For hundreds of years, Saint Valentine happens to have always been associated with love, romance, and devotion. More specifically, we associate him as that of the popular feast during February 14 or known as Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, only a few things are known about the life of this saint. To these days, it’s not even made clear whether Saint Valentine is one person or a two-person man. Here are some facts about the person behind Saint Valentine that you may find surprising.
Saint Valentine may be a two-person man
Saint Valentine is known as a real person who perished around 270 A.D. However, in 496 A.D, his identity was questioned by Pope Gelasius I, stating that the martyr’s acts were only known to God. An account sometime in the 14th century spoke that Valentine served as a priest of a temple and was beheaded in a place near Rome by Claudius II. Valentine was convicted and beheaded because he helped Christian partners wed. On another account, Valentine was known as a Terni bishop and was killed by Claudius II somewhere near Rome. Since these accounts have similarities, it has been regarded that both must be talking of the same man. And because of the confusion surrounding the identity of Valentine, the catholic church stopped venerating him in 1969.
Patron of epileptics and beekeepers
When a person dies and is made known as a saint, he is expected to have a very busy and hectic afterlife. They will hold sacred duties which include earthly affair intercessions and diverting petitions from the living. Prior to these duties, Saint Valentine has a wide range of holy responsibilities. He was made known as the saint to be summoned not only by lovers but for intervening epileptic persons and beekeepers. He is also the saint to be called in times of traveling, fainting, and plagues. He is the patron of happy marriages and engaged couples.
Saint Valentine’s skull is in Cosmedin, Rome
If you are a traveler and wishes to see the remains of Saint Valentine, then you are quite lucky. For many centuries, the skull of Saint Valentine survived. The skull is embellished with flowers and is on display in the Santa Maria Basilica in Rome. It was in the year 1800s when a catacomb was excavated and there, they discovered skeletal remains which are associated with Saint Valentine. As a customary practice, the bits and pieces of the skeletal remains were distributed to shrines and reliquaries in different parts of the world. Other countries where you can find the bits and pieces of Saint Valentine’s skeletal remains on display include France, England, Ireland, Scotland, and the Czech Republic.
Saint Valentine may have been invented or merely created
Geoffrey Chaucer, an English poet in the medieval era is known as a person who always took liberties and freedoms with history. This means that in every piece that he creates, he always puts his imaginary characters into false historical contexts which are represented as real. There was not even any evidence, or any record found in the poem that he wrote sometime in 1375. Chaucer wrote a poem entitled Parliament of Foules and it can be discovered that he linked a courtly love tradition with the feast day in honor of Saint Valentine. This association didn’t exist for many long years until his poem attained widespread attention. This poem points out February 14 as a special day for birds (and even humans) to get together, socialize, mingle, and search for their respective mates. Based on a line in his poem, it can be assumed that Chaucer may have just coined or created “Valentine’s Day,” the love-inspired holiday that is widely known today in all parts of the world.
