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 Water Lady

LEGEND

Main element: Water

Language of the original: Catalan

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

The context is a pond called el Salt de la Dona d’Aigua in the town Arbúcies, in the mountain el Montseny. The year is unknown.

Legend says that there was a young man, the heir of Can Blanc -a house in Arbúcies- who left home to go hunting. When he was near the pond, the night came, so he decided to rest for a while there because he was tired and he fell asleep. Suddenly, he heard a laughter of the water ladies in the pond. When he tried to see them, they left, except one that fell in love with the man when she saw him. They kept staring at each other and they fell in love.

The heir asked her to marry and she said yes, but he should never say anything about her origins. They married and had a son, a daughter, and a good life. One day, the couple were arguing and he remembered her origins, so she ran to the woods. He regretted saying that and left after her, but it was too late. She would never come back.

The heir was sad about this and tried to take her back, with no success. Someday, when he returned home, he saw his children dressed and the house cleaned. His children told him that their mother had done that. He tried to stay up all night to see his beloved wife, but he never succeeded at it. One day he saw pearls in his daughter’s head: they were her mother’s tears. From that day on, the family didn’t have economic problems again, but the heir never saw the water lady again.

La dona d'aigua

LEYENDA

Elemento: Agua

Idioma original: Catalán

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

Cuenta la leyenda que había un joven, el heredero de Can Blanc -una casa de Arbúcies- que salió de casa para ir a cazar. La noche cayó cuando estaba cerca del estanque así que decidió descansar un rato allí porque estaba cansado y se quedó dormido. De repente, escuchó una risa de las damas de agua en el estanque. Cuando trató de verlas, se fueron, excepto una que se enamoró de él cuando ella lo vio. Se miraban fijamente el uno a la otra y se enamoraron.

El heredero le pidió que se casara y ella dijo que sí, pero nunca debe decir nada sobre sus orígenes. Se casaron y tuvieron un hijo, una hija y una buena vida. Un día, la pareja estaba discutiendo y él le recordó sus orígenes, por lo que ella empezó a correr hacia el bosque. Se arrepintió de haber dicho eso y se fue después de ella, pero ya era demasiado tarde. Ella nunca volvería.

El heredero estaba triste y trató de recuperarla, sin éxito. Algún día, cuando regresó a casa, vio a sus hijos vestidos y la casa limpia. Sus hijos le dijeron que su madre había hecho eso. Trató de quedarse despierto toda la noche para ver a su amada esposa, pero nunca lo logró. Un día vio perlas en la cabeza de su hija: eran lágrimas de su madre. A partir de ese día, la familia no tuvo problemas económicos, pero el heredero no la volvió a ver.

El Museu Etnològic del Montseny: El saltant de la dona d’aigua.