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.

Loreley

MYTH

Main element: Water

Language of the original: Dutch

Origin of the legend: In 1801, Clemens Brentano was the first to write the popular legend of the Loreley in his poem.

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

Rhine, city of Bacharach.

Once there was a beautiful maiden who lived in the city of Bacharach. Every man who saw her was dazzled by her beauty and immediately fell madly in love with her. Alas, she had already given her heart to a young knight who went away to war, so she turned down all other offers of marriage. The despondent failed suitors threw themselves into the Rhine to drown. Still, the girl remained true to her knight. Her loneliness and sorrow made her even more attractive. More men swore to have her, and when they failed, they killed themselves. People began to whisper about her power over men. Rumours that she was a sorceress who lured men in and cast them off to drown drew the attention of the Archbishop of Cologne. In the court at Rhens, the girl was charged with sorcery. The punishment would be burning. So deep was her longing for her knight, that she no longer cared if she lived or died, and she did nothing to defend herself. “I beg you,” she concluded wearily, “I beg you, my lord, let me die. I know, alas, that many true knights have died for love of me, and now I would like to die for the sake of one who has left me.” The officers of the court, and especially the Archbishop, were so taken by her beauty that they forgave her offences, and sent her to live out her days in a Convent. On the way to the Convent, they passed the Loreley Cliff. The girl asked if she could climb it, and take one last look at the castle of her beloved knight. She reached the top before her guards, and while standing there gazing at the scene one final time, she saw a barge coming up the Rhine. On the prow stood her knight. She shouted for joy! And at that moment, the ship steered straight into the rocks. Her knight was lost to the river so she jumped in after him, both of them losing their lives the Rhine’s turbulent waters.

Lorelei

MYTHE

Element : Water

Originele taal : Nederlands

Oorsprong van de legende: In 1801, Clemens Brentano was the first to write the popular legend of the Loreley in his poem.

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

Er was eens een jonge vrouw die in de stad Bacharach leefde. Elke man die haar zag werd verblind door haar schoonheid en werd onmiddellijk stapelverliefd op haar. Helaas, ze had haar hart al gegeven aan een jonge ridder die naar de oorlog vertrokken was, zodat ze alle toenaderingen afwees. De moedeloze afgewezen minnaars sprongen in de Rijn en verdronken. Toch bleef ze trouw aan haar ridder. Haar eenzaamheid en verdriet maakt haar nog aantrekkelijker. Steeds meer mannen probeerden haar te veroveren en wanneer ze mislukten, pleegden ze zelfmoord. De mensen begonnen te fluisteren over haar macht over mannen. De geruchten dat ze een heks zou zijn die mannen zou verleiden om ze vervolgens af te wijzen waarop ze zich verdrinken, trok de aandacht van de aardbisschop van Keulen. In de rechtbank van Rhens werd ze aangeklaagd voor hekserij. Haar straf zou de brandstapel zijn. Haar liefde voor haar ridder was zo diep dat ze er niet om gaf om nog te leven of te sterven, waardoor ze niets deed om haar te verdedigen. “Ik bid u”, besloot ze vermoeid, “Ik bid u, mijnheer, laat me sterven. Ik weet, helaas, dat vele ridders voor mij zijn gestorven omwille van de liefde, en nu zal ik sterven omwille van diegene die mij in de steek gelaten heeft”. De officieren van de rechtbank en in het bijzonder de aardbisschop waren zo geraakt door haar schoonheid dat ze haar de fouten vergaven en haar naar een klooster stuurden om er te wonen. Op weg naar het klooster kwamen ze voorbij de Lorelei klif. Het meisje vroeg of ze deze mocht beklimmen en voor een laatste keer het kasteel van haar geliefde ridder kon bekijken. Ze was sneller dan haar bewakers op de top en wanneer ze voor een laatste keer zicht had op de omgeving zag ze een schip op de Rijn verschijnen. Op de boeg stond haar ridder. Ze riep van blijdschap ! En op dat moment voer het schip in de rotsen. Haar ridder was voorgoed verloren waarop ze achter hem aansprong. Beide verloren hun levens in het turbulente water van de Rijn.

Author, Clemens Brentano, 1801. Zu bacharach am Rheine.