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 THE MARGUERITE |
ROSE MARGUERITE
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THE MARGUERITE |
The virulent red of the rose still speaks to many a Saint Lucian; so does the simple marguerite flower (gomphrena). Between them spins a tale of more than two centuries, and despite imperialism, domination, and cultural invasion, the twin flower festivals of LA ROSE and LA MARGUERITE still persist, a testament to resilience.
Where, in some countries, the population may be divided into
classes and castes, in the
context of St. Lucia's cultural traditions, there exists two "Societies",
ROSES and
MARGUERITES (Bachelor's Button).
The ROSES and MARGUERITES are floral societies into which some members
of the
Saint Lucian community divide themselves. Although these floral societies remain
primarily
singing associations today, there was a time when they formed important segments of
the
island's social structure, and most persons in the community were somehow affiliated
to one
of the groups.
The structure of the two societies seems to indicate something of their function within colonial society. Both groups are hierarchically structured with a king and queen as head of each society and other dignitaries patterned upon the socio-economic structure of |colonial society. Thus, after the king and queen come princes and princesses, and a number of other pseudo-legal, military and professional personnel, including judges, policemen, soldiers and nurses.
Each has a patron saint on whose feast day the grand fête is
held. For the ROSES it is the
feast of St. Rose of Lima on the 30th of August, and for the MARGUERITES,
it is
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque on 17th October.
Each society holds a grand fête - an elaborate and colorful event full of
pomp and
pageantry, which is preceded by several months of nightly singing
rehearsals called
"séances". Strict protocol is observed at those nightly
séances with
visitors or participating
members, upon entering, bowing to the King and Queen present with their court
. Soldiers
and police in uniform enforce regulations against any disorder or breaches of protocol,
or
what are considered misdemeanors. Offenders are taken before a magistrate for a mock
trial and then fined.
The central figure in the séance is the "shantwel" or lead singer who sustains the spirit and tenor of the evening's entertainment. The shantwels are mostly female, but there are sometimes a number of male shantwels. The shantwel leads the song with the other members of the group acting as chorus in a call-and-response pattern. Instrumentation includes any combination of violin, banjo, quatro, guitar, shak-shak, baha, and drums. The songs and dances associated with the societies are many, but there is much more variation and spontaneity at "séances" than at the grand fête when the significance of the occasion demands more discipline. At a séance one can witness dances like the mapa, and the gwan won, while grande fête dancing is traditionally limited to quadrilles, belair, mazurka and other figure dancing.
Presiding over the annual festivals are the "King" and "Queen" who are accompanied by their royal entourage of Princes, Princesses, Soldiers, Policemen, Doctors, Nurses, the clerical hierarchy, and supporters of the respective flowers. The grand fête is celebrated, first with church service throughout the island and after with processions throughout the streets, the principal personages magnificently attired. In the evening there is a sumptuous banquet to which dignitaries and leading personalities are invited. The rest of the evening is spent dancing. One can then witness and participate in some of the colorful folk dances, among which are the Quadrille, the Mappa, and the Belair.
