An edited repost from the deepest archives.

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays because of the history behind it. This day even plays a part in my romantic suspense novel EVERY DEEP DESIRE since the prologue, where the heroine Juliet discovers her husband Rafe has supposedly abandoned her, happens on Valentine’s Day. 

But I love this holiday, not because of the chocolate or cards or flowers, or because of the tie-in with my novel, but because of the man himself. A courageous Bishop known as St. Valentine.

Born during the reign of Claudius II, a Roman Emperor who hated and persecuted early Christians, St. Valentine was an early Bishop who married young couples in Christian ceremonies in flagrant violation of Claudius II’s edicts. Since Claudius II believed his soldiers fought better without wives or families, and he hated Christianity, he had St. Valentine arrested.

Turns out St. Valentine had also been marrying couples right before they were martyred and had been aiding the Christian families of those left behind. Enraged, Claudius II told St. Valentine to renounce his faith or be martyred. After St. Valentine gave a forceful “No“, Claudius II had St. Valentine beaten with clubs and beheaded outside the Flaminian Gates in Rome on February 14, 269 AD (approx year).

According to legend, two days before his execution, St. Valentine miraculously healed the jailor’s blind daughter and on the day of his death left her a letter signed “your Valentine“. (I guess you could say St. Valentine was one of the first romance writers!)

Sometime between the years 492 and 496 AD, the date February 14 was chosen to replace the February 15 pagan feast known as Lupercalia, a day set aside to worship the pagan god Lupercus. On this day, young Roman men would draw the names of young women whom they would then keep for a year as their sexual companions.

Pope Gelasius I, not happy with this annual event, came up with a new lottery. On February 14, young people would choose the name of a Christian saint whose example they would try to emulate throughout the year. But since young men still hoped to seduce young women by sending them handwritten notes, the Pope elected Saint Valentine to be the patron saint of the day. Hence the custom of sending cards from “your Valentine“.

But Valentine’s Day didn’t really come into vogue until the 14th century when Geoffrey Chaucer (best known for writing The Canterbury Tales) wrote his famous poem “The Parliament of Fowls” sometime between 1380 and 1390. This 699-line romantic poem is about birds choosing their mates. I know it seems strange that a $20 billion industry rests upon the shoulders of a saint from the earliest days of the Catholic church and a 14th century poet. Yet historians agree that this poem, about birds finding their mates, may have been a satirical allegory written to honor the marriage of Richard II of England and Anne of Bohemia, a courtship which took five long years of intense negotiations that almost ended in conflict a few times.

This famous line from the poem, “Three eagles in fact vie for the hand of this single female eagle, and since no conclusion is found them marriage is postponed” may represent the difficult diplomatic negotiations that eventually ended in the marriage between King Richard and Anne. This was obviously a political alliance instead of a love match, but the poem suggests that nature may have more to do with the happiness between lovers instead of love that is ruled and regulated. In the poem, the female eagle refuses all three suitors and asks Mother Nature for another year to male her decision. Mother Nature agrees and tells the suitors that “A year isn to too long to endure”.

Chaucer, through this poem, is telling the reader that sometimes forcing the issue (as in arranged political marriages) can lead to more strife. Yet if you allow the natural course of love to occur (the definition of Courtly Love), you end up with more joy and the potential miracles of love… aka babies. The whole poem is an idealized look at love during the Middle Ages, both the good (falling in love naturally) and the bad (arranged marriages). Although it was written over 600 years ago, its opening line still resonates with modern readers:

“So short our lives, so hard the lessons, so difficult the tests, so sudden the final viceroy, so tenuous the hope of joy that so easily evaporates into fear — this is what I mean by Love.”

But the lines that really matter to the holiday of Valentine’s Day are found within the stanzas of this VERY LONG poem where all the birds gather to select a mate and they decide to do this on Valentine’s Day. (I’ve included the small portions of original version and the modern English translation)

or this was on seynt Valentynes day,
Whan every foul cometh there to chese his make’ (309-10)

(Translation)

For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day
When every fowl comes to choose his mate.

Chaucer goes on to mention that the birds will sing for Saint Valentine, and he’ll help them choose their spouse.

aynt Valentyne, that are ful hy on-lofte,
Thus syngen smale foules for thy sake:
Now welcome, somer…’ (683-85)

(Translation)

Saint Valentine, that are full lofty on high
Thus small fowls (birds) sing for thy sake.
Now welcome, summer…

Although Chaucer’s poem is still the most important literary link between Saint Valentine and the idea of having a day to celebrate courtly love, other poets liked the idea so much that they took up the idea as well. John Gower (an English poet who died in 1408) and Oton de Grandson (a French poet who died n 1387) refer to this idea that Valentine was the patron saint of true love and should be celebrated on February 14th. Also, in 1415, when the French Duke of Orleans was imprisoned in the Tower of London, he wrote a letter to his wife titled, “Ma doulce Valentin gent” meaning My sweet gentle Valentine.

What I love about this history is the idea that courtly love, which comes with a saint’s protection and was made popular in medieval society, still resonates today. Considering the amount of money spent on Valentine’s Day, the rest of the world agrees so much that Valentine’s Day has now been expanded to include friendships and other positive, uplifting relationships. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe February, and that we can all spend time with those we love.

Who loves the common good and virtue too

Shall unto a blissful place yet wend,

There where joy is that lasts without an end.

(Translation of The Parliament of Fowls by Geoffrey Chaucer, 1380 – 1390)

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