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‘Sabrina’ Sugarcoated the Horrors of Lupercalia, the origins of Valentine’s Day

Published

4 years ago

February 13, 2020

Lupercalia. A tradition far from the sappy celebration of Valentine’s Day as we know it today.

What we know about this holiday and its beginnings dates back to the Romans. From February 13 to February 15 they would have the feast of Lupercalia. This feast was conducted to avert evil spirits and purify the city to release health and fertility.

This celebration was seen in an episode of the hit show Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in season 2 episode 3 entitled Lupercalia.

The show explains the ritual as “where a witch is paired with a random warlock, the courting, where the pair spend the night together in unholy abstinence, and the hunt, a run through the woods which climaxes in a frenzy of orgiastic carnality.” A pure sugarcoating of the actual festivities.

However, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina did get two parts right. The partners were matched up randomly. Yet c’mon, we all knew Sabrina and Nick would be paired together. Also, each partner places blood on the other’s forehead and wipes it off in a milk soaked cloth, both laughing while it’s being preformed.

That’s pretty much where the similarities end.

In the old days, Romans would kill a goat and a dog and use their hides to make thongs. With these strips made from the hides they would beat women who lined up for the floggings. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina seem to have glossed over that part.

These lashes didn’t appear to come from a place of sadism, but rather symbolism to help these women ensure fertility. These Roman women would think these beatings would not only make them more fertile, but also give birth to more children.

Other accounts claim the men and women would run naked through the streets during this part of the festivities. If they were caught they would be lashed with the thongs. Not only would these women benefit from the ritual, but the men who preformed the lashings would too.

These young men who lashed the women were seen as making the transition from boyhood to adulthood.

However, as time went on the celebrations changed. Men held women down and whipped their inner thighs against their will. The men laughed and cheered, drunkenly.

Historians have come to the conclusion the relation between Valentine’s Day and romance began in the late 14^th century. However, how much of a connection between the two remains unclear.

While the connection between Lupercalia and Valentine’s Day is a bit muddled, it appears to be a distant ancestor of the holiday. Other historians claim it has no connection at all. Regardless, it is very different from the holiday as we know it today.

Read more about the history of Lupercalia here! As well as a follow up with some history and serial killer Valentine Day cards from one of our own iHorror writers here!

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Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

Published

10 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.”

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN IS NOW IN PRODUCTION 🩸 Welcome to Shadyside High. We're gonna have a killer time. pic.twitter.com/jDl0zRa2CH
— Netflix (@netflix) April 30, 2024

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).

No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.

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News

Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

Published

11 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.

If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.

Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.

Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.

Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.

Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.

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News

BET Releasing New Original Thriller: The Deadly Getaway

Published

11 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Cameron McFarland

BET will soon be offering horror fans a rare treat. The studio has announced the official release date for their new original thriller, The Deadly Getaway. Directed by Charles Long (The Trophy Wife), this thriller sets up a heart racing game of cat and mouse for audiences to sink their teeth into.

Wanting to break up the monotony of their routine, Hope and Jacob set off to spend their vacation at a simple cabin in the woods. However, things go sideways when Hope’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a new girl at the same campsite. Things soon spiral out of control. Hope and Jacob must now work together to escape the woods with their lives.

The Deadly Getaway is written by Eric Dickens (Makeup X Breakup) and Chad Quinn (Reflections of US). The Film stars, Yandy Smith-Harris (Two Days in Harlem), Jason Weaver (The Jacksons: An American Dream), and Jeff Logan (My Valentine Wedding).

Showrunner Tressa Azarel Smallwood had the following to say about the project. “The Deadly Getaway is the perfect reintroduction to classic thrillers, which encompass dramatic twists, and spine-chilling moments. It showcases the range and diversity of emerging Black writers across genres of film and television.”

The Deadly Getaway will premiere on 5.9.2024, exclusively ion BET+.