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 Buckriders of Postel

MYTH

Main element: Air

Language of the original: Dutch

Date of origin: 17th century

Origin of the legend: A book written by S.J.P. Sleinada in 1779 (real name Pastor A. Daniels)

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

Name of a group of robbers in the province of Limburg.

This legend tells the story of the Buckriders of Postel, a small city in the province of Limburg. The Buckriders are ghosts or demons, who ride through the sky on the back of flying billy goats provided to them by Satan. One stormy night in the dark Middle Ages, the Buckriders attacked the monastery of Postel while the monks were praying in the chapel. But the monks successfully protected their monastery by praying all night, making the black goats immobile. After their failure, the Buckriders were never seen again. Later the name was adopted by thieves and other criminals to scare people. People were accused of being Buckriders, were tortured until they confessed and were wrongly convicted, in the same way that people were wrongly convicted during witch hunts.

De Bokkenrijders van Postel

MYTHE

Element: Lucht

Originele taal: Nederlands

Datum van ontstaan: 17e eeuw

Oorsprong van de legende: A book written by S.J.P. Sleinada in 1779 (real name Pastor A. Daniels)

Om meer informatie te vinden over de legende, ga langs deze weg naar het 4elements platform.

Deze legende vertelt het verhaal van de Bokkenrijders in Postel, een klein dorp in Limburg. De Bokkenrijders zijn geesten of demonen die door de lucht vliegen op de rug van vliegende geiten. Die geiten of bokken kregen ze van Satan. Op een stormachtige nacht in de donkere Middeleeuwen bestormden de Bokkenrijders de abdij van Postel. De Monniken waren aan het bidden in de kapel van de abdij. De Monniken bleven de hele nacht bidden en de Bokkenrijders versteenden. Ze konden niet meer bewegen. Op deze manier beschermden de monniken hun abdij. Na deze mislukking verdwenen de Bokkenrijders voorgoed. Later werd de naam overgenomen door dieven en andere criminelen om mensen bang te maken. Net zoals heksen werden mensen ervan beschuldigd Bokkenrijder te zijn. Ze werden gemarteld tot ze het uiteindelijk opbiechten en onterecht veroordeeld werden.

Author, Dimitri Goosens. 2015-12-18. Fans of Flanders: once upon a time: The Buckriders.