The Myth of Evangeline

Longfellow's Evangeline is an important piece of American literature, and a source of inspiration and pride for many of the Cajun people of Louisiana. But, it is important to note that the story of Evangeline is a myth, based on Cajun stories and the imagination of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Perhaps the best scholarly work describing the myth of the Evangeline story was written by Dr. Carl Brasseaux, in his book "In Search of Evangeline:"

"Since its release in 1847, Longfellow's epic poem Evangeline has shaped the international image of the Acadians. Generations of American and Canadian school children learned that Evangeline was a thinly veiled historical saga, a great North American tragedy in which obscure individuals played major roles. The characters were nevertheless regarded as fictional, particularly Evangeline, until the dawn of the twentieth century, when the public's perception of the Acadian milk-maid changed drastically: No longer seen as the creation of Longfellow's fertile imagination, she became accepted as an historical figure whose poignant story was accurately recounted by America's first great poet.

[Later writers of Acadian stories] used the fictional accounts of Evangeline as historical narratives...they thus created a legend which bore only faint resemblance to the original story line and almost none to historical events.

For many Acadians, Evangeline is a literary testimonial to their ancestor's ultimate triumph over the devastating Diaspora of 1755. For these Acadians, the epic injects through its portrayal of the suffering endured by the exiles a human element sadly absent from the existing historical literature on Le Grand Dérangement.

The findings [of my book, In Search of Evangeline], though they indeed debunk many long-established misconceptions, point to an even more fascinating historical saga, one modern Acadians can truly look to with pride - the story of unsung survivors who stubbornly braved adversity, oppression, and separation to carve a Louisiana homeland for themselves and their progeny."

Some interesting insights to 'Evangeline' from the book:

- The story of the Acadian exile and ill-fated lovers was originally told to Longfellow by Reverend H.L. Conolly, who passed the story on from one of his parishioners.

- Longfellow had a very limited knowledge of Acadian history, most of it based on his reading of the book An Historical and Statistical Account of Nova Scotia by Thomas C. Haliburton. This book had many factual errors in it.

- Longfellow never visited Louisiana.

- The famous Evangeline Oak tree in St. Martinville is actually the third "authentic" tree to be named this in the town. In addition, Morgan City, Louisiana, has a tree crowned the "Evangeline Oak."

- Although many claim that Evangeline is buried under a corner of a St. Martinville Church, all records indicate that Acadian immigrants were all buried at a rural camp site several miles from St. Martinville.

- The bronze statue of Evangeline (in St. Martinville, Louisiana) is modeled after Dolores Del Rio, a beautiful Mexican actress who played Evangeline in a movie.

- Acadian House, the once purported home of Gabriel (now in the Longfellow Evangeline State Park) was not owned by someone named Gabriel, but by George Sillan, and was built by non-Acadians.

Portions © 1988 by Carl A. Brasseaux, from his book "In Search of Evangeline." Used with permission from the author. The book is available for $8 (US) from Blue Heron Press, (504) 446-8201.