Today's Valentine's Day celebrating Saint Valentine somehow originally spawned from the ancient Roman holiday of Lupercalia, a fertility and purging holiday, (sometimes called "dies Februatus" after the instrument of purification used in the festival the "februa" which is where we get the name of February.)
Lupercalia possibly predates Rome, but was known to be celebrated in Rome between 13-15 of February. On that day there was a male goat and dog sacrificed by the Luperci (Brotherhood of the Wolf) which was usually composed of prominent figures or the politicians.
After this was the feast and after the feast things got really interesting. The Luperci would run naked through the streets with the parts of the sacrificed animals and strike at women and children under the belief that this would help this become pregnant.
So to describe it in one statement.
Our current holiday of Love spawned from a holiday where politicians ran naked through the public streets to beat women with bits of dead dog.
And people will still straight facedly say that humans behave the same today as they did ages past. I think we've matured a little.
IRL, St. Valentine's feast I think it's involved about a Roman civilian prosecuted by the Roman army for announcing the come of a new Messiah. I'm not so sure about this, but here in Catalonia we celebrate twice per year the Lover's day.
We celebrate the Christian Lover's day on February, the 14th. So typical in Europe. And, in some european countries ( including some areas around Turkey, England & Catalonia ), we celebrate the St George's day. ( the pagan feast about some "legendary" tale, described below ).
This version of the St. George day :
In an uncertain province, there was a Castle with thousands of civilians and some hundreds of soldiers. Then, by an strange reason, a Dragon came to claim for food. The Castle major offered some food to the Dragon, and he ( the Dragon ) left the Castle in peace. Days later, the Dragon came back to that Castle asking for more food, and the Castle major offered the Dragon more food. This it was repeated for at least 2 years. One day, the civilians reported the Castle major they were getting on a lack of food, and some civilians were almost starting to be starved. The Dragon came to claim more food, and the Castle major gave all the food it was stored there.
The civilians started to be angry with that desition, and began a rebellion. The obvious answer was that the Castle major executed those rebels using the brutal force. Then, days later, the Dragon came back again to claim more food. But, at this point, the Castle major hadn't more food to offer to the Dragon. and the Dragon began to get furious. The Castle major asked the Dragon :
Oh my dear Dragon, we don't have more food to give you. So, tell me what do you want ??
The dragon answered :
If you cannot give me more food, then give me all the persons you have on your Castle...........
The Castle major offered the Dragon 1 person per day. But the Dragon didn't had enough with only 1 person per day, he wanted more. Then, when almost all the civilians were eated ( not including the young childs, and teenies ), the Dragon came back, claiming for more food:
GIVE ME MORE FOOD, YOU FILTHY HUMAN, GIVE ME MORE FOOD !!!!!!
The castle major began to panicking for days, begging for a Divine help. But, the help never came. So, the Dragon shouted :
I see you still have some civilians there in your castle...... why you don't give me those ??? why are you lating ????
Then, the Castle major offered the Dragon all the Virgin gurls ( 1 virgin per day ) he had on the Castle.
Months later, when all the hope was almost lost, one unknown Knight came to that Castle ( the appeal of the Castle at this point it was described as "" almost in Ruins "" ). The castle Major asked that Knight for help, and the Knight accepted the offer but, with 1 condition: GOLD and a bunch of soldiers to go to the Holy War. The castle Major couldn't offer soldiers due to the lack of them, nore couldn't offer a gurl, because the last one of those is marching to the Dragon's nest. So, the Knight went to find the Dragon's nest. When finaly the Knight found the nest, on a mountain's groutte not so far from the Castle, he saw the virgin gurl so close to the Dragon. He said the virgin to not do that. And when the Dragon saw the Kinght, they both started the fight.
It seems the fight lasted around 2 entire days. And at the end, the Knight won the battle, thrusting a long lance on the Dragon's stomach. He took the starved and exhausted gurl back to the Castle, giving the Castle major the good news. Then, the Castle major wanted to start a Feast but, he hadn't anything to offer.
Then, the Kngiht came back to the Dragon's nest, ( I dunno why ), and it seems all the blood the Dragon bleeded began to turn the unfertile ground into a fertile ground, making it possible to grow the MOST BEAUTIFUL rose noone has ever seen before. The knight cutted the Rose, offering it to the Castle major as a gift for the gurl he saved.
And That's all.......... The knight married with that Virgin........
