Saturday, February 14, 2004 @1:17 AM
The Orphean Story
It's Greek. It's about a boy. It's a story about love.
Orpheus was the son of Apollo and the muse Calliope. Orpheus inherited from his mother the power to enchant every living creature with his music. When his love Eurydice was killed he descended into the Underworld to plead for her return. Orpheus enchanted Hades, the monarch of the Underworld, with his music and was permitted to leave with Eurydice. But there was one condition: on his journey back to the world above, Orpheus must lead Eurydice and not look back to see if she followed. Just as he reached the entrance to the Upperworld, fear overpowered him and he turned to see if she followed, thus losing Eurydice forever.
There was a boy
A very strange, enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far, very far
Over land and sea
A little shy and sad of eye
But very wise was he...
And then one day
One magic day
He passed my way
And while we spoke of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me...
'The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love...and be loved in return.'
Truth, beauty, freedom and that which I believe in above all things... LOVE.
Sounding familiar? Yes yes, it's copyrighted. But I thought it's the perfect occasion for something like that. And so, as I walk along Orchard today there are hell lot of people selling flowers. Or girls with flowers in their arms looking ever so sweet. Amazing how great flowers go with girls.
The V Day atmosphere totally didn't soak in until I went onto the streets. People who are lovesick, don't venture onto the streets cos you'll get more depressed. Stay home and sit in front of the com. It makes you feel a little better. Ya right! Of course not! Get out of the house! Get some fresh air! And announce to the world that you're fine and dandy! How fast my views change... Hmmm...
I can't wait to get back to school, as in work, as in teaching. Sitting at home all day is driving me bananas. Other than the wonderful freedom I get. Waking up late. Have got NO curfew (simply cos there's no sch the nxt day). And bumming around my comfy home. Sounds like paradise. But no it's not. Every minute, every second I'm thinking of what to do and how to kill time. Get out of the house I'll say. But the inertia's always too great. Someone's got to start dragging me out of the house since morning to get me out in the afternoon. Am I lazy? Perhaps. =) Or maybe I just love my home too much. =)
Got a date? Errr... It depends.
And here you go, the origins of
Valentine's Day. Significance, meaning all in this story...
Valentines Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II - Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular military campaigns. Claudius the Cruel, as he was known at the time, was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome.
This was when a Christian priest named Valentine came to defend love in the empire. Valentine began to secretly marry couples despite the emperors orders. When Emperor Claudius was informed of these ceremonies Valentine was sent to prison where he remained until his death on February 14 in the year 270.
It wasn't until a few hundred years later when Valentine's Day began to develop as we know it. At the time Christianity was beginning to take control of Europe.
As part of this effort the Church sought to do away with pagan holidays. Valentine's Day came to replace a mid-February fertility festival called Lupercalia. In honor of his sacrifice for love Valentine was made a saint and Lupercalia renamed in his honor.
Until today the tradition of honoring Valentine continues. The themes of love and fertility taken from the ancient meanings of the holiday have endured and evolved with our contemporary adaptations of its meanings.
Falling in love consists merely in uncorking the imagination and bottling the common sense.
--Helen Rowland
