Like Christmas, Easter and Shrove Tuesday (thank you, yesterday), St. Valentine’s Day is substantially a medieval invention.
The tradition of honouring the Roman martyr Valentine - who is, perhaps a confection of two or even three early Christian martyrs by the same name - on February 14th can be dated back to the eighth century.
The notion that this was a special day for lovers to give one another tokens of their affection comes from the later Middle Ages: it is plot device in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Parliament of Fowls; and the first ever Valentine’s note is usually credited to Margery Brews, to her fiancé, John Paston.
However, also like Christmas, Easter and Shrove Tuesday, this medieval festival has now been so overlaid with modern trappings that it is only barely recognisable from its original form.
So instead of giving you tips on how to enjoy a very medieval Valentine’s, I thought I’d send you a period-authentic love-token of my own esteem: a selection of the weirdest medieval hearts. These are my top five. They’re all yours.
Love and left ventricles,
Dan x
Richard the Lionheart’s heart
Richard the Lionheart’s heart was deposited in Rouen after he died at the siege of Chalus-Chabrol in 1199. (Most of the rest of him was buried in Fontevraud, alongside his parents.)
Just over eight centuries later, in 2013, scientists had a good look at what was left of the heart, which was reduced at that point to a crumb-like powder similar to the stuff you find at the very bottom of a packet of granola.
Here are some of the microscope images that study produced. (The report is here.)
The heart had been embalmed with extracts of various plants, identified by their pollen grains. They included myrtle, daisy, mint, pine, oak, poplar, plantain and bell-flower, as well as substances such as lead, tin, copper and mercury. Present also were some linen strands. There were a few faint traces of actual heart. But this was Richard the Lionheart, so… you know.
Saint Clare of Montefalco’s heart
Saint Clare of Montefalco died in 1308 having lived most of her life, from age six, as an Augustinian nun. Her life was transformed when she had a vision of Jesus, wandering around looking for a place to plant the rather heavy cross he was carrying. When she offered to help, Christ jammed the cross in her heart.
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