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What is a lupercus?
noun. an ancient Roman fertility god, often identified with Faunus or Pan.
What did they do on Lupercalia?
Lupercalia was an ancient pagan festival held each year in Rome on February 15. Unlike Valentine’s Day, however, Lupercalia was a bloody, violent and sexually-charged celebration awash with animal sacrifice, random matchmaking and coupling in the hopes of warding off evil spirits and infertility.
Who is the god of February?
February was dedicated to Februus, a god not unlike Dis or Pluto, because it was the month in which Rome was purified by making offerings and sacrifices to the gods of the dead.
Was Valentine’s Day a pagan holiday?
The earliest possible origin story of Valentine’s Day is the pagan holiday Lupercalia. Occurring for centuries in the middle of February, the holiday celebrates fertility. Soon after, the Catholic church declared February 14 to be a day of feasts to celebrate the martyred Saint Valentine.
When did Lupercalia end?
5th century A.D.
Lupercalia may have started at the time of the founding of Rome (traditionally 753 B.C.) or even before. It ended about 1200 years later, at the end of the 5th century A.D., at least in the West, although it continued in the East for another few centuries.
Where is Lupercal cave?
Rome
The Lupercal (from Latin lupa “female wolf”) was a cave at the southwest foot of the Palatine Hill in Rome, located somewhere between the temple of Magna Mater and the Sant’Anastasia al Palatino.
What was the so called Tugurium Faustulus?
The Casa Romuli (“Hut of Romulus”), also known as the tugurium Romuli, was the reputed dwelling-place of the legendary founder and first king of Rome, Romulus (traditional dates 771–717 BC).
Who could attend the Lupercalia?
The Luperci were young men (iuvenes), usually between the ages of 20 and 40. They formed two religious collegia (associations) based on ancestry; the Quinctiliani (named after the gens Quinctia) and the Fabiani (named after the gens Fabia).
On what date is the Feast of Lupercalia celebrated?
It was called Lupercalia, and it occurred on February 15 each year in ancient Rome. Instead of flowers and chocolates, the festival was marked by more ominous rituals.
What Greek god is Aquarius?
Aquarius – Prometheus People born beneath Aquarius are cosmically linked to Prometheus, the God of Creation and Forethought. This alignment will grant you abilities related to communication and teamwork. Furthermore, the constellation Aquarius is also associated with Ganymede, the mythological son of King Tros.
Who is Lupercus and what does he do?
Faunus is frequently called Inuus or the fertilizer, and Lupercus or the one who wards off wolves. Lupercus, an ancient Italian god, worshipped by shepherds as the protector of their flocks against wolves. The Grotto of Lupercus is the oldest sanctuary of kingly Rome.
Why was the Roman shepherd god called Lupercus?
Lupercus was, primarily, the god of shepherds, said to have been so called because he protected the flocks from wolves. The Lupercal was the sanctuary of Lupercus (‘wolf-repeller’), an old Roman shepherd god.
Where was the sanctuary of Lupercus in ancient Rome?
On the north side of the Palatine hill there had been in ancient times a cave, the sanctuary of Lupercus, surrounded by a grove, containing an altar of the god and his figure clad in a goat-skin, just as his priests the Luperci. The Romans sometimes identified Lupercus with the Arcadian Pan.
The Romans considered Faunus and Lupercus to be closely related, and some historians even think they are one and the same god, named differently by ancient Italians living in different regions.