#139550 - 02/16/05 09:57 AM
Lupercalia
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 03/15/00
Posts: 6511
Loc: lower upstate New York
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OK, fun-loving tsuwm, what's the *other holiday they celebrated? I'm confused...
the worthless word for the day is: lupercalian
[fr. L. Lupercus, god of flocks]
related to or characteristic of an ancient Roman
festival (Lupercalia) celebrated February 15 to
ensure fertility for the people, fields, and flocks
ah those fun-loving Romans, two festivals on one
day; the confusion is somewhat relieved by this:
"After the sacrifice was over, the Luperci partook of
a meal, at which they were plentifully supplied with
wine. They then cut the skins of the goats which they
had sacrificed, into pieces; with some of which they
covered parts of their body in imitation of the god
Lupercus, who was represented half naked and half
covered with goat-skin. The other pieces of the skins
they cut into thongs, and holding them in their hands
they ran through the streets of the city, touching or
striking with them all persons whom they met in their
way, and especially women... This act of running about
with thongs of goat-skin was a symbolic purification of
the land, and that of touching persons a purification of
men, for the words by which this act is designated are
februare and lustrare. The goat-skin itself was called
februum, the festive day dies februata, the month in which
it occurred Februarius, and the god himself Februus."
- A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities,
John Murray, London, 1875
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#139552 - 02/16/05 10:23 AM
Re: Lupercalia
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 10/17/00
Posts: 5400
Loc: rego park
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Anna, the text you posted included: that of touching persons a purification of men, for the words by which this act is designated are februare and lustrare.which sent me scurrying to look up luster--which i thought was related to the word light, (yup it is)(see link) http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE285.htmland got me thinking about Candlemas day.. an almost forgotten (it seems) RC holiday in February. all the candles for the coming year on blessed on this day, and blessed candle are touched to the throat, --just being touched by the candles is a form of a blessing--but they are supposed to particularly protect against fish bones being caught in your throat (i remember this to be an especially scary thing in my childhood, but nowday, every one uses purel, and other sanitizers, and is worried about germs, and fish bones being caught in your throat, doesn't seem to faze people much!) many RC 'religious' holidays have pagan roots.. candlemas (feb 2nd as i recall) is earlier in the month, but i wonder how it is related to Lupercalia--pehaps the early RC's wanted to have a purification and blessing (a lupercalia) EARLIER in the month than dies februata, and so preempt the need for people to sacrifice goats, go around half naked,and to be touched with goat skins to be blessed and purified.) maybe i'll go look up some info on candlemas day.. and learn more.. the roman holiday seems like it might be more fun than candlemas..
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#139557 - 02/16/05 12:20 PM
Re: Candlemas
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 10/17/00
Posts: 5400
Loc: rego park
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yes, candlemas day is currently close to a cross -quarter day in the irish calendar..(birth of spring)
but birth of spring is holiday about spring (new beginnings, and blessings on new year) and about lambing.. (lambs start giving birth in the month of February) no doubt, goats do too. so lambs and goats, and beginnings, and blessing --there is a good deal of overlapping of pagan ideas of the roman and the irish.
maybe candlemas day used to be the same day as dies februare, and got moved to Feb 2, to move it closer to the irish calendar holiday (which is somewhat similar in nature) --that is just a WAG on my part..
--------------------------------------------
WW--if you venture to this thread, you might not like the info in the rest of this post.. (guessing from your stated feelings about chickens and pigs)
___________________________________________________
ewes that have their lambs still born, can behave in a way similar to, what in humans, is called mourning. they don't recover from the birth, become ill, and can die.
and lambs that are born orphans, or rejected, as sometimes happens, by their mother, will starve to death.
one common solution is for the shepherds to take the still born lamb, and skin it. then to place the skin over the head and back of the orphan, (so it 'smells right' to the mother.) a mother will accept an lamb dressed up in her lambs 'skin' as her own, most of the time.
so part of normal lambing involves skinning some lambs.
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#139558 - 02/16/05 12:57 PM
Re: Candlemas
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/03/00
Posts: 10463
Loc: this too shall pass
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googling "lupercalia februarius candlemas" gave 32 hits, amongst which this: The Lupercalia was observed well into the Christian era. It is said that Pope Gelasius I introduced the Feast of the Purification [e.a.] of the Virgin Mary, called Candlemas in A.D. 494, to counteract the excesses of the pagan celebrations of the Lupercalia. I didn't delve any deeper, but I'd wager that the dates become a mas of confusion. :) you're most welcome to [scare-quotes]borrow[/scare-quotes] my search string. p.s. - I did spot this mixed bag of Feb. dates to remember: http://syrylynrainbowdragon.tripod.com/february.html
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