Valentine's Poems and Love Letters in the Middle Ages

Many people might think valentine’s are an invention of modern times. The original valentine’s were an invention of the Middle Ages.

Valentine’s likely come from the stories of Saint Valentine, the holiday’s namesake. Which was the first valentine? Nobody knows, but the oldest recorded valentine poem came from Charles, the duke of Orléans. He sent it while he was locked in the Tower of London. There could have been many before then. The first recorded valentine’s letter in English came from a woman named Margery Brews. Valentines pop up all over the place in the Middle Ages.

What are some of the valentines we still have today? From where did the first valentine in the Middle Ages come? And why are valentines a thing at all?

Where did Valentine’s come from?

Where did valentines come from? Most people don’t think about it that much because valentine’s are fun to make, give, and receive. They are tradition. But where did the custom come from? It likely came from the legends of Saint Valentine.

Two nearly identical stories with, possibly, different saints (see my post about Saint Valentine here) include Saint Valentine sending a letter signed ‘your valentine’ to a girl whose eyesight he had healed. Her father had been his captor, but he had converted her family to Christianity. He sent this letter right before he was beheaded on the orders of Emperor Claudius the second.

The First Valentine’s Poem in the Middle Ages

Valentine’s Day greetings were popular long before valentines cards, letters, and poems were. What is the first valentine’s composition from the Middle Ages that we still have today? Charles, the Duke of Orléans, wrote the poem while imprisoned in the Towner of London. He was locked up after the disastrous battle of Agincourt for 25 years.

Charles ler d’Orléans

I am already sick of love,
My very gentle Valentine,
Since for me, you were born too soon,
And I for you was born too late.
God forgives him who has estranged
Me from you for the whole year.
I am already sick of love,
My very gentle Valentine.
Well might I have suspected
That such a destiny,
Thus would have happened this day,
How much that Love would have commanded.
I am already sick of love,
My very gentle Valentine.
Poem by Charles, the Duke of Orléans, to his wife, Bonne of Armagnac translated into English

Marriage of Charles of Orleans & Bonne of Armagnac

At one point, he sent a valentine poem in French to his wife, Bonne of Armagnac. In it he calls her his very gentle valentine and apologizes for not being near her. Sadly, they never saw each other again because Bonne died before he got out. He married again after her death and his release from prison.

The First Recorded English Valentine’s Letter in the Middle Ages

Now that we’ve covered the first valentine’s poem in the Middle Ages, let’s look at the first recorded valentine’s letter. It is also the first valentine’s ever recorded that is in English. It was sent by Margery Brews to her cousin, John Paston. She called him her ‘right well-beloved.

Margery wanted him to visit again, even claiming she would be sick until he did, and wanted him to marry her even though her dowry wasn’t as large as he wanted. She admitted that although her mother was undertaking to convince her father to increase Margery’s dowry, it wasn’t working. Eventually, the two got married, although I’m not sure if her father ever relented and increased her dowry.

Love Letters and Poems in the Middle Ages

Many other valentines from the Middle Ages we still have available. Some are ridiculous, others are cute, and one tells a woman to eat meat so she can grow up. John Lydgate wrote a love poem to Mary, the mother of Jesus. I find that one to be a little bit funny because John Lydgate was a monk, and for some reason, he decided to write love poetry to Mary.

Portrait of Lydgate

Another love letter written in poetry form was from an unknown lady, sent to a man called “H.” She speaks of love for him. Finding humor, she jokes about advice her lover gave her, which was to stay away from knights. She says she is loyal to him but doesn’t mind the knights’ attention.

Medieval picture of lovers

I could have written more; I said, there is no need:

You are mine, I am yours,

of this you shall be sure.

You are locked

within my heart,

the little key is lost,

and there within you must forever rest.
The end of a poem-letter from an unknown lady to “H”

In the end, she promises loyalty and faithfulness. He answers her letter and the last we know of them is a final letter from her. We have no idea what happened to them and their love.

Thomas Betson and Katherine Ryche

Another case comes from Thomas Betson, a man in his thirties, sending a love letter to Katherine Ryche, a young teenager. She was the daughter of his business partner. Previous to his love letter, he was in correspondence with her father, informing him of Thomas’ wish to marry her.

He was deeply in love with her and had a little bit of advice to have her grow up to be his bride. First, he tells her to eat more meat so that she can grow into a woman to become his wife faster.

And if ye would be a good eater of your meat always, that ye might wax and grow fast to be a woman ye should make me the gladdest man of the world, by my troth; for when I remember your favour and your sad loving dealing to me towards me, forsooth you make me very glad and joyous in heart; and on the other side again, when I remember your youth, and see well that you are not eater of your meat, which would help you greatly to grow, forsooth then you make me very heavy again. And therefore I pray you, my own sweet cousin even as you love me, to be happy and to eat your meat like a woman.
Part of a letter from Thomas Betson to Katherine Ryche telling her to eat meat.

He even goes as far as to tell her that if she could eat her meat, he would try to do whatever she wanted him to do. Thomas asks Katherine to give her regards to her mother and tells her they will talk more when he comes home.

And I trust you will pray for me and, so be it, none so well, And Almighty Jesus make you a good woman, and send you many good years and long life and health and virtue to His pleasure.
A part of the letter from Thomas Betson to Katherine Ryche

The very end of his letter is instructions for letter delivery. He specifies that it must go quickly to his ‘faithful and heartily beloved Cousin Katherine Ryche at Stonor.’ A few years later, they married and had five kids together.

Valentine’s and love letters are very old and traditional indeed. What was your favorite valentine or love letter story? Please let me know in the comments. If you have any medieval things you would like me to write about, please let me know in the comments.