Ave Lupercalia
Once restored to their regal
position, the brothers rediscovered the den and called it the Lupercal (the
wolves cave.) It became a sacred site along with the remains of the shepherd's
hut.
The Lupercalia ritual in Rome was
held in the cave itself. Similar rituals held in other parts of the Empire had
to use venues symbolic of the cave on Mount Aventine. Two high-born young men
stripped naked and sacrificed a dog and a goat. They smeared blood on their
foreheads, then wiped it off with wool dipped in milk. The men made a show of
laughing (it being important to be jovial, in both senses) and wrapped strips
of the goat's hide about themselves. A great feast was then held - perhaps
involving the remains of the goat.
Finally each man lead a group of
near-naked men around the hills and bounds of Rome. These two colleges of
priests were called the Luperci Quinctiales and the Luperci Fabiani ~ Mark
Anthony being one of the more famous members. Women would line up to be
thwacked by the priests with strips of goat skin (presumably the untanned hide
would not have been hard enough to hurt!) Having once helped to make a coracle, preparing the animal skins, I really don't imagine that this would have been some kind of sado-masochistic spectacle, though the smell of newly removed hide is not remotely pleasant. The belief was that this would
improve their chances of pregnancy.
The festival was so ancient that
by the Republican Period no-one quite remembered what it was originally in aid
of, nor were they even certain which deity it had been instituted for. Most
likely the two priests represent the Twins, the killing of a herd animal and a
herd defender presumably echoing the feral days living in the Lupercal. Perhaps
initially it was a way of celebrating the foundation of Rome itself, giving
honour both to the Twins and the wolves who nurtured them. Faunus Lupercus, the
alpha male, was one deity associated with this ritual. Scant written mention is
made of Lupa, the she-wolf, but it seems likely she would have been honoured
too. Others linked the ceremony to Pan, who has much in common with Faunus.
Lupercalian festivities continued
until Pope Gelasius I outlawed them in 494CE. The Church instituted the
Purification of the Blessed Virgin. The feast day of St Valentine was added to
the calendar two years later. The habit of sending love tokens on this date
goes back to at least the 14th century. The Pope's motives in creating the new
saint's day are unknown. It may have been to adapt the enthusiasm for
Lupercalia to a more socially acceptable pattern, though there isn't much
connection between sending soppy love letters and slapping women with bits of
dead goat.
Some accounts suggest that in
Roman-occupied Gaul, at Lupercalia, single women wrote their names on clay
tablets and placed them in an earthen jar. Unmarried young men then picked out
a name at random, and the two were paired off. Depending on which account you
accept, this lasted a few hours, a day, or even a year.
Lupercalia poses a challenge for
modern Pagans who wish to celebrate it. Clearly most of the activities
conducted in Ancient Rome would result in arrest, or prosecution by animal welfare organisations.
Either one must engage in an act of quite disturbing civil disobedience, or find a
way of adapting the spirit to a new form. To do this, one has to first establish what
that spirit was (bearing in mind that not even the old Romans were entirely
sure!)
Those who are deeply enamoured of
Roman culture might want to continue giving thanks to the founders and
protectors of the Empire. Naked rituals in private might be fun, but the
processional element could be replaced by a socially-acceptable public celebration of Roman
culture, e.g. a living history display for the public, or something similar.
Those less keen on Rome might
well be pulled, nonetheless, by the call of the wolf. These days, with wolves a
short trip from joining the innumerable other species our kind have driven to extinction, the festival might focus on preserving the species
and contemplating the gifts humanity might gain from studying them ~ lessons in
loyalty, team work, functional hierarchies etc. there is the question of how best to use spiritual or magical techniques to
preserve a species? Well, improving their fertility rate (the Gods surely know
that humankind needs no help here, with 7 billion plus swarming across the
planet), and changing the attitudes of those who would exterminate them, or
destroy their habitats. Putting money towards conservation work is also a good and much more practical idea. The goat sacrifice could transform into a financial sacrifice so that
wolves in a safari park or a breeding programme can eat.
Though the she-wolf is a dominant
feature, there is a decidedly masculine feel to Lupercalia, with the men
gathering in the cave. Brotherhood could be part of the focus. Hopefully not in
the guise of one of those ghastly male-bonding roll-in-the-mud for a mere £200
things that psychobabble merchants flog. Rather, a chance to think on the
importance of male friends ~ especially difficult for British men who tend to
shy away from the ease of Continental male-bonding for fear of being called
gay (as if that were somehow the worst thing one could be called!). Whether you get naked or not is another question again. In the UK men only
normally get naked with each other in the showers after football or rugby matches, and
then they have to swagger and talk loudly about their girlfriend's tits, just in
case the slightest suspicion might creep in. Regardless of whether the togas
stay on or not, it could be a useful opportunity for the spiritually developing
pagan male to try and confront their emotional hang-ups and feel more secure in
their masculinity. Drinking a toast to brothers of blood or spirit might form
a good centrepiece to the modernised ceremony.
Amulius deprived his nephews of
their parents. The Gods stepped in and gave them wolf parents. Another aspect
that could be reflected upon is the way in which the Gods provide alternatives
when we suffer losses in our lives. Thanks might be offered to the benevolence
of Providence, especially if those taking part have had just such experiences
of the kindness of strangers.
Those who enjoy a bit of consensual
thwacking could still do so after the sacrifices have been made. If there are
no women present who want to get pregnant, then the concept of the men
imparting a blessing using something sacrificed earlier could be reworked. If
not fertility of body, then creativity of mind might be far more desirable.
Those wanting to be so blessed could be touched with some object previously
dedicated to the Gods. Few butchers retail the skins of the animals hanging in
their windows, but the band of brothers could cook up a feast to be served (a
sacrifice of time, money, skill and meat) and bless the hide of some other
animal, strips of which could be used to impart blessings. Perhaps the bulk of
the hide could be used to make something useful as a sacrificial gift. If
sufficient men are present, one group could do the food and the other prepare
the hide, thus maintaining the practice of the two priestly bands.
Vegetarians who refuse to use
animal skins could make a veggie feast, and pelt the women with potato peelings.
Or, more seriously, use a symbol of virility which they have made and dedicated
to sacred use. Whether you prefer being hit with goat skin or prodded with an
organic dildo being largely a matter of personal choice.
The process of taking old habits
and finding new expressions for them is one common to pagan reconstructionists
of all traditions. Considerably creativity is needed, but it is still possible
to retain the spirit of the old in the form of the new ~ if the wolf howls to
you.
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