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<DIV>
<DIV>Greetings All,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Below is a reprint of an artical of mine </DIV>
<DIV>that appeared in the Quoth a few years back.</DIV>
<DIV>I drag it out and dust it off every couple of years </DIV>
<DIV>to give new comers a little historical background </DIV>
<DIV>into the roots of today's celebration of love.</DIV>
<DIV>As the artical is too long to be sent in one post, </DIV>
<DIV>I have divided it in to two.</DIV>
<DIV>I hope you enjoy it.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>V NV</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 24pt">Mister Valentinus’ Day<?xml:namespace
prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center>A Brief History Of Heavenly Amorous</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><FONT size=6>Part One</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center>By Marius Atreidae </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">As with so many Christian
traditions and heroes, the story of Saint Valentine is handed down to us as a
muddy mess of miss-woven facts, fanciful fabrications and unanswered questions.
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>So much so, he is one of the
unlucky outcast saints that the Roman Catholic Church de-canonized in 1969 for
lack of credible evidence that they actually lived at all.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He’s name does not appear on the
earliest compilation of Roman martyrs in 354.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">A long list of tortured souls are
credited with various versions of the famous name, including a saintly
female.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, only two Italian
martyrs have any significant association with the celebration of romance, sex
and love that we will ritualize this month.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Some authorities believe that the two
Saint Valentines are likely one in the same individual.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Both of these colorful rebels lived in
the second half of the third century and died on the 14th day of February in 269
or 270.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Both are reported to
have been buried on the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
/><st1:Street><st1:address>Flaminian Consula Way</st1:address></st1:Street> but
at different distances from the City of
<st1:City><st1:place>Rome</st1:place></st1:City>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Official interrogation reports of both
saints are of a late date so have little, if any, historical value. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in 0pt">The most popular belief is that
Saint Valentinus was a third century Roman priest.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>With the help of Saint Marius (no
relation to author) he assisted the oppressed during the Christian persecutions
of Claudius II (also called the <st1:place>Gaul</st1:place>).<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Finding it difficult to recruit young
men to leave their loved ones behind and join his military leagues for unpopular
campaigns, Claudius II banned all weddings and engagements within the City of
<st1:City><st1:place>Rome</st1:place></st1:City>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Valentinus and Marius defied the ban by
continuing to perform wedding ceremonies.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Nothing more is mentioned of Saint Marius, but one has to guess that he
came to a bad end as it is mandatory for a saint to suffer for the faith.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We are told that Valentinus was dragged
from his temple and arrested.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in 0pt">Here, the story begins to blur
with myth and accounts differ.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>One
has him languish in a dungeon till he dies and is buried in the
<st1:place><st1:PlaceType>Church</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName>Saint
Praxedes</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> on February fourteenth.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Kind of dull as the death of Saints go
and probably not true, as records show that the remains of Valentinus did not
arrive in said church till a millennium later.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in 0pt">A second version has Valentinus
imprisoned, but well liked by Emperor Claudius until he tries to convert him to
Christianity and / or insults the Roman Gods.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Not having patience for such blaspheme,
Claudius has him beaten with clubs, stoned and then beheaded on February
fourteenth<SUP> </SUP>outside of the Flaminian Gate of
<st1:City><st1:place>Rome</st1:place></st1:City>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in 0pt">A third telling has Valentinus
thrown into prison where he falls in love with the jailer’s blind daughter.
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Ever the troublemaker, he continues
to preach and cures the sightless girl, earning himself a death sentence.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Before his beheading, he sends a bright
colored crocus plant and a farewell note to his love which he signs, “From your
Valentine”.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Far fetched, but such
is the nature of saints.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The only other real candidate for
the “true” Saint Valentinus was the Bishop of Interamna (modern
<st1:City><st1:place>Terni</st1:place></st1:City>) who also lived during the
reign of Emperor Claudius II.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Having aided the persecuted Christians and overseen the first marriage
between a pagan and a Christian, he was scourged, imprisoned and beheaded on
February fourteenth by the Roman Prefect of Interonma on the Via Flaminia and
was quickly buried to prevent rioting. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 6pt 0pt 0in">The assumption that the two Valentinus’ were
the same man obviously has some validity.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>The theory is that a Roman priest became a Bishop in Interamna and was
arrested there before being returned to
<st1:City><st1:place>Rome</st1:place></st1:City> for execution.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A possible explanation for the two
burial sites on the <st1:Street><st1:address>Flaminian Consula
Way</st1:address></st1:Street> is the interment of his body and his severed head
at different times by different Christian cults.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Again, the facts are slim and this is
purely conjecture.</P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 6pt 0pt 0in"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 6pt 0pt 0in">The ancient Flaminian Gate became known as
the Porta Valentini and a small church was built in the immediate vicinity.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Pope Julius I (333-356) built a basilica
at the site of the tomb which is now known as the Porta del Popolo.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In the thirteenth century most of
Valentinus’ supposed remains were transferred to the
<st1:place><st1:PlaceType>Church</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName>Saint
Praxedes</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> where they remain today.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At least a portion of his relics were a
gift to the <st1:place><st1:PlaceName>Whitefriar</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName>Street</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType>Church</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> in
<st1:place><st1:City>Dublin</st1:City>,
<st1:country-region>Ireland</st1:country-region></st1:place> from Pope Gregory
XVI (1831-1846). <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The segments of
Valentine’s body that had been brought to the
<st1:place><st1:PlaceType>Church</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName>Saint
Peter</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> of Melun in
<st1:country-region><st1:place>France</st1:place></st1:country-region> have
disappeared.</P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 6pt 0pt 0in"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 6pt 0pt 0in">Over the years Saint Valentine has become the
Patron Saint of love, lovers, travelers, greetings, young people, bee keepers
(the birds and the bees ?), engaged couples, happy marriages, fainting, plague,
people lost to the state government and epilepsy.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Yes, epilepsy.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This leads some to speculate that
Valentine suffered from the disease himself or was a physician that healed the
affliction.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He has been depicted as
a bishop with a crippled or epileptic child at his feet.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He’s also been represented as a Bishop
with a rooster nearby, a Bishop refusing to adore an idol, a Bishop being
beheaded, a priest bearing a sword, a priest holding a sun, a priest bestowing
sight upon a blind girl, a priest barefoot holding a crocus and a Bishop in
direct conversation with Jesus and Mary ( Magdalene ? ).<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Of course most images of Saint Valentine
picture him with a wide variety of plants, animals, birds and odd objects.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Decoding their meanings would take good
reference books and many hours of devotion.</P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 6pt 0pt 0in"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 6pt 0pt 0in">The origins of our modern mid-February
frivolities of the flirtation lie in religious roots much older than Valentinus
or Christianity itself.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Roman
Lupercalia was a festival of eroticism that honored Juno Februata, the goddess
of “feverish” (febris) love.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>On the
ides of February lottery “billets” with the names of available women were drawn
to partner couples for feasting and sexual game playing.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This must have been much like modern
swingers dropping their keys into a hat, with religious fervor thrown in to
encourage a whole hearted effort.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Christians have always been a dour bunch that frowns on such lascivious
abandonment so the early clergy encouraged substituting the names of saints for
the lottery.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>One would pull the
name of a saint, then study and attempt to emulate the saint for the following
year.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Needless to say, this prudish
version of Lupercalia was wildly unpopular and suffered a quick death.
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