| BUTTERFLY BRIDES Lantana Long ago when the sky was blue but the Earth was gray, there was a land of puritanical people. Everyones' lives ran according to the rules and everything ran on schedule. No one questioned the laws because the laws protected them from each other and wars protected them from their neighbors. The wars were frequent. In one generation there was a lovely young woman named Lantana. She was very popular with all of the youth, boys and girls alike. The adults were drawn to the young girl, but considered her actions quizzical. Lantana smiled a lot and seemed happy all of the time for no apparent reason. When the girl grew to become a young woman she had many suitors. When she had chosen her favorite beau, she asked all of the girls in the village to make beautiful full gowns in their favorite bright colors. The girls had to hide their gowns because such frivolity was frowned upon by the elders of the village. When the gowns were made, the young women met on a mid-summers night to dance in the woods. They looked like large clusters of blue, yellow and pink. They danced and swayed in the breeze while they rehearsed for, their, own wedding day because, indeed, they felt like beautiful brides. It was about this time when another war was announced, and all of the young men marched off in a blaze of glory to protect the village. This war did not end as quickly as most wars. It dragged on and on and involved more and more villages. This war did not stop until every young man from every village had perished. Not one young man returned to claim a bride. The young women were devastated. They would never have wedding days or wear their gowns to wed. They were told that they would never become brides, wives or mothers. The elders of the village, the ones that had declared the war, demanded that the young women resign themselves to caring for other peoples' children and doing the work of the young men, who had died in the war. Lantana, the beautiful, smiling leader of the young women, told them to bring their gowns and meet her in the meadow under the bright blue sky. At noon on the appointed day each young woman from the village put on her colorful gown and hurried to the meadow where the young men had perished. The girls gathered in bright clusters and became Butterfly Brides. To this day the Lantana remains a bright bush with many flowers that attract butterflies. |
| To hear the song go to: www.youtube.com/videos Type: Where Have All The Flowers Gone. My favorite versions are: x The Kingston Trio x Peter, Paul and Mary There are other videos, but some are very graphic depictions of war. |
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