The song lyrics tell a fictional story of Evangeline and her fiance Gabrielle. Before the couple are able to marry, the British come to their village and take Gabrielle with all the men in the village away on a ship without even letting them say goodbye. Evangeline searched for twenty years for Gabrielle throughout all of America, her love growing all the while. Eventually when she made it back to her village, there was Gabrielle. He was an old man now. She holds him and he dies in her arms while she kisses him. The name Evangeline means something to more than just the Acadians. Her story is universal and it will be remembered and bring people together in hope.
The song does exactly this. The character Evangeline has become an icon for people of Acadian origin everywhere: bringing them together. The song has become I kind of sacred hymn to the Acadians. I have seen Acadians in New Brunswick brought to tears listening to this beautiful song, which they believe personifies their history.
"Annie Blanchard." Canadian Music Blog. N.p., 26 Aug. 2011. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. .
ReplyDelete"Evangeline: Acadian Icon." Suite101 Popular Archive | Suite101.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. .
"Histoire des Acadiens et de l'Acadie - Évangéline (mythe d'Acadie)." Histoire des Acadiens et de l'Acadie - Accueil. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. .
Scotia, modern-day Nova, in 1604. For the next 150 years, they cultivated the land, maintained a friendly relationship with the native Micmac Indians, remained neutral in the ongoing conflicts between the French, there were 12, they were exiled from their lands, in what the Acadians call "Le Grand Dérangement." The Acadians were scattered far, and wide. Many eventually ended up in Louisiana where they formed the basis of the Cajun culture.. "Longfellow's Works - Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: A Maine Historical Society Web Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. .