Many moons ago I wrote about one possible explanation for the origins of the yellow ribbon as a symbol for our troops. Then of course I got sidetracked with Veteran's Day events that needed to be posted and life in general, until today, when I found a couple minutes to share the other possible origin tale.
(The picture is of the old oak tree in my back yard -- home of squirrels that infuriate my beagle puppy -- wearing a yellow ribbon)
This one starts with a song, too (although no popular singer has had hair quite as impressive as young Tony Orlando)
According the the Folklife Center, over the years many people have suggested that the yellow ribbon tradition had its roots in the Civil War. Why, is that? You ask.
Because of John Wayne, of course.
Back in 1949 he starred in the movie "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon," which took place shortly after the Civil War.
The movie was named for an old song "(And Round Her Neck) She Wore a Yellow Ribbon." The theme for the movie was written by M. Ottner and Leroy Parker, but the song predates the movie. In fact, similar songs have been around since before Shakespeare's time (In Othello, Desdemona calls one of the song's ancestors an old song.)
Obviously, it's kind of a leap to go from a girl wearing a ribbon (around her neck, or anywhere else) to people tying yellow ribbons around trees (and creating handy magnets to stick on cars). Gerald Parsons seemed reluctant to commit to this particular song as a possible source for this tradition. But he thought it was worth mentioning, and who am I to argue with an anthropologist?
I guess that's the deal with folklore and traditions. You start out with a need to express yourself (God I need people to pray for my brother's safe return) and you turn something -- anything to symbolize that expression.
When I was in high school, a friend of mine (not a close friend) killed himself. The week after he died, several of his friends wore orange, Cort's favorite color, to show support or just to show that they loved him and didn't forget him.
We tied orange ribbons on our car antennas and wore orange shirts, until the school administration became afraid that orange wasn't being worn as a symbol of grief, but as a symbol that we supported suicide. To this day when I see orange I remember Cort. And that's a good thing.
And because things always come full circle, I have to note that now, in addition to show that you are waiting the return of a loved one from war, the yellow ribbon is being used as a symbol by the Suicide Prevention Program (www.yellowribbon.org).
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