The question is – how did we end up with a romantic celebration based on a saint about which so little is known? It appears that the legend of St Valentine can be attributed to an early author called Jacobus de Voragine. Around about 1260, he wrote The Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea). It was described in Wikipedia as “a late medieval bestseller” and was one of the first books to roll off Caxton‘s Press in 1483. Legenda Aurea was a compilation of stories of all the saints who had been venerated at the time he wrote the book. His stories were based on references made in the Roman Catholic Church’s services commemorating that saint, with perhaps some literary license given to the biographies he included describing incidents involving the saint’s life. According to his version, St Valentine was persecuted as a Christian and personally interrogated by Roman Emporer Claudius II (AD 268-270, a possibility as Valentine of Rome was martyred in AD 269). He was executed for attempting to persuade Claudius to leave his Roman paganism and become a Christian. But, before he died Valentine is reported to have performed a miracle of healing for the blind daughter of his jailer. Another of the Legenda Aurea stories attempts to draw some connection with sentimental love. It tells of Valentine’s rejection of a law that ordered young men to remain single because Emporer Claudius had declared that married men did not make good soldiers. The priest Valentine is said to have secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young men. When Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown into jail. On the eve of his execution, he is said to have written the first valentine himself to the jailer’s daughter whom he had befriended and healed. It was signed “From your Valentine”.
For a special gift for your Valentine this year I recommend Gifts for Your Valentine. Click here to view a suggested range of items you may wish to purchase for your special someone this Valentines Day.
