4 ELEMENTS

Project logo
Improve the foreign language learning and intercultural competences of adults through e-learning

The project

FOUR ELEMENTS is an initiative called to raise awareness and appreciation of the importance of culture and heritage as well as to train educators working with adult learners who want to improve their skills and competences necessary in today’s EU labour market.

The project will take advantage of the potential of the common European cultural values associated to the 4 elements earth, water, air and fire) to empower adults to improve their digital, foreign language and intercultural competences.

The partnership expects to develop and deliver innovative teaching materials presented in a culturally accessible E-book consisting of European legends and stories – giving visibility to the underlying common EU values and principles, especially adapted to learners with special needs.

To achieved such objectives, partners will develop:

An interactive map: a collection of legends and stories related to earth, water, air and fire, in different EU countries.

Digital Books with national legends and stories related to the four elements.

Methodological recommendations for adult educators.

To find more information, access the Four Elements platform here.

Digital books

The nations of Europe all have rich cultures of myth and folklore which give the different regions their particular individual flavour. Here we have grouped traditional stories from Belgium, Estonia, France, Greece, Italy, Slovenia and Spain according to the four elements: earth, air, wind and fire.

They are specially adapted to adult learners and can be used to develop language or ICT skills among your students while enhancing intercultural understanding.

Alongside the stories, this digital book contains interactive exercises and is in Easy Read format. All the material in it can be downloaded and printed. Teachers and trainers will find tips and suggestions for how to use it on the Recommendations section of this site.

European partnership

Four Elements is an Erasmus+ KA204 project designed to highlight the importance of culture and heritage at European Union level. It aims to train educators working with adult learners to enable them to acquire the skills and competences, including linguistic and digital skills and competences, required in the European labour market.

The project is coordinated by : CVO EduKempen (Belgium). The partnership also includes DomSpain Consulting (Spain), The Central Library of Võru County (Estonia), Les Apprimeurs (France), Istituto dei Sordi di Torino (Italy), Slovenian Third Age University (Slovenia), MyArtist (Greece).

Erasmus+ project

Erasmus logo The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

The Origin of Haanja Hills

LEGEND

Main element: Earth

Language of the original: Estonian

Date of origin: 1926

Author: J. Gutves

To find more information about the legend, access the Four Elements platform here.

Judas in this legend is used as the nickname of Devil or Satan.

The hills of Haanja county were not in their place when the world was created, they were born long after that - the men of Haanja had been living there for a long time already, ploughing fields with oxen and bringing home carts full of hay. They were working hard and forgot all about the God Almighty and Judas*. So Old Judas and God started to make plans how to change things - it was not acceptable to them that the peasants did not remember them anymore. So Old Judas told God: "Why don't you pick up one edge of the land, I will pick up the other and let's squeeze it together, so that there would be hills and valleys - then everything will change."

And that's exactly what they did. Now there are plenty of hills and valleys in Haanja. When a local peasant is in the bottom of the valley and his cart is stuck in the mud, he drags his horse and curses: "What's the matter with Old Judas! I'm about to break the wheels of the cart. I myself have had enough of the pushing and pulling, and so has the animal!"

When he finally gets to the hilltop, he praises the Lord: "Thank God, we finally got out from the pig's wallow!"

So the men of Haanja will always remember and use the names of God and Judas, not like the men in flat country, who until this day keep forgetting about these two. For them neither God or Judas exists anymore.

Haanja mägede sünd

LEGEND

Element: Maa

Originaalkeel: Eesti

Pärinemise aeg: 1926

Autor: J. Gutves

Rohkem infot legendi kohta leiad 4 elemendi veebilehelt siit.

Haanja mägesid ei olnud mitte maailma loomise ajal, vaid sündisid pärast – kui ja kaua siin haanjamehed elasid ja härgadega kündsid ja heinakoormaid kodu vedasid. Unustasid töötades Jumala ja Juuda. Kuidas seda asja teisiti seada, seks pidas Vanajuudas Jumalaga nõu. Nõnda ei lähe, et inimesed meid unustavad. Siis ütles Vanajuudas Jumalale :”Võta sina maa ühest äärest, mina võtan teisest äärest, litsume kokku, et mäkke ja orgu saaks, siis muutub.”

Nõnda nad tegid. Nüüd sai mägesid ja orgusid palju. Kui siis nüüd haanjamees orgu saab ja koorem mudasse sisse vajub, siis ta ise aitab hobust ja vannub :”Küll olõt tan vanajuuda hädäh! Murraq vai ratas ärq! Hinelgi saa viländ tõmmadaq ja avitaq, mis sis vaest eläjat viil üldäq!”

Jõuab viimaks mäe otsa, ütleb mee: „Jumalateno! Ärq sai taast tsiatsungõrmõst külh vällä!”

Nõnda saavad mõlemad nimetatud ja ei saa neid unustada, nagu seda tasase maa mehed tänini teevad. Nende jaoks pole kumbagi enam olemas.

Remmel, M. (2001). Rõuge Kihelkond. Tartu: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum.