SchoolsEstela RomeroJanuary 29, 2022

"Monarch butterflies, the souls of our beloved dead ones"

SchoolsEstela RomeroJanuary 29, 2022

THE VISIT

“BENITO JUÁREZ” ELEMENTARY

“LAS JARAS” VILLAGE

“STATE OF MICHOACÁN”

“SIERRA CHINCUA” SANCTUARY

COORDINATES: 19.6460496 -100.2798500

The Purépecha people are the most prominent indigenous group living in the western part of the state of Michoacán where the festivity on the “Day of the Dead” is famous worldwide.

“Coco,” the Disney film, was inspired by this festivity. Monarch butterflies are also part of this ancestral celebration.

The books which were donated this season through the “Monarchs Across Georgia” include a beautiful piece with old Mexican indigenous legends. One of those legends is about monarchs being the souls of our beloved dead.

Our students love it when the Symbolic Migration closes the visit by reading a story after learning about the importance of trees and receiving your beautifully decorated Ambassador butterflies. The story below is one that they hear at home from their grandparents as part of our old family legends.

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“THE BUTTERFLIES”

A story based on a Purépecha legend

It was the night of the Day of the Dead. Grandpa had just finished telling one of his stories, closing his eyes afterwards.

“Grandpa,” the little girl called him.

“Yes, Darling,” responded Grandpa, opening his eyes.

“Are you falling asleep?”

Grandpa, regaining full consciousness, responded, “I was sleeping.”

The girl kept silent.

“I was dreaming that I was catching a butterfly with a fine thread net so as not to hurt it,” he continued.

The girl smiled, but still said nothing to him.

“It was a fantastic butterfly. The most beautiful of all butterflies. I wish you had seen it!”

The little girl, jumping onto grandpa’s knees, told him, “So it did happen again this time as every year! It has been Grandma coming, right?”

“They say that tonight the souls of our beloved ones come over and stay with us, turning themselves into butterflies. But I would love it if your Grandma would stay here beside me, not only in my dreams.”

Grandpa closed his eyes back again. The little girl awaited for a little while. She jumped down from Grandpa’s knees. A strong murmur came in through the open window. She looked outside, stunned at the sight.

The wind caressed the surface of the lake. Thousands of butterflies were flying in the air under the sky that night.

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