The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-02-14

Probable Origin Of st. Valentines D"S-o''
Castosns and superstitions.


Everybody knows that st. Valentine Gay
FALL on February 18th. bat probably very rev
can give any accurate and intelligent account
go or,',,n ar are aware OF the tact that the
,,ood ~ Valentine. Tor whom u Is h"heu'
80 OFT her directlv or indirectly pore any
violation whatever 20 lts ODseTNauCeS. wien
Christianity began % shed us hrst luminous
rays over the hearts OF Pagan kOme, one OF Ino
cI.iof ,iNiculties encountered IN the CONVEX
-, - those Old heather was their deep
roofed attachment o. the many festivals ana
o,,s,o,o. which thcy had so long observed IN
honor of their many deites. The early fathers
~ the Church found It Impossible 10 ue'ach
Them from those ceremonies. Desparihg al
iengfh of being able 10 do So they sought 10
60 modify the form OF these heather obser-
yonces as 20 give them a religious character.
thereby transmOgrifylng them into Christian
ceremOnials not held upon the same dates.
From many centuries before Christ the
Romans bad been accustomed To hold great
fessts in honor of Pan and Juno during feD-
rusry. from which month the latter deity de-
rived her additional names of tebruata, RED
ruals aud Februlla. These festivities were
known as the Luperoalia, and during their
continuance, among great many other cere-
monies small tablets bearing the names OF
vouur women were placed in box ana drawn
out 10y the young men after the manner OF
lottery Zach person drawing was III hohOr
bound 10 be the faithful attendant OF her WHO
had fallen 10 his lot from that time unill
twelve months had Led around and brought
another Lupercalla and new ura"inS
though il not unfre luently happened that
long before that time the constant associa-
ton thus engendered had caused TINS sAAh
engagement 10 terminate IN real one.
For those heather festivities OF the Luper-
Gala the early fathers substituted those OF 81.
Valentines day. thus retaining the GATE Oh
the ancient festival. 1t has been stated that
II was from the fact that ST. Valentine was
renowned for his universal love and charity
that the custom Of choosing loVe-p partners
upon his birthday and calling them by MS
name took Its rise, but the ic0n0clasts VINO
have long since deprived Columbus Of the
honor of having discovered America, WHO
have taken away WashingtOn's little Ratchet
and who have overthrown and destroyed
countless other long wOrshiped IDOLS of our
fresides and market-piaces, have FUZZY de-
monstrated the fallacy Of this idea. Inc only
reason why the ChrlstianiZed Lupercalia was
observed on ST. Valentines day was simply
10 have 1t fall upon a sacred occasion OF ap-
proxmate date. and TO connect 1t with Chris
tianity through a great saint VINO suffered
martyrdOm in the third century, being hrst
beaten with lbs and then beheaded, while
a priest at Rome where his remains now rest
in the church Of st. PraXOdes and where
cate now known rs the POrta del POpOla
was formerly called IN his honor the Porta
Valentine.
The good churchman modified the form of
the matrimonial lottery OF the Lupercalla by
substituting the names of particular saints TO
he drawn as valentines instead of the names
of men and women. From this ancient usage
is derived the custom. still occasionally OBJ
served il some Catholic countries of select
inc on St Valentines day, for the ensuing
wear a patron saint who IS called a valentine.
But the young men and maldens, finding lit
tie amusement in drawing out the names of
int F.4la RH p "a flQYY
old custom of drawing each other, and even
AT the present time in many of the rural dis
tricts OF England and Scotland IL is
customary on the eve of st. Valentines
day. for the young people OF both
sexes TO draw lots for valentine.
AS the men draw from bag containing the
names of the maids. while the latter draw
from one containing the names of the men, II
generally happens that each person has two
valentines. but the young men regard them
selves much more strongly bound TO the val
entine they have drawn than TO the one who
has drawn them. If, as sometimes happens
a young man and woman should each chance
10 draw the other II Is regarded as absolutely
certain that they are destined to wed, and
must not. under any circumstances. permit
their attention or affection to centre else
where.
dresses in poetry or prose between lovers on
St Valentines day Ii very old one, dating
back to the old Roman Lupercalla, when in
stead of "a sheet of elegant note paper, gold
pen and violet ink. the gallant young citizens
Of Rome indited their valentines by means OF
waxen tablets and stylus. Some Of the
carly English poets devoted much attention
TO the composition of these love sonnets ap-
nropriate TO st. Valentines day and owed
their reputation largely 10 such works Prom
inent among such was Charles, Duke of
Orleans who was taken prisoner at the battle
"a az lal
sneare'g time, whose now almost forgotten
works abound in passages OF rare beauty.
Rut written valentines long since ceased TO
be the fashion. The printed and painted pro-
auctions of the statoners shops suppanted
them wears AGO, and the latter continue TO
crow more and more elaborate. artistic and
evosnsiye as time rolls on. An excellent de
scription of such valentine 10 given by
Dickens in his "Pickwick Papers" where he
tells how Sam Weller on gazing into sta
toners window on 81. Valentines eve. be-
hold Il "hiohly-cOlOred representation OF
couple of human hearts skewered together by
an arrow cooking before a cheerful fire,
while "A male and female cannibal in modest
attire-the gentleman being clad IN blue
coat and white trOwsers and the lady in deep
red pelisse with parasOl of the same were
approaching the meal with hungry eyes up
serpentine gravel path leading thereunto.
decidedly indicate young gentleman IN
pair OF wings and nothing else was depicted
AS experimenting the cooking. represen-
tation OF the spire of the church in Langham
Place appeared in the distance and the whole
formed valentine
The application of the term valentine" to the
highly colOred penny wood cuts OF humorous
and sometimes indecent character, having a
few lines of coarse. often scurrilous doggerel
printed beneath them. 10 an entire misuse of
the word. which can only be properly ap-
piled 20 ama;Ory addresses passing between
overs and sweethearts. OF late years. how
,ever these comic valentines" as they are
called. seem even more popular than those Of
a sentimental character and we all know how
the ststioners windows are crowded with
them AT this season OF the wear. There Is a
very old superstition that even the birds
choose their mates on St Valentines day
This tradition has been handed down from
the very earliest institution Of the Romans.
which ST. Valentines day replaced Shakes
peare aludes 10 this belief when he makes
Iheseus say IN "A Midsummer Nights
Dream. Act ~, scene /.
'St Valentine is past;
Begin these wood-blrds to couple now"
Herrck has written in his 'Hesperdes,"
oft have heard both you and virgins say.
Birds choose their mates and couple, too this
day.
But ly their fight l mover can divine
When shall couple with my valentine"
Charles. the Duke of Orleans. already al
luded 10 as famous writer of valentines
also refers TO this bird-mating il the following
DAINTY fnOrepau.