Lupercalia
A festival held in Rome from time immemorial on February 15. It was in honour of Faunus,
who was worshipped under the name Lupercus in the Lupercal, a grotto in the
Palatine Mount. His wife
Luperca or
Lupa was sometimes identified with Acca Larentia. (See
Acca Larentia;
Fratres Arvales.) The object of the festival was, by expiation and
purification, to give new life and fruitfulness to fields, flocks, and people. The cult was
originally administered by two confraternities, which were chosen from the members of the
Fabian and Quintilian families, and were named in consequence Luperci Fabiani and Luperci
Quintiliani. To these was added in B.C. 44 that of the Luperci Iulii in honour of Caesar. In
consequence of the Civil Wars the cult fell into desuetude, but was renewed by Augustus. In
imperial times the members of these
collegia were commonly of equestrian
standing, and retained the name of Luperci even after leaving the body. The festival was
observed until A.D. 494, in which year Bishop Gelasius I. changed it into the Feast of the
Purification. See Fleury,
Hist. Ecclés. xxx. 41.
The procedure at the Lupercalia was as follows: After the Flamen Dialis had sacrificed some
hegoats and a dog, two youths were touched on the forehead with a knife, smeared with the
blood of the goats. It was then immediately wiped off with wool dipped in milk, whereupon they
were bound to laugh. After the sacrificial feast the Luperci, crowned and anointed, and naked,
except for an apron of goat-skin, ran round the ancient city on the Palatine with thongs cut
from the skin of the sacrificed goats in their hands. On their course, women used to place
themselves in their way to receive blows from the thongs, which was believed to be a charm
against barrenness. (See Mannhardt,
Mythologische Forschungen, pp. 113 foll.)
The thongs were called
februa, from the old word
februare, “to purify”; the day,
dies
februatus, “the day of purification”; and the whole month,
Februarius, “the month of purification.” For the possible
connection with totem-worship, see A. Lang,
Myth, Ritual, and Religion, ii. 177
and 213.
