Mardi Gras de la Louisiane

Krewe of Atlantis

Atlantis was the kingdom of Poseidon, god of the sea. Poseidon, part man and part sea creature, spent much of his time among gorgeous sea nymphs. Poseidon first observed Cleito, a mortal woman of unique beauty, as she stood peering into the water, mesmerized by the captivating color and calmness of the beautiful deep turquoise sea. Poseidon fell in love with Cleito and they became lovers. He feared all men would desire her. It was then Poseidon decided to protect Cleito by designing a palace near the center of the island, surrounding by land and three rings of water. Streets were paved in gold. Cleito's palace was adorned with much silver and marble floors. The huge columns of her palace could be seen for miles. Cleito gave birth to five sets of twin boys. The first born son was Atlas, the first King of Atlantis. Atlantis prospered. Fertile land was abundant. A Greek temple was created at the top of the highest mountain to honor Poseidon. The people of Atlantis erected a giant gold statue of Poseidon, shown carrying his trident, riding a magnificent turquoise chariot, pulled by winged horses. Atlantis was envied by all nations.

For years the Atlanteans lived virtuous lives. As with any nation, eventually greed and corruption occur. And so it was with Atlantis. While basking in their good fortune, Atlanteans became lazy, immoral, and lost their appreciation of the gods. Parties and drinking became their first priority. Poseidon saw no harm in this. Cleito had completely captured his heart. He could not see past her beauty.

When Zeus learned of the immoral behavior of Atlanteans, he was outraged. Zeus summoned all the gods, demanding punishment. Poseidon pleaded with Zeus to give Atlantis the opportunity to correct its evil ways.

And so it was decided. Quickly dark clouds rolled across the red sky. Fires and explosions sprang up from every direction. The ground opened up and devoured entire streets and dwellings. First a downpour of rain, then flooding. Huge waves lapped at the entrance of Cleito's palace. Cleito was trapped. Horrified by death and destruction surrounding her, her cries for Poseidon could be heard across the land, even hundreds of leagues under the seas. A heartbroken Poseidon dove deeper and deeper into the sea, hoping to quiet Cleito's cry for help. Some of the gods felt pity for Poseidon, but none could interfere with the destruction of Atlantis. All gods abided with Zeus's commands. Somnus, god of sleep, offered to ease Poseidon's torment by offering sleep to Poseidon, but the would have been only a temporary solution. It was Mnemosyne, Titaness of Memory, who realized she held the answer to ease Poseidon's misery. Immediately all memories of Cleito were taken from Poseidon's thoughts. The wrath of Zeus continued for hours. In the distance, some Atlanteans could be seen escaping in boats. Is it possible Cleito also escaped the fate of Atlantis? Slowly Atlantis was swallowed by the sea.

Today, primarily due to the writings of Plato around 360 BC and underwater sites of the civilization believed to be Atlantis located during the 1900s, Atlantis continues to exist through the Krewe of Atlantis. On March 1, 1998, the Krewe of Atlantis was formed through a joint effort by Marilyn Hoyt DeVille, founder, and Brenda Walker, co-founder, as a traditional non-profit Mardi Gras Krewe. We volunteer our time, talents, and a portion of our dues to benefit those such as the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the pediatric patients of Rapides Regional Medical Center. Our motto continues to be "Party, Party, Party". The Krewe of Atlantis lives up to its motto and reputation by hosting an average of eight parties and a formal ball every year. Charter Krewe members were responsible for building our chariot, which is pulled during the parades. In 1998 we were the first Krewe in Central Louisiana to begin a "Junior Court", which consists of members' children who are presented during our ball, and ride their Royalty float each year. We give live tropical fish "from Poseidon's kingdom" to spectators during the Children's Parade. The Krewe of Atlantis has consistently participated with the Alexandria Mardi Gras Association's annual Sunday Parades and Saturday Childrens' Parades since 1999 and feels the AMGA is vital to our communities success.