Today's Valentine's Day celebrating Saint Valentine somehow originally spawned from the ancient Roman holiday of Lupercalia, a fertility and purging holiday, (sometimes called "dies Februatus" after the instrument of purification used in the festival the "februa" which is where we get the name of February.)
Lupercalia possibly predates Rome, but was known to be celebrated in Rome between 13-15 of February. On that day there was a male goat and dog sacrificed by the Luperci (Brotherhood of the Wolf) which was usually composed of prominent figures or the politicians.
After this was the feast and after the feast things got really interesting. The Luperci would run naked through the streets with the parts of the sacrificed animals and strike at women and children under the belief that this would help this become pregnant.
So to describe it in one statement.
Our current holiday of Love spawned from a holiday where politicians ran naked through the public streets to beat women with bits of dead dog.
And people will still straight facedly say that humans behave the same today as they did ages past. I think we've matured a little.
Good luck and may you roll 20's when you need them and 1's when you need a laugh. - myself
IRL, St. Valentine's feast I think it's involved about a Roman civilian prosecuted by the Roman army for announcing the come of a new Messiah. I'm not so sure about this, but here in Catalonia we celebrate twice per year the Lover's day.
We celebrate the Christian Lover's day on February, the 14th. So typical in Europe. And, in some european countries ( including some areas around Turkey, England & Catalonia ), we celebrate the St George's day. ( the pagan feast about some "legendary" tale, described below ).
This version of the St. George day :
In an uncertain province, there was a Castle with thousands of civilians and some hundreds of soldiers. Then, by an strange reason, a Dragon came to claim for food. The Castle major offered some food to the Dragon, and he ( the Dragon ) left the Castle in peace. Days later, the Dragon came back to that Castle asking for more food, and the Castle major offered the Dragon more food. This it was repeated for at least 2 years. One day, the civilians reported the Castle major they were getting on a lack of food, and some civilians were almost starting to be starved. The Dragon came to claim more food, and the Castle major gave all the food it was stored there.
The civilians started to be angry with that desition, and began a rebellion. The obvious answer was that the Castle major executed those rebels using the brutal force. Then, days later, the Dragon came back again to claim more food. But, at this point, the Castle major hadn't more food to offer to the Dragon. and the Dragon began to get furious. The Castle major asked the Dragon :
Oh my dear Dragon, we don't have more food to give you. So, tell me what do you want ??
The dragon answered :
If you cannot give me more food, then give me all the persons you have on your Castle...........
The Castle major offered the Dragon 1 person per day. But the Dragon didn't had enough with only 1 person per day, he wanted more. Then, when almost all the civilians were eated ( not including the young childs, and teenies ), the Dragon came back, claiming for more food:
GIVE ME MORE FOOD, YOU FILTHY HUMAN, GIVE ME MORE FOOD !!!!!!
The castle major began to panicking for days, begging for a Divine help. But, the help never came. So, the Dragon shouted :
I see you still have some civilians there in your castle...... why you don't give me those ??? why are you lating ????
Then, the Castle major offered the Dragon all the Virgin gurls ( 1 virgin per day ) he had on the Castle.
Months later, when all the hope was almost lost, one unknown Knight came to that Castle ( the appeal of the Castle at this point it was described as "" almost in Ruins "" ). The castle Major asked that Knight for help, and the Knight accepted the offer but, with 1 condition: GOLD and a bunch of soldiers to go to the Holy War. The castle Major couldn't offer soldiers due to the lack of them, nore couldn't offer a gurl, because the last one of those is marching to the Dragon's nest. So, the Knight went to find the Dragon's nest. When finaly the Knight found the nest, on a mountain's groutte not so far from the Castle, he saw the virgin gurl so close to the Dragon. He said the virgin to not do that. And when the Dragon saw the Kinght, they both started the fight.
It seems the fight lasted around 2 entire days. And at the end, the Knight won the battle, thrusting a long lance on the Dragon's stomach. He took the starved and exhausted gurl back to the Castle, giving the Castle major the good news. Then, the Castle major wanted to start a Feast but, he hadn't anything to offer.
Then, the Kngiht came back to the Dragon's nest, ( I dunno why ), and it seems all the blood the Dragon bleeded began to turn the unfertile ground into a fertile ground, making it possible to grow the MOST BEAUTIFUL rose noone has ever seen before. The knight cutted the Rose, offering it to the Castle major as a gift for the gurl he saved.
And That's all.......... The knight married with that Virgin........
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk