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.

Lamias: The Lamia in Love

MYTH

Main element: Water

Language of the original: Spanish

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

The Lamiak are creatures of the Basque mythology: half woman and half animal. They are usually represented with the upper body of a beautiful woman and the lower body of animals such as a duck, goose or fish. They are related to the element of water, as they normally live in rivers, lagoons, caves, springs, streams or ponds. They enjoy combing their long hair with a golden comb and looking at themselves in a mirror by the water. They are usually kind creatures and the only way to enrage them is by stealing their combs. It is also said that they usually carry out other activities such as helping humans spin, building dolmens, bridges and houses, and washing clothes at night. The belief also tells us that Lamias need the help of humans to give birth and that they often fall in love with mortals, although they cannot marry them because they are not allowed in sacred grounds.
The extinction of these fascinating mythological characters is attributed to the construction of hermitages and churches, the ringing of bells and the prayer of believers.

A myth tells that once a young shepherd called Antxon was looking after his sheep on the mountain when he heard a sweet melody. He forgot about his sheep, went to the place where that sound was coming from and found an extraordinarily beautiful woman sitting on a rock by the river, combing her long blond hair with a golden comb.

They fell in love instantly, he asked her to marry him, and she agreed. He ran down to the village full of joy and told his mother what had happened: he had met the most wonderful woman in the world and they were going to marry. The mother was very worried and asked her neighbours for advice. An old man warned her about the strange creature, and advise the young shepherd to look at the maiden's feet before making a decision. “If it's Lamia, her feet will be like ducks’," the man said.

The young man promised he would do as told: he ran to the mountain determined to see his beautiful bride’s feet. As she was bathing in the river, playing with the fish, diving in the water like a dolphin, he saw it at a glance: the girl's feet were definitely duck's feet! Caught by a great sadness, the shepherd went back home, lie in bed, and fell very ill. High temperatures were making him delirious: he could even see the face of his beloved and hear his voice calling him: "zatoz, maitea, zatoz" ("come, dear, come"). After that, he never recovered and died of sorrow. On the day of his funeral, the Lamia went to her lover's house, approached the bed, covered him with a gold sheet and kissed his cold lips. She followed the procession to the church, but, as everyone knows, Lamias cannot enter churches, so she returned to the mountain and cried for his lost love. She cried so much that a spring emerged from the place where her tears fell.

Las Lamiak: la lamia enamorada

MITO

Elemento: Agua

Idioma original: Español

Para más información sobre la leyenda, accede a la plataforma de 4element aquí.

Cuenta el mito que una vez, un joven pastor de llamado Antxon, que andaba por el monte con su rebaño de ovejas, escuchó una melodía que lo cautivó. Se olvidó del rebaño, acudió al lugar de donde procedía aquel canto y encontró una mujer de extraordinaria belleza sentada en una roca en el río, peinado sus larguísimos cabellos rubios con un peine de oro.

Súbitamente enamorado le pidió que se casara con él, y ella accedió. Bajó al pueblo loco de contento y le dijo a su madre que había conocido a la mujer más maravillosa del mundo y que iba a casarse con ella. La madre, asustada, pidió consejo a sus vecinas y, finalmente, un anciano le aconsejó que dijera a su hijo que mirara los pies de la doncella antes de tomar una decisión.

- Si es lamia, tendrá los pies como los ánades.

El joven prometió que miraría los pies a su hermosísima novia y corrió al monte. Su enamorada se estaba bañando y jugueteaba con los peces, entraba y salía del agua como un delfín, y su risa era como el sonido de mil cascabeles, pero..., ¡ay! Los pies de la muchacha parecían patas de pato... ¡Definitivamente eran patas de pato! Presa de una gran tristeza, el pastor volvió a su casa, se metió en la cama y enfermó. La fiebre lo hacía delirar, veía el rostro de su amada y escuchaba su voz llamándole: “zatoz, maitea, zatoz” (“ven, querido, ven”). Pero él nunca volvió, pues murió de pena. El día del entierro la lamia acudió a la casa de su enamorado, se acercó al lecho, lo cubrió con una sábana de oro y besó sus labios fríos. Siguió al cortejo hasta la iglesia, pero, como todo el mundo sabe, las lamias no pueden entrar en las iglesias, y entonces regresó al monte y lloró por su amor perdido. Tanto y tanto lloró que, en el lugar donde cayeron sus lágrimas brotó un manantial.

Dueso, J. (1987). Nosotros los vascos. Mitos, leyendas y costumbres. Donostia-San Sebastián: Lur Argitaletxea.