Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Valentine's Day on February 13, 2019| Leave a Comment »
I posted recently about Lupercalia, a Roman February fertility/love festival that got pretty raunchy. The ancient Germanic peoples worshiped Freya (AKA Frigga) who is often called the goddess of love. Her name means Beloved or Lady. I think calling a lady beloved is more romantic than Lupercalia or more fitting for Valentine’s Day.
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!!!
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Valentine's Day on February 6, 2019| Leave a Comment »
The Roman festival of Lupercalia (often associated with a wolf festival dedicated to a nature god, Pan/Faunus) hits a high point on February 15, but the entire month is associated with the festival. Sometimes called Februa, Purging, it gave this name to the entire month of February. Often associated with Valentine’s Day, dogs and goats were sacrificed. Wearing the flayed skins, men and boys ran through the streets nude. Touching one of these runners was said to insure pregnancy in young women. Maybe this was romantic for them. No thank you.
However…I just might write about it.
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Valentine's Day on February 14, 2018| 2 Comments »
Both occur on February 14th. Lupercalia is a purging, purification festival, connected to the Latin word for “wolf.” Different from Valentine’s Day, maybe, but the crowds used to run naked, which must have led to erotic situations. It continued after Christianity and may have been renamed Valentine’s Day when authorities gave up trying to suppress it.
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Antony, Antony & Cleopatra, Cleopatra, doomed lovers, Doomed Romances, facebook, Ikhnaton, Nefertiti, Suddeth, Valentine's, Valentine's Day on February 14, 2014| Leave a Comment »
On Facebook for Valentine’s Day, one writer listed her favorite Doomed Romances. I thought about some Doomed Romances: Antony & Cleopatra, soldiers dying in battle with love letters in their pockets, Ikhnaton & Nefertiti, interracial lovers, inter-religious lovers, and I realized something. It’s snowing big-time and my Valentine plans are Doomed. The snow photo is from January, but we are having a February rerun.
