Lupercalia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lupercalia | |
|---|---|
| Observed by | Ancient Romans |
| Type | Pagan, Historical |
| Date | February 15 |
The Lupercalia were a very ancient, possibly pre-Roman pastoral festival, held on February 15 to honor Faunus, pagan god of fertility and forests.
Contents |
[edit] Origins
Justin Martyr identified Faunus as Lupercus, 'the one who wards off the wolf', but his identification is not supported by any earlier classical sources; a she-wolf is a protective totem of Rome, since one was the mythological foster mother of the Eternal City's founding twins Romulus and Remus.
This festival's origins are older than the legendary founding of Rome. In front of the Porta Romana, on the western side of the Palatine hill, close to the Ficus Ruminalis and the Casa Romuli, was the cave of Lupercus; in it, according to the legend, the she-wolf had suckled the twins, and the bronze wolf statue, which is still preserved in the Capitol, was placed in it in 296 BC. But the festival itself contains no reference to the Romulus legend, which is probably later in origin, though earlier than the grecizing Evander legend. The object of the festival was, by expiation and purification, to secure the fruitfulness of the land, the increase of the flocks and the prosperity of the whole people. It survived until 494, when it was changed by Pope Gelasius into the feast of the Purification of the Virgin (then on February 14, now on February 2). Lupercus, in whose honor the festival was held, is identified with Faunus or Inuus, Evander (EIWSpos), in the Greek legend being a translation of Faunus (the "kindly").
[edit] The celebration during the Late Republic and Empire
The festival was celebrated near the cave of Lupercal on the Palatine (one of the seven Roman hills), to expiate and purify new life in the Spring. The Lupercal cave, which had fallen into a state of decay, was rebuilt by Augustus; the celebration of the festival had been maintained, as we know from the famous occurrence of it in 44 BC.
The religious ceremonies were directed by the Luperci, the "brothers of the wolf (lupus)", a corporation of priests of Faunus, dressed only in a goatskin, whose institution is attributed either to the Arcadian Evander, or to Romulus and Remus. The Luperci were divided into two collegia, called Quinctiliani (or Quinctiales) and Fabiani, from the gens Quinctilia (or Quinctia) viz. gens Fabia; at the head of each of these colleges was a magister. In 44 BC. a third college, Luperci Julii, was instituted in honor of Julius Caesar, the first magister of which was Mark Anthony. In imperial times the members were usually of equestrian standing.
The festival began with the sacrifice by the Luperci (or the flamen dialis) of two male goats and a dog. Next two patrician young Luperci were led to the altar, to be anointed on their foreheads with the sacrificial blood, which was wiped off the bloody knife with wool soaked in milk, after which they were expected to smile and laugh; the smearing of the forehead with blood probably refers to human sacrifice originally practised at the festival.
The sacrificial feast followed, after which the Luperci cut thongs from the skins of the victims, which were called Februa, dressed themselves in the skins of the sacrificed goats, in imitation of Lupercus, and ran round the walls of the old Palatine city, the line of which was marked with stones, with the thongs in their hands in two bands, striking the people who crowded near. Girls and young women would line up on their route to receive lashes from these whips. This was supposed to ensure fertility, prevent sterility in women and ease the pains of childbirth. This tradition itself may survive (christened, and shifted to spring) in certain Easter Monday ritual whippings.
The feast of St. Valentine was first declared to be on February 14 by Pope Gelasius I in 496. There is a widespread theory that he created the day to counter the practice held on Lupercalia of young men and women pairing off as lovers by drawing their names out of an urn; although the practice is not attested in any sources from that era, this pope finally abolished the Lupercalia, a superstitious and somewhat licentious vestige of paganism at Rome, after a long contest, which is covered in Gelasius's letter to senator Andromachus.
This festival was also called Februatio, and the day dies februatus (from Latin februare= to purify). Hence the name of the month of February, the last of the old Roman year which started in March, the month of Mars, the god of war, is derived from the Latin februare, "to purify" (meant as one of the effects of fever, which has the same linguistic root).
[edit] References in art
William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar begins during Lupercalia, with Caesar's rejection of the "kingly crown", as reported by Mark Antony, being used to turn the sympathies of the Roman people against the assassins (Act 3, Scene 2).
[edit] See also
[edit] Sources, references and external links
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
- This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia. Gelasius I
- Faunus in pantheon.org
- William Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, 1875: Lupercalia.
- Pauly-Wissowa
- Legendary Lupercalia lottery
- Marquardt, Romische Staatsverwaltung, iii. (1885) p. 438'
- W. Warde Fowler, Roman Festivals (1899), p. 390 foil., and article in Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (3rd ed. 1891).
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