2.14.2006

"You're all a bunch of bastards!" said the ambassador.

The true origin of Valentine's Day originally found on WarrenEllis.com

The early Church fathers were well aware of the popularity of a vast number of heathen gods and goddesses, as well as the dates of observation of pagan festivals, so they set about replacing as many of the entities and the holidays as possible with ecclesiastical saints and feast days. Mid-February had an ancient history of being devoted to acts of love of a far more passionate and lusty nature than the Church wished to bless, and the bishops moved as speedily as possible to claim the days of February 14 through 17 as belonging to Saint Valentine, the courageous martyr to the ties that bound couples in Christian love. [...] Actually, there is no proof that the good priest Valentine even existed.

Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, the Wolf Charmer was called the Lupicinus. Perhaps hearkening back to prehistoric times, the Lupicinus may well have been an individual tribesman who had a particular affinity for communicating with wolves. As the tribes developed agriculture and small villages, it was necessary to have a person skilled in singing with the wolves and convincing them not to attack their domesticated animals. The Lupicinus had the ability to howl with the wolves and lead them away from the livestock pens. In some views, because he also wore the pelt of a wolf, the Lupicinus also had the power to transform himself into a wolf if he so desired.

The annual Lupercali festival of the Romans on February 15 was a perpetuation of the ancient blooding rites of the hunter in which the novice is smeared with the blood of his first kill. The sacrificial slaying of a goat—representing the flocks that nourished early humans in their efforts to establish permanent dwelling places—was followed by the sacrifice of a dog, the watchful protector of a flock that would be the first to be killed by attacking wolves.

So, I hope you all enjoy your hearts and flowers, and you better pray that the whole "wolves and whips" tradition doesn't come back into fashion.

Unless that's your idea of a good time, of course.

You sick bastard.

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2 Comments:

Blogger nicholas reed said...

S'cos it's historical, and not interpretive. There's no room for subjectivity in factual reporting.

3:07 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I actually believe this one the most. I mean, look at the timing of Christmas!

4:21 PM  

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