents impermanence, so even blooms can have sharp edges.  Pink flowering almond trees and the crocus are especially associated with Valentinus.

 

It is ironic that a saintly figure reputed to have been chaste and virtuous lends his name to a modern holiday that encourages the sale of an arsenal of erotic paraphernalia such as games, oils, leather, candles, foods, clamps, alcohol, lingerie, electronics, rope, pills, videos, a smorgasbord of plastics and unmentionable sundries that only lack of imagination and technology can limit.  Love is truly a grand affair in these current middle ages.  

 

Since there is so little known of the saint's true life, speculations have been made and liberties have be taken.  There is even a recent suggestion that the name Valentine was originally "Galantine" signifying "gallant".  The consonant shift to "V" possibly arose from the Medieval French peasant pronunciation of "G".  We may never know.

 

In the end, it is not only the stories behind the long list of Valentine personalities that is diverse and confusing; it is also the nature and paths of love itself.  Perhaps more than one day a year should be set aside to better understand and appreciate the ones that are near and dear to us.  Love is a miracle that is too often overlooked.  

 

Peace, love and good things to all that read these words, and remember.  When you and your mate make your journey of affection to the Shrine of Saint Valentine, the pilgrimage is not complete until you both have heard the bells of bliss.         

 

 

* Valentinus (160) - Founded school of Christian Gnostic theology in Rome.



* St. Valentinus Priest of Rome (269) - feast day February 14 - Beheaded outside of the Flaminian Gate during the reign of Claudius II



* St. Valentinus Bishop of Interamna (270) - feast day February 14 - Beheaded on the Via Flaminia during the reign of Claudius II



* St. Valentinus (270) - feast day February 14 - Lived and beheaded in Africa 



* St. Valentine (303) - feast day November 17 - Executed with Dubatatius for their faith at Carthage



* St. Valentine Priest (304) - feast day November 3 - Beheaded with his deacon Hilary at Viterbo, Italy, during the persecutions under Emperor Diocletian.



* St. Valentine Bishop of Trier, Germany (305) - feast day July 16 - Was executed during the severe persecutions of Emperor Diocletian.                                                        



* St. Valentine (305) - feast day December 16 - Martyred with Navalis, Concordius, and Agricola. Possibly synonymous with same era Valentine martyrs that died in Ravenna.                                                                                                                           



* St. Valentine Bishop of Genoa, Italy (307) - feast day May 2 - Aided monastic expansion in his era. His relics were discovered in 985.                                                      



* St. Valentina (308) - feast day July 25 - Protested the arrest of Meuris and Thea by the Roman Governor in Palestine and so was bound with Thea and burned to death.               



* St. Valentine Bishop of Strasbourg, France (4th century) - feast day September 2 - Regulated his diocese in the faith after initial conversions.                                                  



* St. Valentine Abbot and missionary Bishop in Rhaetia (470) - feast day January 7 - Died at Mais, Austria.                                                                                                            



* St. Valentinian Bishop of Salerno, Italy (500) - feast day November 3 -                         



* Valentine (827) an upper-class Roman was Pope of Rome for about 40 days.                 



* St. Valentine Berrio-Ocho Bishop (1861) - feast day November 1 - A native of Ellorio, Spain, he entered the Dominican Order and was sent to the Philippines. From there he went to Vietnam in 1858, serving as a vicar apostolic and titular bishop until betrayed by an apostate. He was martyred by beheading with St. Jerome Hermosilla and Blessed Peter Amato, by enemies of the Church.
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