Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06

THIS month did not always hold
L It's present position on the calen
dar, but was the last month of the
Roman year and was known az the
month Of publication or regenera ton
February takes It's name from the
Latin word februare, which 10 usu
ally translated Ito make pure" but
more exact meaning of the word
also involves the idea Of intercession
and of the removal Of unseen hostile
influences which are likely to inter
fere with the health and prosperity
of the people. Like the Lent of the
Christian calendar, February was the
period in which the living were made
ready for the civil and religious work
Of the coming year and also the time
of special services for the dead.
Since February was the month of
publication, an elaborate festival was
held on the fifteenth day in honor
of Lupercus, the god of purity and
fertility. This rite was celebrated at
the cave called the Lupercal, located
at the foot of the steep southwest
corner of the Palatine Hill tone Of the
hills on which Rome was built.
The first act of the festival was
the sacrifice Of goats and dogs and
at the same time were offered sacred
cakes made by the Vestal Virgins
from the FIRST ears of the last years
harvest" The next step In this cele.
bration was to select from the crowd
two young men of high rank whose
heads were first "smeared with the
knife bloody from the slaughter of
the butchered animals and then wiped
with wool dipped in milk" The two
young men then wrapped themselves
with the skins of the slaughtered goats
and toasted luxuriously. after which
they ran through the city, leading the
crowd in two companies, all carrying
pieces of goats skin twisted into
thongs, striking every one who came
within their reach. The purpose OF
this strange performance was to gain
protection of their nocks against the
wolves, to render the sell ''abun.
dainty fertile and productive" for the
following years harvest and to drive
out all evil from the land.
1t In singular that q festival Of a
character so rude and rustic should
have lived on In a great city like
Rome for centuries after 1t had be.
come cosmopolitan and even Chris
tian. This In said to he one OF the
many results of the religious enter.
prises of Augustus, who rebuilt the
decayed Lupercal and set the feast
on new footing. 1t continued to
the year 4s< and even when Pope
Gelasius abrogated 1t he softened
his act by establishing on the same
day festival celebrating the purih-
cation Of the Virgin Mary.
Lupercus is thought by some
writer's to be identical with Pan, the
god of the hills. focks and herds.
who IL frequently associated with
this month. Pan was widely known
and loved, although he was very
different from the other gods. His
body was covered with goats hair
those of q goat. Pan was very fond
of music and spent most Of his time
I'm the forest playing the flute and
dancing with the wood nymphs, and
the music for the February celebra-
tons of olden times IL said to have
been furnished by him. Pan took
great delight In frightening travellers
by creeping up behind them in the
dark. and the fear with which he
filled them was called panic"
One day Pan fell In love with a
beautiful nymph named Syrinx, but
frightened at his goat.like appear
ance, the maiden ran away. praying
to the gods for help. Syrinx was at
once changed into q clump of reeds
and Pan, although disappointed, was
determined not to be outdona and
broke off seven pieces OF the reeds
bound them together and made tao.
cording to- Greek fable) the earliest
form of wind instrument. which has
since been known as Pans pipes. ("
This instrument was formed of short
hollow tubes or reeds of graduated
length fastened together in proper
| order to produce musical scale. The
sound was made by blowing across
the open upper ends. whcih were on
| q level 30 that the mouth could easily
pa9g from one to the other.
Ihare 10 an interesting Ntery told