It was a cool night on November 17th 1651 and European
ships were making their way off the coast of the of island
Hewanorra, ( meaning "Island of the Iguanas) which is present day
Saint Lucia. The people who lived on the island had seen this and
were on the guard in trees and surrounded the fort and beach in
the place which became the town of Vieux -Fort (old fort). Those
settlers dealt with European explorers before and these
encounters always led to disaster. The guards went to their chief
Anacona wife of their decease chief to notify her
Some years ago some European explorers Dutch, English and
French settled on the island but were forcing the caribs of their
own land and the caribs forced those settlers off the island with
only a few French and English men who were captured by the
Amerindians and those men had to teach the Indians their native
languages. So they Amerindian "nobility" if that's the correct
word of saying knew English and French and European learning.
Meanwhile on the French ship called Marie. Philip de Orleans
Duke of Brittany was scouting the island from the ship, though it
was nightfall he thought from what he could see that the island
was beautiful and would make a good colony for France. The Marie
was home for 300 men including priests, scholars and soldiers and
they were beginning to get restless and wanted to make land fall
right away but Philip wanted to wait until morning because they
don't know what lies ahead. Queen Anacona sent some of the Carib
guards back to the Old Dutch fort to see when the pale men will
enter the island.
Anacona could not sleep during the night for she heard about
the white man's interactions with other Caribs on the other
islands and what her husband experience at their hands. She was
afraid of what they may do her and her people. Anacona was happy
for the few Europeans her husband and his men were able to
capture they were valuable resources for she learnt English and
French and the ways of their people. She would get no sleep this
night without knowing what the explorers had in mind.
Philip and his men of 300 anchored the ship and approached the
island on what is now called Sandy Beach, Anacona was waiting
with guards surrounding her who had clubs and bows and arrows for
weapons. When the foreigners saw the Indians the couldn't believe
the great beauty they had seen. These pale men had heard of the
great beauty of the Amerindians but thought it was myth. Philip
especially could not keep his eyes off Anacona who didn't know at
the time was the leader.
The Caribs were a gorgeous people medium to short in height, long
black hair to their feet and had slender bodies to show they were
a fit race but something about Anacona keep Philip looking at her
it wasn't the fact she was naked because all the Indians were
without clothing. Something about her made her outshine they rest
of these uncivilized people. Anacona approached the men not
knowing whether they were French or English she decided to speak
to them in English
"Good morning and I would have said it's pleasure to have you on
Hewanorra but my people and I have experience your people's
greed and cruelty."
Philip was impressed with this and he replied "I'm Philip de
Orleans duc of Brittany and my people have no quarrel with you.
We want to trade with you." many of the men with Philip knew
that's was not the reason they came. The real reason was to
colonize the island but they were going with Philip's game.
Anacona was somehow readily attracted to this European beyond
her good sense although she sense something bad from Philip's men
replied "you are welcome to stay for how ever long you want.
Please follow me to my village". Philip and his men follow her to
the Carib village. The village was very different than from
anything they had seen in Europe. There were mud huts, naked
women, children and men and crops and vegetation they had never
seen. The men were fascinated but Philip seemed enchanted with
this great Amerindian queen, he vowed to have her in his bed and
to make her his wife. The Caribs then brought the men into their
huts and feed them. Philip decided to go to Anancona's hut. Her
hut was bigger than the other huts in the village but it was made
the same, when he arrived there, male Indians who weren't to
please with a man in a woman's hut were there guarded her. Philip
then saw her sitting on the mud ground eating cassava and so he
decided to make conversation with her.
"How did you know how to speak English" he said with his French
She replied "we have slaves who are English and from another land
they called France and since you sound similar to them then you
must be from that country."
But you spoke to me in English he said
That's because I thought you were English."
Why are you on Hewanorra really? She asked
I'm here to trade" he answered
"I don't believe you!" Spat out anaconda
I know your kind you pretend to want to trade with us and
exchange ideas but in the end what you really want is to destroy
us she said.
Look all we want we really wanted to trade with you Philip said
knowing it was not the truth.
Anaconda found herself very attracted to Philip , his dark blond
hair, his grey eyes his accent everything about was different but
she could not allowed herself to fall for a lying European she
knew he was lying ,she could see it. So she decided suddenly that
she was going to keep him captured but again decided against it.
Philip's attraction of this barbaric queen was growing he did not
know why but it was becoming stronger.
Well my queen what can I do to prove that France is not her to
destroy your people?
You can stay on this island only with you promise to only trade
and exchange ideas. She said
Then it's agreed he replied slying.
So as the days, weeks and months went the French men and the
Amerindians began to slowly coexist. The English and the French
slaves were set free and joined the band of 300 settlers.
The Caribs taught the men how to grow cassava, corn and other
crops common to the indigenous peoples. The Europeans in returned
built a church, taught the men how to read and write, about
horses which they bought on the ships. They didn't teach them
about the weapons which they planned to use if the Caribs did not
subject to them.
Anaconda and Philip who were the leaders were growing closer as
time went by .Anaconda came to trust him and he came to rethink
this plan of conquest she really amaze him. "You know you
never told me your name he said as they walked the beach"
It's Anacona she said
Do they always follow you? He asked pointed to the naked Caribs
"Yes they do I'm a queen by accident , caribs do not allow their
women to be chiefs I'm a arawak my husband got in a raid in a
huge island north of here. When he died I became queen because
his son by his first wife is still a child so I'm chief in his
place. That 's why the are following me."
