Author Archive
John Lydgate – Valentine Poet For Hire
Legend says that Henry V commissioned a talented poet named John Lydgate to write a valentine for Catherine of Valois, who was Henry V’s intended. This sounds like a simple tale – a loving husband or fianc? giving his sweetheart a gift on Valentine’s Day – but the story is much more complicated.
Henry V was [...]
Lupercalia – the Origins of Valentine’s Day?
While Valentine’s Day is certainly a holiday that commemorates St. Valentine, it is possible that the date of celebrations has roots in a far earlier tradition. Just as scholars speculate that the placement of the Christmas and Easter holidays coincide with pagan holidays so that the Christian reformers could “un-paganize” those pagan holidays, so do [...]
The Oldest Valentine in History
Born in 1394, French nobleman Charles of Valois is credited in penning the first Valentine’s Day sentiment. Charles became Duke of Orleans in 1407 after his father was murdered on behalf of John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy. Charles was a fairly prolific poet, which is where the Valentine’s Day letter comes from, though Charles’ [...]
