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Introduction
Welcome

History
Pre 1400AD
1400AD-1800AD
1800AD to now
Pre-Christian mythology

Other facts
The Saints
Cards
Valentines around the world

References

History (1400AD-1800AD)

So, with February 14th now established as the day for lovers to express their love the way was set for the sending and receiving of tokens of love and love letters. The exchange of letters was common in France and England, this was encouraged by the popular concept of "courtly love", the medieval equivalent of modern romance fiction. They would also call each other their "valentines".

It is most likely that the legends that surrounded St Valentine (Valentinus) were invented about this time. While Valentinus was definitely martyred, the reason for it isn’t certain: it could just be because he was a practicing Christian. It might just possibly be because he helped soldiers marry their loved ones; however the story that he passed a note to the jailer’s daughter saying "from your Valentine" is almost certainly a complete fiction.

In Paris, around 1400, there was a "High Court of Love" which dealt with love contracts, betrayals and violence against women – the judges for this court were selected by women based on skill at poetry reading.

The earliest surviving valentine (a love letter) is from 1415, written by the Duke of Orleans, Charles, to his wife. In fact he was lucky to be alive at all, he had been captured at the Battle of Agincourt where the English were rather more inclined to murder the French aristocrats than take them prisoner. He had been taken back to the Tower of London and wrote to her from there.

Moving up to the early 17th century we find that Shakespeare mentions the day in Hamlet where Ophelia says "Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day." This began the increasing popularity of celebrating St Valentine’s Day in Britain and by the 18th century it was very common to exchange tokens of affection and love letters (but only among the literate classes).