Una bellísima composición folklórica, relata un hecho de amor y tragedia casi legendario, ocurrido en las cercanías de Puerto San Julián, en las postrimerías del siglo XIX.
La canción nos relata la muerte por parto de Ana, mientras su esposo acude desesperado en busca de un médico.
Pero la verdadera historia resulta aún más terrible y amarga.
El 30 de mayo de 1997, en ocasión de visitar la estancia "La Colmena", a 35 km. al sur de San Julián, Thomas O'Byrne y su esposa, Mónica Bercier, nos relataron que esa es la estancia más antigua de la provincia, fundada en 1883 por dos hermanos provenientes de Malvinas de apellido Kyle.
Diez años después de su fundación, se produjo un hecho trágico nunca totalmente aclarado.
Margaret Kyle, de 42 años, estaba embarazada. Era la madre de Anne Kyle de Hope, de 20 años de edad, que también estaba encinta.
Ambas cayeron enfermas, por lo que el esposo de Anne, William Hope, corrió en busca de auxilio médico a Puerto Santa Cruz, vadeando peligrosamente el caudaloso río, encontrándose al llegar que el facultativo había viajado a Río Gallegos.
Retomó entonces el camino al sur, en busca de auxilio, hacia esa población, y regresó a "La Colmena" acompañado del doctor Arthur Fenton.
Cuando ambos llegaron, se encontraron con que tanto Margaret como Anne, habían fallecido. Tambien en esa ocasión , murió por pulmonía un hermano de Anne, Williams Kile de solo trece años de edad.
Sus lápidas, erosionadas por el tiempo, aún nos dicen que Margaret murio el dia 4, Anne el 8 y Williams el 13, los tres del mes de Agosto de 1893.
Ante tremenda tragedia, William Hope abandonó el lugar con rumbo incierto. Posteriormente el predio fue adquirido por la familia Fraser.
O’ Byrne opina que es probable que Anne no muriera por parto, como lo relata la tradición popular,sino que ambas, Anne y su madre Margaret, quizà fallecieron como consecuencia de una intoxicación.
Nunca se sabrá la trágica realidad histórica.
A lovely local folksong tells the tragic and almost legendary love story that took place in the vicinity of Puerto San Julián towards the end of the 19th century.
The song tells how Ana dies in childbirth while her husband went out desperately seeking a doctor2.
But the true story turns out to be even more terrible and bitter.
On 30 May 1997, when we visited the estancia 'La Colmena' 35km south of San Julián, the administrator Thomas O'Byrne (35) and his wife Mónica Bersier, told us that it is the oldest estancia in the province, founded in 1883 by two brothers of the surname Kyle, who had come over from the Falklands.
Ten years later a tragic event occurred which has never been entirely clear.
Margaret Kyle (42) was expecting a baby. She was already the mother of Anne Kyle-Hope (20) who was also pregnant.
Both fetl sick so Anne's husband, William Hope, galloped to Puerto Santa Cruz in search of medical help, having to ford the dangerously fast-flowing river. When he got there he found that the doctor had gone to Río Gallegos.
William made his way to the main road and continued south to Río Gallegos, returning to La Colmena accompanied by Dr. Arthur Fenton
When they arrived they found that both Margaret and Anne had died. One of Anne's brothers, William Kyle, just thirteen years oíd, also died at that time of pneumonía.
The inscriptions on their weather-worn tombstones can still be made out and they tell us that Margaret died on 4th August 1893, Anne on 8th August 1893, and William on 13th August 1893.
In the face of such a terrible tragedy, William Hope abandoned the place and made off aimlessly into the wilderness. The land was subsequently acquired by the Fraser family.
O'Byrne is of the opinión that there is reason to believe that Anne probably did not actually die in childbirth as popular tradition tells, but rather both Anne and her mother Margaret may have died as a consequence of some kind of accidental poisoning.
The truth of this tragic story will never be known.
La canción nos relata la muerte por parto de Ana, mientras su esposo acude desesperado en busca de un médico.
Pero la verdadera historia resulta aún más terrible y amarga.
