Seeking Lupercalia songs

Subject: Seeking Lupercalia songs
From: Pinetop Slim
Date: 10 Jan 01 - 10:36 AM

I've been invited to a celebration of Lupercalia (Lupercania?), a pagan holiday that apparently has something to do with wolves. Anyone know of music appropriate to the occasion?

Subject: RE: Seeking Lupercalia songs
From: GUEST,Fretless
Date: 10 Jan 01 - 11:12 AM

"music appropriate to the occasion": Something with a Latin beat, perhaps? (Apologies, couldn't resist).

The Lupercalia celebrated a Roman fertility god, Lupercus, rather than wolves. The traditional attire for the festival included goat skins. As for music, maybe you could try http://www.oeaw.ac.at/kal/agm/, which is a site for ancient Greek music (after all, who'll know the difference?).

Or (tongue once again embedded in cheek) anything on the fiddle, since that was Nero's supposed choice of instrument to accompany the burning of Rome.

Subject: RE: Seeking Lupercalia songs
From: hesperis
Date: 10 Jan 01 - 12:18 PM

LOL!

Anyway, love songs and ballads could be nice too. Depends on what *kind* of fertility god he was...

Subject: RE: Seeking Lupercalia songs
From: GUEST,Fretless
Date: 10 Jan 01 - 01:02 PM

"Depends on what *kind* of fertility god he was..." Not, apparently, one who would be inclined to gentle love songs and ballads. According to http://www.ukans.edu/history/index/europe/ancient_rome/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Lupercalia.html, the festival got downright gory. Let us know, Pinetop Slim, what happy ditties you come up with to evoke these Luperclian activities... :-)

"The Luperci assembled on the day of the Lupercalia, and sacrificed to the god goats and young dogs, which animals are remarkable for their strong sexual instinct, and thus were appropriate sacrifices to the god of fertility (Plut. Rom. 21; Servius ad Aen. viii.343). Two youths of noble birth were then led to the Luperci, and one of the latter touched their foreheads with a sword dipped in the blood of the victims; other Luperci immediately after wiped off the bloody spots with wool dipped in milk. Hereupon the two youths were obliged to break out into a shout of laughter. This ceremony was probably a symbolical purification of the shepherds. After the sacrifice was over, the Luperci partook of a meal, at which they were plentifully supplied with wine (Val. Max. ii.2.9). They then cut the skins of the goats which they had sacrificed, into pieces; with some of which they covered parts of their body in imitation of the god Lupercus, who was represented half naked and half covered with goat-skin. The other pieces of the skins they cut into thongs, and holding them in their hands they ran through the streets of the city, touching or striking with them all persons whom they met in their way, and especially women, who even used to come forward voluntarily for the purpose, since they believed that this ceremony rendered them fruitful, and procured them an easy delivery in childbearing."

Subject: RE: Seeking Lupercalia songs
From: LR Mole
Date: 11 Jan 01 - 01:26 PM

Little Red Riding Hood? Fangs for the Memories? Goatbusters? Ram On? Lupercalifagilisticexpialidocious?(No regrets, Coyote).

Subject: RE: Seeking Lupercalia songs
From: MMario
Date: 11 Jan 01 - 01:37 PM

the interesting point I discovered while trying to find out information on this is that evidently even the Romans, as early as the 2nd century BC weren't sure of the origins of the ceremony or just which gods it was to honour.

Subject: RE: Seeking Lupercalia songs
From: Pinetop Slim
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 01:26 PM

So maybe there's a wolf involved after all, eh, MMario, or maybe not.
"Fangs for the Memories"? GROAN.

Subject: RE: Seeking Lupercalia songs
From: Pinetop Slim
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 06:08 PM

Sorry, but I got interrupted before I could say thanks for all the helpful information. That should teach me not to post from work.

Subject: RE: Seeking Lupercalia songs
From: Ebbie
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 07:48 PM

Doesn't it seem likely that the wolf reference would have something to do with the name: 'lupe'?

Ebbie

Subject: RE: Seeking Lupercalia songs
From: Hotspur
Date: 12 Jan 01 - 11:18 PM

I was always under the impression that Lupercalia was to celebrate the she-wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus, Romulus being the fellow who founded Rome.

Lupo is Italian for wolf, so I wouls assume Lupe comes from the same source.

Subject: RE: Seeking Lupercalia songs
From: GUEST,Murray on Saltspring
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 02:28 AM

Lupercal was the place where Romulus & Remus were suckled by the she-wolf [lupus = wolf, and the Lupercalia was held there every year on Feb. 15th. It was in honour of Lupercus, a name for Pan [of Lycaea]because he protected the flocks from wolves. The descriptions of the ceremonies certainly give the impression it had fertility overtones, or undertones; which MAY be explained by the Pan connection, since he was a god of fecundity & whatnot.

Subject: RE: Seeking Lupercalia songs
From: Hollowfox
Date: 13 Jan 01 - 02:33 PM

Musn't forget the whatnot.