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 Burning Down of Toompea

LEGEND

Main element: Fire

Language of the original: Estonian

Date of origin: 1892

Author: Collected and written by Hans Anton Schultz

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

Toompea is the name of upper town in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It is situated on a hill and nowadays is best known as the location of Estonian Parliament.

In old times, when important landlords and knights were living in Toompea and also performing as judges there, a lot of evil and unfair judging took place there. Plenty of innocent people were tortured and executed and a great deal of wicked deeds done. Toompea was the worst fear of every man who went to Tallinn. Everyone was keeping an eye out to avoid bumping into the judges of Toompea. So dreadful and terrifying were those lords of the court in the old days.

Once again it happened that they had beaten and tortured innocent men and burned them on iron grates to set an example for the others who tried to stand up to the lords. Suddenly flames fell down from the sky and all the court's houses caught fire and burned down, as well as the lords and servants of the court, all devices of torture and everything else that was situated in Toompea. Even stones that had been carried up there burned down, only an empty hill was left behind. All the court books were also destroyed in the fire. However, in downtown there were no courtrooms and fire did not harm any of the buildings there, the city was left untouched.

Afterwards new courts were established, now already in downtown Tallinn and there the judging was already more unbiased and trustworthy.

Toompea ärapõlemine

LEGEND

Element: Tuli

Originaalkeel: Eesti

Pärinemise aeg: 1892

Autor: Collected and written by Hans Anton Schultz

Rohkem infot legendi kohta leiad 4 elemendi veebilehelt siit.

Vanal ajal, kui alles suured mõisnikud ja rüütlid Toompeal elanud ja kohut mõistnud, siis teinud nad seal väga palju kurja ja mõistnud undrehti kohut. Väga palju on seal inimesi ilma süüta piinatud ja ära tapetud ja väga koledad teod tehtud. Toompea olnud igaühele hirmuks ees, kes Tallinna on läinud. Igaüks vaadanud juba eemalt, kas Toompea kohtusaksu vastu ei tule. Nii hirmsad ja kartuse väärt kohtu härrad on nad omal ajal olnud.

Ühe korra on nad jälle inimesi koledasti ilma süüta peksnud ja piinanud ja raudrestide peal põletanud teistele hirmuks, kes vastu hakanud. Ja siis hakanud ükskord tuld taevast maha sadama ja tuli põletanud ära kohtu majad, kohtu härrad, kohtu teenrid, piinariistad ja kõik, mis aga Toompeal on olnud. Kividki on ära põlenud, mis nad piina olid kandnud, muud kui paljas mägi on tulest järele jäänud. Siis põlenud kohtu raamatud kõik puhtaks ära. Aga all, suures linnas polevat kohtu tubasid olnud. Ja tuli pole suures linnas kahju ka teinud. Suur linn oli puhtaks järele jäänud.

Siis on uued kohtud, esiti jälle suurde linna asutatud, need on siis inimestele juba rohkem õigust hakanud tegema.

Goldman, I. and Kaldoja, P. (1985). Tallinna legendid. 2nd ed. Tallinn: Perioodika.