El 30 de mayo de 1997, en ocasión de visitar la estancia "La Colmena", a 35 km. al sur de San Julián, Thomas O'Byrne y su esposa, Mónica Bercier, nos relataron que esa es la estancia más antigua de la provincia, fundada en 1883 por dos hermanos provenientes de Malvinas de apellido Kyle.
Diez años después de su fundación, se produjo un hecho trágico nunca totalmente aclarado.
Margaret Kyle, de 42 años, estaba embarazada. Era la madre de Anne Kyle de Hope, de 20 años de edad, que también estaba encinta.
Ambas cayeron enfermas, por lo que el esposo de Anne, William Hope, corrió en busca de auxilio médico a Puerto Santa Cruz, vadeando peligrosamente el caudaloso río, encontrándose al llegar que el facultativo había viajado a Río Gallegos.
Retomó entonces el camino al sur, en busca de auxilio, hacia esa población, y regresó a "La Colmena" acompañado del doctor Arthur Fenton.
Cuando ambos llegaron, se encontraron con que tanto Margaret como Anne, habían fallecido. Tambien en esa ocasión , murió por pulmonía un hermano de Anne, Williams Kile de solo trece años de edad.
Sus lápidas, erosionadas por el tiempo, aún nos dicen que Margaret murio el dia 4, Anne el 8 y Williams el 13, los tres del mes de Agosto de 1893.
Ante tremenda tragedia, William Hope abandonó el lugar con rumbo incierto. Posteriormente el predio fue adquirido por la familia Fraser.
O’ Byrne opina que es probable que Anne no muriera por parto, como lo relata la tradición popular,sino que ambas, Anne y su madre Margaret, quizà fallecieron como consecuencia de una intoxicación.
Nunca se sabrá la trágica realidad histórica.
A lovely local folksong tells the tragic and almost legendary love story that took place in the vicinity of Puerto San Julián towards the end of the 19th century.
The song tells how Ana dies in childbirth while her husband went out desperately seeking a doctor2.
But the true story turns out to be even more terrible and bitter.
On 30 May 1997, when we visited the estancia 'La Colmena' 35km south of San Julián, the administrator Thomas O'Byrne (35) and his wife Mónica Bersier, told us that it is the oldest estancia in the province, founded in 1883 by two brothers of the surname Kyle, who had come over from the Falklands.
Ten years later a tragic event occurred which has never been entirely clear.
Margaret Kyle (42) was expecting a baby. She was already the mother of Anne Kyle-Hope (20) who was also pregnant.
Both fetl sick so Anne's husband, William Hope, galloped to Puerto Santa Cruz in search of medical help, having to ford the dangerously fast-flowing river. When he got there he found that the doctor had gone to Río Gallegos.
William made his way to the main road and continued south to Río Gallegos, returning to La Colmena accompanied by Dr. Arthur Fenton
When they arrived they found that both Margaret and Anne had died. One of Anne's brothers, William Kyle, just thirteen years oíd, also died at that time of pneumonía.
The inscriptions on their weather-worn tombstones can still be made out and they tell us that Margaret died on 4th August 1893, Anne on 8th August 1893, and William on 13th August 1893.
In the face of such a terrible tragedy, William Hope abandoned the place and made off aimlessly into the wilderness. The land was subsequently acquired by the Fraser family.
O'Byrne is of the opinión that there is reason to believe that Anne probably did not actually die in childbirth as popular tradition tells, but rather both Anne and her mother Margaret may have died as a consequence of some kind of accidental poisoning.
The truth of this tragic story will never be known.
1.- this is in fact the name of a character of a Spanish film by Carlos Saura (“El espíritu de la colmena”, 1984). The folksong mentioned here was composed by a local folksinger/folkwriter, Hugo Gimenez Aguero, no doubt echoing this existing name.
2.- Not uncommon in these parts in the early pioners days, as the nearest general hospital was in Punta Arenas and Dr. Fenton, the only qualified doctor in the region in those days, was based in Rí Gallegos.
I have a letter from 1969, from one of the brothers of Ana Kyle, I’m Davis Kyle from a uncles branch of the family who’s grandfather was born in the Falklands and yes in fact both did die in childbirth, O’Bryne is wrong.
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