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 Villedieu-lès-Bailleuls dragon

LEGEND

Main element: Fire

Language of the original: French

Date of origin: 1845

Author: Octave Ferré

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

The legend of Villedieu-lès-Bailleul dragon was popularized around the middle of the 19th century but shows aspects of medieval literature. This legend developed around a large cave close to the village.

The village of Villedieu-lès-Bailleul was a place where it was good to live. The land was fertile and fruitful and the village was known to be the most privileged land in Normandy. However, there was a place beyond the boundaries which clashed with the vigorous and lush nature of the village: a ravine whose walls were scorched rocks and where lived a terrible dragon.

The legend has it that the lord of the land committed the most horrible crime, so horrible that the legend does not tell. The dragon was therefore sent as a punishment. It terrorized the entire village and devastated everything around it. Woe to the one who crossed its path!

The village wise men, realizing that their prayers did not change a thing, decided to visit an augur who had a great reputation. They begged him to tell what they could do to appease the dragon. The augur told them that every month during new moon day, they would have to sacrifice the most beautiful young woman of the village by offering her to the beast.

The news spread out quickly in the village and all the young girls who were pretty cried. Nobles and knights from all over the area came to the village and tried to fight the dragon. But they all ended up burnt to ashes. Even the bravest and strongest knight of all the kingdom did not succeed in the task.

One day, however, a young knight dressed in tinplate armour went to the dragon's ravine. The young man was the fiancé of Mathilde, the most beautiful young girl in the village. She was supposed to be sacrificed the next day. Enraged by the idea of losing his fiancée, the young man rushed toward the dragon, determined to kill it. After a long and restless fight, the knight managed to fatally injure the dragon.

However, as he thought the dragon dead, the young man let down his guard for a second. Huge mistake, as the dragon, in a dying breath, set fire to the young knight.

The villagers, though freed from the dragon, did not feel like celebrating their victory. Too many young men had died in order to save the village. The church bells rang to thank them for their bravery.

The legend has it that Mathilde, though she was freed from her terrible destiny, thanks to her fiancé’s sacrifice, died of sorrow the next day.

Le Dragon de Villedieu-lès-Bailleuls

LÉGENDE

Élément : Feu

Langue d'origine : Français

Date d'origine : 1845

Auteur : Octave Ferré

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

La légende du dragon de Villedieu-lès-Bailleul a été popularisée vers le milieu du XIXe siècle mais montre des aspects de la littérature médiévale. Cette légende s'est développée autour d'une grande grotte proche du village.

Le village de Villedieu-lès-Bailleul est un village où il fait bon vivre. La terre y est fertile et fructueuse. Le village est même considéré comme une terre privilégiée de Normandie. Mais un lieu, en dehors des terres, détonne de la nature verdoyante et vigoureuse du village. Un immense ravin aux roches calcinées où vit un terrible dragon effraie les villageois.

On raconte que le seigneur du pays de Villedieu aurait commis le plus affreux des crimes, un crime si affreux que la légende le tait. En punition, le dragon serait alors apparu, terrorisant les villageois et ravageant tout sur son passage. Malheur à celui qui croisait son chemin !

Les sages du village, voyant que les prières n’y faisaient rien, décidèrent de rendre visite à un devin qui avait grande réputation pour qu’il leur dise quoi faire. Le devin leur expliqua, qu’afin de calmer le dragon, il faudrait lui offrir chaque mois, lors de la nouvelle lune, la plus belle jeune fille du village.

La nouvelle se répandit vite à Villedieu-lès-Bailleul et les jeunes filles pleurèrent même d’être trop belles. Ainsi, de nombreux nobles et chevaliers des alentours essayèrent de combattre le dragon, mais tous finirent calcinés par les flammes de la bête. Même le plus brave et le plus fort des chevaliers ne réussit pas à le vaincre.

Un jour, pourtant, un jeune chevalier, vêtu d’une armure en fer-blanc, se présenta devant le dragon. Le jeune homme était le fiancé de Mathilde, la plus belle jeune fille du village. Celle qui allait être sacrifiée le lendemain. Fou de rage à l’idée de perdre la jeune fille dont il était amoureux, le jeune homme s’élança dans le terrier du dragon. Après une lutte acharnée, le chevalier réussit à atteindre mortellement le dragon. Cependant, alors qu’il pensait le dragon mort, le chevalier baissa sa garde quelques instants, assez pour que le dragon, dans un dernier souffle, crachât des flammes qui firent périr le chevalier.

Les villageois, libérés du dragon, n’eurent pourtant pas le cœur à la fête. Trop de jeunes hommes avaient péri pour sauver le village et les cloches de l’église sonnèrent pour remercier les vaillants chevaliers. La légende veut que la jeune Mathilde délivrée de son terrible sort grâce au sacrifice de son fiancé mourût de chagrin le lendemain.

Ferré, Octave (1815-1875). Légendes et traditions de la Normandie. Rouen, 1845.