Why don't we lose them he says he takes her hand and they run
as far away from the beach as possible with the Indians following
them? Suddenly they reach a river.
Good God we lost them" he said panting. Now my dear queen he said
as he sat on a rock "please sit with me and tell me more about
"I think we better go back for our disappearance might cause
trouble between our people" she whispered frightened
No he then pulls her closer. Anacona will it frighten you if I
said I was attracted to since I saw you on the beach that first
day. He then comes closer to her and kisses her. Anaconda did not
know what to make of this. She enjoyed him kissing her, she was
attracted to him but it was not her culture to fall in love.
Questions were beginning to swirl in her mind what if her people
found out? What happens if his men found out? As she continues to
spend time with Philip she liked him more and was beginning to
fall in love.
Anaconda wasn't the only as they were kissing that was thinking
Philip was seriously falling for this barbaric queen he was going
to take her back to France and make her his duchess but would she
accept and what people in France would think.
Then kissing turned into touching and caressing until Anacona
stopped and said we can't
Then they stopped touching and caressing both knowing they
couldn't get any further.
Philip knew in his mind it was like the forbidden fruit in the
Eden of eve but he wanted her and he knew she wanted him. He just
had to wait when he goes back to France in a few weeks his make
preparations to marry her. He was going to marry and no one was
Anaconda couldn't believe what she had done she hoped that she
had not angered the gods but she loved this man and couldn't help
it. She knew he was different from the other white settlers, she
also knew if he planned a conquest he was rethinking because of
her. But right now her mind was on getting back to the village.
"I think we must go now back before trouble starts she said
"Trouble would not start not if I can help it" replied Philip
They then walked to the village together and finally reach it was
obvious there was worried among the French and Caribs. Father
Dubois a priest said to Philip Your Excellency we were beginning
to worry for you.
You worry too much priest. And he walked to the hut that was
built for him by the Indians.
Weeks passed and as the settlers were getting more restless and
bored from farming , hunting and fishing, Anacona and Philip grew
closer they spent any time they had together.
She showed him how to make pottery of clay, how to paint his body
and how to grow the local food to take back to Europe. She told
of the carib and arawak legends and stories and he told
everything he knew about Europe and particular France he left out
the bad for he wanted to marry her and take her to Brittany
Anacona even took him near the volcano and the sulphur springs
which took about a day's walk. The village was left to its own
As she walked near it they smelled something like what we today
called a smell of rotten egg
"Anacona why are you taking to this miserable place" he asked
Because I want to show what my people believe
As they near the springs Philip could see the water was boiling
because the water was sending out bubbles.
My people believed that this springs is a god and has some
violent powers but the French men who we had for slaves says it
has healing powers and is safe to bathe in." she said
I hear you but why are we here"? He asked
To bathe in it she said and she jumped into the hot springs.
So you want me to jump in with you?
Yes I do
In their absence the French men were causing trouble, they were
restless they were tired of the hard work for they were not use
to it. The French using their weapons, guns, swords and knives
threatened to kill the Caribs and the priests after all these
weeks failing to convert them called for their execution or to be
enslaved but the Caribs resisted and fighting broke out.
At the springs Philip who was still not in the water wanted
Anacona out of the springs. Anacona came out of water and pulled
Philip into the springs with clothes on and everything.
He wasn't too happy about it "let me guess since you brought into
boiling water it's part of your culture" but she didn't answer
she just kissed him passionately. He could feel her heart was
racing and his heart was racing. He lifted her up from the water
and walks into the grass and kisses her back. The kissing led to
one thing to the next. And before they knew it they were making
passionate love. Their attraction and love was too strong to
resist and they didn't care anymore if anyone found them they
just wanted each other. Philip was really going to marry her he
had decided after their night he was going to ask her to come
with to France. They spent the entire night making love.
The next day they embarked on their trip back to the village
with Anacona going back to France with Philip. He decided he was
not going to marry her right away; he needed for her to get
accustomed to the country. They walked hand in hand not knowing
there was trouble.
When they arrived they realize the carib Indians were gone only a
few women were left and told Anacona the story of how the
settlers killed and slaughtered the men while others fled to the
hills or to the near by island. Only the European settlers were
there. Philip was angered
How could you do this he yelled?
Father Dubois then came up and said Your Excellency they are
uncivilized they must be destroy
And who gave you the right priest he said to the priest
Then a group of men came behind Anacona holding weapons around
her ready to kill her. Then one of them came up to him and said
"we are leaving this prison or she dies"
Philip then answers "she comes with us"
Then the priest replied "do you think a haven is going to be
accepted in France, no she will not come with us and if you bring
her I'll see to it that she is executed and I know you don't want
her blood on your hands.
One man then came up closer to the queen and held a knife to her
throat and said what is going to be her life or we get out of
Philip realizing he had no choice but leave his love said
defiantly we'll leave today.
The men then left to board the ships with everything they had
while Philip stayed behind to say goodbye to Anacona
He said to her "I'll come back for you just wait for me"
Anacona with tears in her eyes replied I'll wait just please go
so you can come back for me soon" and she then kisses him
Philip leaves to go to the ship and boards it, with sadness and
regret. They left at as nightfall began to approach. Philip
looking and staring at Anacona until he could see her no more
vowed to himself that he'll come back for her if it's the last
thing he does.
Anacona was on the beach looking on and crying and wishing she
could be with her love.
Her people almost destroyed and her love gone she felt so
defeated and wish the spirits would take care but then she
remembered Philip promise to come back and that's the hope she
She'll wait him no matter how long it took.