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.

Hephaestus the Smith

MYTH

Main element: Fire

Language of the original: Greek

Origin of the legend: Greek mythology

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

A myth about Hephaestus and his hatred of his parents.

In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was the god of fire. He used fire to process metals, especially precious metals. He had a disability: he was lame.

According to a legend, Hephaestus was disappointed with his parents because he thought it was their fault that he was lame. He waited for an opportunity to express his bitterness. He found this opportunity when he was asked to make thrones for the Gods. The throne of his mother, Hera, was made out of pure gold. But when Ira sat upon it, she was immediately tied up with invisible small metal strings and the throne rose up, suspending the goddess in the air. The other gods were unable to help Hera and they asked Hephaestus to free her, but he refused. At last Dionysus managed to persuade him. He gave Hephaestus lots of wine to make him drunk and then made a deal with him. The deal was that Hephaestus would free Hera and in return the gods would give him Aphrodite, the goddess of love, as his wife.

Ο Μεταλλουργός Ήφαιστος

Μύθος

Στοιχείο: Φωτιά

Γλώσσα του πρωτοτύπου: Ελληνικά

Συγγραφέας: Greek mythology

Για να βρείτε περισσότερες πληροφορίες σχετικά με το μύθο, αποκτήστε πρόσβαση στην πλατφόρμα των 4 στοιχείων εδώ.

Σύμφωνα με την ελληνική μυθολογία, ο Ήφαιστος ήταν ο θεός της φωτιάς και τη χρησιμοποιούσε, για να επεξεργάζεται μέταλλα και ιδιαίτερα πολύτιμα μέταλλα.

Σύμφωνα με το μύθο, ο Ήφαιστος ήταν δυσαρεστημένος που οι γονείς του τον γέννησαν κουτσό και έψαχνε μια ευκαιρία, για να τους εκφράσει την πικρία του. Η ευκαιρία αυτή του δόθηκε, όταν του ζητήθηκε να φτιάξει καινούργιους θρόνους για τους θεούς. Ο θρόνος που κατασκεύασε για τη μητέρα του, την Ήρα, ήταν φτιαγμένος από χρυσό. Όμως, όταν η Ήρα κάθισε πάνω του, δέθηκε από μικρά αόρατα μέταλλα και ο θρόνος υψώθηκε στον αέρα. Κανένας από τους υπόλοιπους θεούς δεν μπορούσε να βοηθήσει την Ήρα να κατέβει από το θρόνο και παρακαλούσαν τον Ήφαιστο να έρθει να τη βοηθήσει,ο οποίος αρνιόταν. Ο μόνος που μπόρεσε να πείσει τον Ήφαιστο ήταν ο Διόνυσος που, αφού του έδωσε πολύ κρασί να πιεί και μέθυσε, έκανε μια συμφωνία μαζί του: να βοηθήσει την Ήρα και σε αντάλλαγμα θα έπαιρνε για γυναίκα του την Αφροδίτη, τη θεά του Έρωτα.

Greek mythology.