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.

Saint George and the Dragon

LEGEND

Main element: Fire

Language of the original: Catalan

Date of origin: 3rd-4th centuries

Origin of the legend: The first known references to this legend are found in the Greek Palimpsests of the Austrian National Library, in Vienna, a 5th century document that collecting lower scripts and manuscripts. Some fragments by Pasícrates, who can be considered the first 'biographer'of St George, narrate his martyrdom. Later on, the legend became well known by the Golden Legend (Legenda aurea in Latin) a collection of hagiographies written by Jacobus de Varagine (Iacopo da Varazze) around 1260 which was widely read in late medieval Europe.

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

The main character of this legend, St George, is believed to be a Roman soldier, converted to Christianity, from Diospolis, Palestine, from year 270. This soldier was a great protagonist of a great knightly deed in Libya, and many similar legends are told in the Middle East. However, a certain Catalan tradition (Costumari Catalán de Joan Amades) tells that the origin of the legend are the crusades taking place in the Crown of Aragon (current Spain).

A legend has it that in a cave near a small village named Montblanc there lived a dragon, which terrorized the townsfolk. Every day, villagers were forced to give their cattle to feed the dragon, until the day came when they ran out of animals to feed the beast. Eventually, they came up with a solution: they would have a draw every day at the village’s main square with the name of all the inhabitants to decide who would be sacrificed as food for the dragon. One day, it was the princess name that came out from the draw and, despite the great sadness of the king and all villagers, she set off to encounter the dragon. When the princess was about to be devoured by the animal, a handsome knight, Sant Jordi, appeared riding his horse and, with his sharp sword, confronted the dragon putting its life to an end. This legend tells that from the blood spilt by the dragon, a rose bush was born and the knight took the most beautiful flower to give it to the princess to show his love.

Sant Jordi i el drac

LEYENDA

Elemento: Fuego

Idioma original: Catalán

Fecha de origen: Siglos III y IV

Origen del mitoThe first known references to this legend are found in the Greek Palimpsests of the Austrian National Library, in Vienna, a 5th century document that collecting lower scripts and manuscripts. Some fragments by Pasícrates, who can be considered the first 'biographer'of St George, narrate his martyrdom. Later on, the legend became well known by the Golden Legend (Legenda aurea in Latin) a collection of hagiographies written by Jacobus de Varagine (Iacopo da Varazze) around 1260 which was widely read in late medieval Europe.

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

Cuenta la leyenda que a los alrededores de la localidad de Montblanc vivía un dragón que tenía a todos los habitantes atemorizados. Estos se veían obligados a darle cada día parte de su ganado para alimentarle. Un día, los animales con qué alimentaban al dragón se terminaron, y los habitantes del pueblo decidieron que cada día sortearían de entre todos los ellos quién sería sacrificado para servir de comida para a la bestia. Por mala suerte, llegó el día en que fue la princesa a quién tocó ser víctima del dragón y, a pesar de la gran tristeza del rey y de todos los habitantes, así lo hizo. Cuando la princesa se encontraba ya a punto de ser devorada por el animal, apareció un caballero apuesto, Sant Jordi, que con su afilada espada se enfrentó al dragón acabando con su vida. Esta leyenda cuenta que de la sangre derramada del dragón nació un rosal, de donde el caballero cogió la flor más hermosa y se la regaló a la princesa como muestra de su amor.

Da Varazze, I. (1976). Llegenda àuria. Olot: Aubert.