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.

Melusine

LEGEND

Main element: Water

Language of the original: French

Date of origin: 1833

Author: Édouard d'Anglemont

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

Melusine is a legendary character from medieval literature. She is often depicted as a fairy. She was condemned by her mother to take the form of a serpent, from the waist down, like a mermaid, every Saturday. Antique origins can be attributed to Melusine. However, it is during the Middle-Age, and especially at the end of the 14th century, that Melusine’s legend became very popular.

One night, the young Raymondin is riding on his horse through the woods. Earlier that day, he accidentally killed his uncle, the Lord of Poitiers, during a hunting party. The young man is worried he will be hanged when people find out.

On his way, he comes across three beautiful young women, sitting close to a fountain. One of them, Melusine, notices him and asks why he looks so worried. Raymondin tells her the entire story, and Melusine realises that he could be the one who will free her from her terrible destiny.

The beautiful Melusine is doomed to see her legs transform into a snake’s tail every Saturday. But if a man agrees to marry her without ever seeing her with her snake's tail, the spell will be broken and the young woman could live like every other girl.

Melusine comforts Raymondin and promises to help him. If he marries her, she will make sure he is cleared of his uncle's murder and will make him rich and powerful. In exchange, he has to promise to never try to see her on Saturdays and never try to discvoer why she is hiding.

Enchanted by the young girl’s beauty, Raymondin accepts the deal right away. The wedding is sumptuous and Melusine keeps her promises. Raymondin is found not guilty of his uncle’s death. Melusine also builds magnificent buildings for her husband and gives him ten sons.

However, the couple’s happiness provokes envy and makes Raymondin’s brother, the Lord of Forez, very jealous. One day, as the latter is visiting the young couple, Melusine leaves and locks herself up in a room as she does every Saturday. The Lord of Forez can’t help pointing out the strangeness of the situation to Raymondin. He claims that Melusine hides away every Saturday to meet another man. Raymondin begins to worry and to have doubts about his wife.

Therefore, the following Saturday, Raymondin breaks his promise and tries to eavesdrop at Melusine’s door. As he hears nothing but the soft sound of his wife’s voice, he then tries to dig a tiny hole into the door with his knife and looks through it. When he sees her in a bath with a snake’s tail instead of her legs he shouts:

"Oh Lord, my wife is is a snake!"

Melusine, who catches sight of her husband, lets out a cry of pain and flies away through the window forever turned into a serpent.

Mélusine

LÉGENDE

Élément : Eau

Langue d'origine : Français

Date d'origine : 1833

Auteur : Édouard d'Anglemont

Vous pouvez retrouver plus d'informations sur cette légende sur le site du projet ici.

Mélusine est un personnage légendaire de la littérature médiévale. Elle est souvent dépeinte comme une fée. Elle a été condamnée par sa mère à prendre la forme d'un serpent, à partir de la taille, comme une sirène, chaque samedi. Des origines anciennes peuvent être attribuées à Mélusine. Cependant, c'est au Moyen-Age, et surtout à la fin du 14e siècle, que la légende de Mélusine est devenue très populaire.

Le jeune Raymondin galope à travers la forêt en pleine nuit. Il vient de tuer par accident son oncle, le Comte de Poitiers, alors qu’ils chassaient. Le jeune homme est effrayé et craint d’être pendu si la nouvelle se sait.

Sur son chemin, près d’une fontaine, il croise trois très belles jeunes filles. L’une d’entre elles, Mélusine, le remarque et lui demande la raison de ses maux. Raymondin lui explique alors toute l’histoire et Mélusine comprend que Raymondin pourrait être celui qui la délivrera de son malheureux sort. La belle Mélusine est condamnée à ce que ses jambes se transforment chaque samedi en immonde queue de serpent. Mais si un homme acceptait de l’épouser sans jamais la surprendre transformée, le sort serait alors rompu et la jeune fille pourrait vivre normalement.

La jeune fille réconforte Raymondin et lui fait la promesse de l’aider. Si le jeune homme accepte de l’épouser, elle l'innocentera du meurtre de son oncle et fera de lui un homme riche. Elle lui indique qu’en échange, il doit aussi lui promettre de ne jamais la voir le samedi et ne pas chercher à comprendre pourquoi.

Charmée par la beauté de la jeune fille, Raymondin accepte le marché. Après un mariage somptueux, Mélusine tient ses promesses. Raymondin se voit innocenté du meurtre de son oncle et chaque nuit, elle édifie de somptueux édifices pour son mari et lui donne dix fils.

Mais le bonheur du couple attise la jalousie et particulièrement celle du frère de Raymondin, le comte de Forez. Alors qu’il rend visite au couple un samedi et que Mélusine part s’enfermer à clé dans une pièce, le comte ne peut s’empêcher de faire remarquer l’étrangeté de la situation à son frère. Selon lui, si Mélusine se cache tous les samedis, c’est parce qu’elle retrouve un autre homme. Le comte de Forez parvient à faire monter l’inquiétude chez Raymondin qui finit par douter de son épouse.

Alors le samedi suivant, Raymondin n’y tient plus et s’approche de la pièce où Mélusine à l’habitude de se cacher. Il essaye d’abord d’écouter à la porte, mais n’entend rien d’autre que la douce voix de sa femme. Il finit alors par creuser un petit trou dans la porte avec son couteau. Il regarde par le trou et quand il aperçoit sa femme dans un bain avec une queue de serpent à la place des jambes, il ne peut s’empêcher de crier « Mon Dieu, ma femme est un serpent! ». Mélusine qui aperçoit son mari laisse sortir un cri de douleur et s’envole alors par la fenêtre, à jamais transformée en femme serpent.

Anglemeont, Édouard d' (1798-1876). Nouvelles légendes françaises (2e édition). Mame-Delaunay (Paris), 1833.