English

Etymology

The name Evangeline was invented by poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow when he began to research on his latest poem Evangeline about Acadian lovers deported from French-Canada.

Proper noun

1. A given name

Translations

• Greek: Evangeline
• French: Evangeline
• Italian: Evangelina
• Spanish: Evangelina

Related terms

• Eve
• Evie

"Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie" is a poem published in 1847 by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Overview

"Evangeline" describes the betrothal of an Acadian girl named Evangeline Bellefontaine to her beloved, Gabriel Lajeunesse, and their separation as the British deport the Acadians from Acadie in the Great Expulsion. The poem then follows Evangeline across the landscapes of America as she spends years in a search for him. Finally she settles in Philadelphia and, as an old woman, works as a nun among the poor. While tending the dying during an epidemic she finds Gabriel among the sick, and he dies in her arms. The poem is notable for being written in dactylic hexameter, one of the few nineteenth century compositions in that metre which is still read today.

Inspiration

Longfellow was introduced to the true story of the Acadians in Nova Scotia by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne was not interested in fictionalizing it so Longfellow turned it into a poem after months of studying the histories of Nova Scotian families.

Analysis

The name "Evangeline" means "good news" or "bearer of good news", from Greek euangelion, meaning "good news" (generally translated, "Gospel").

Legacy and impact

Though Longfellow had no links to the Acadians or Louisiana, the Cajuns have adopted his story into their culture. "Evangeline" has become relatively common among the descendants of the Acadians.

Later works of fiction expanded upon the material of the poem, claiming the "real names" of the characters had been "Emmeline LaBiche" (in Longfellow her full name is Evangeline Bellefontaine) and "Louis Arceneaux" (in the poem, Gabriel Lajeunesse). Among sites which claim a relation to these pseudohistorical figures are a house north of Lafayette, Louisiana, which supposedly belonged to Gabriel, and the grave of Emmeline in the Perpetual Adoration Garden & Historic Cemetery in St. Martin de Tours Church Square, on Main Street, St. Martinville (the site having been determined for its convenience by local boosters about the turn of the 20th century). A statue of Emmeline stands nearby — posed for by silent film star Dolores Del Rio, who starred in the 1929 film Evangeline, and donated to the town by the film's cast and crew.

References to Evangeline in real life

Evangeline is the name of a Parish in Louisiana, a rural community in Prince Edward Island, and a small settlement in the Acadian Peninsula in New Brunswick. It is also often used as a street name in Acadian communities.

The first Canadian film produced in 1913 was Evangeline. A popular French song titled "Evangeline" written in 1971 by Michel Conte and originally sung by Isabelle Pierre is based on her story. This song, performed by Annie Blanchard, won the 2006 ADISQ award for "Most popular song". The Evangeline Trail is a historic route in Nova Scotia that traces the Annapolis Valley, ancestral home of the Acadians. Picturesque especially in Summer and Fall, the trail runs from Grand Pré, site of the first expulsions, south to Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia near the original French settlement in North America, Port Royal, Nova Scotia. More than a dozen small Acadian villages line the trail. A 1998 musical adaptation of the story was recorded and released on CD, and a 1999 production staged at the Strand Theatre in Shreveport, Louisiana was taped and broadcast by PBS in 2000.

References

External links