Who Was St. Valentine?
Who Was St. Valentine?
With February upon us and Valentine’s Day right around the corner, many people may wonder about the namesake of the holiday. Who Was St. Valentine? Let’s take a look into the person – or people – often considered the saint of romance.
More Than One St. Valentine
Trying to discern the history of St. Valentine results in a bit of a problem. Valentine, from the Roman Valentinus, was a word that meant worthy and powerful. It became a very popular title as early as the second century. As such, there are over a dozen martyrs that have carried the title of Valentine.
Thus, when distinguishing between the Saint thought to inspire the holiday, people refer to him as St. Valentine of Rome. However, this in itself pulls two stories. One is of a temple priest in Rome who was beheaded by emperor Claudius II for performing weddings between Christians. Another was a bishop in Terni, north of Rome, who was also killed by Claudius II.
The historical accounts are similar enough that it is assumed these may be the same person; however, they may also be two different people. Whether St. Valentine was actually a singular person or two separate people, they lead similar stories in their lives and death.
What is St. Valentine Associated With?
It is well known that St. Valentine is the patron saint of love. More specifically, he is the patron saint of lovers. Unsurprisingly, this also means that he is the patron saint of engaged couples and marriages. However, this is not his only calling card in the afterlife. As Catholics expect their saints to keep busy, he also finds himself as the patron saint of beekeepers, travellers, the plague, young people, and epilepsy.
Did St. Valentine Create Valentine’s Day?
While many people like to associate St. Valentine with Valentine’s Day (after all, he is the patron saint of lovers), the reality is that he had very little to do with the holiday. In fact, it is believed that the holiday was created by poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote about it as a bit of historical fiction in his poem Parliament of Foules. The association of pursuing love with a feast of St. Valentine’s does not have any association in history prior to Chaucer’s 1375 work.
A Valentine’s Tradition
St. Valentine, or at least the one condemned to death for performing Christian marriages if there were two, actually developed a friendship with the emperor and his daughter. After being sentenced to death, he wrote one last letter to the daughter which he signed “From your Valentine,” a tradition that lives on in Valentine’s Day celebrations today.
Unfortunately, the ending for St. Valentine was a bit worse than what senders of modern Valentine’s might receive. Rather than unrequited love or being “left on read”, he was beaten and beheaded near Rome’s Flaminian Gate.
Thus, while St. Valentine is associated with romance and is known as the patron saint of lovers for going against the grain and marrying Christian couples, his life was anything but a tale of love.
With all that being said, when we think of Valentine’s Day we think of love and romance. What better way to show your love then with a gift that speaks a thousand words?
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Sources Cited
The ‘real’ St. Valentine was no patron of love (theconversation.com)
St. Valentine – Saints & Angels – Catholic Online
You Can Blame Geoffrey Chaucer for Valentine’s Day ‹ Literary Hub (lithub.com)
