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.

Pied Piper of Hamelin

MYTH

Main element: Air

Language of the original: Dutch

Date of origin: 15th century

Origin of the legend: The earliest known depiction of the story was in a stained glass window in the church of Hamelin, c. 1300

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

A number of theories suggest that children died of some natural causes such as disease or starvation and that the Piper was a symbolic figure of Death.

In 1284, when the town of Hamelin was suffering from a rat infestation, a piper dressed in multicoloured clothing appeared, claiming to be a rat-catcher. He promised the mayor a solution to their problem with the rats. The mayor, in turn, promised to pay him 1000 golden coins for the removal of the rats. The piper accepted and played his pipe to lure the rats with an eerie sound into the Weser River, where they all drowned. The strange piper had got rid of all the rats and kept his promise. He then approached the mayor for his reward. The mayor and the town’s people had rejoiced as they watched the bizarre sight. But since then the mayor had changed his mind. When the piper went to him, he said, "It is a wonderful task you have accomplished but isn't 1000 golden coins too much for one day's work? I will pay you 500 golden coins." The piper looked at the mayor in surprise and then walked out. In the street he pulled out his flute again and started playing it. This time the sound that came from the flute was different but was eerie as well. All 130 children of Hamelin started to follow the piper. The piper walked out of the town and disappeared into the mountains. The children followed him. The parents of the children wept, "Where has the piper taken our children?" They went to the mayor and complained about it. The mayor was helpless. He knew that he had been dishonest with the piper. The piper returned to Hamelin but the children didn’t accompany him. The mayor rushed to him, begging for forgiveness, and paid him 1000 golden coins. He pleaded with the piper to get the children back. Without uttering a single word, the piper turned and walked away. He returned after a few hours, this time with all the children.

Rattenvanger van Hamelen

MYTHE

Element: Lucht

Originele taal: Nederlands

Datum van ontstaan: 15e eeuw

Oorsprong van de legende: The earliest known depiction of the story was in a stained glass window in the church of Hamelin, c. 1300

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

In 1284, toen de stad Hamelen last had van een rattenplaag, kwam er een man met een fluit opdagen gekleed in felgekleurde kleding. Hij zei dat hij een rattenvanger was. Hij beloofde de burgemeester om het probleem met de ratten op te lossen. De burgemeester beloofde om hem 1000 goudstukken te betalen als hij de ratten kon laten verdwijnen. De rattenvanger aanvaardde dit voorstel en lokte met zijn fluit met een griezelig geluid alle ratten naar de rivier Weser waar ze allemaal verdronken. De vreemde rattenvanger deed wat hij had beloofd en had alle ratten verjaagd. Daarna ging hij naar de burgemeester voor zijn beloning. De burgemeester en de bevolking van de stad waren terug gelukkig, maar de burgemeester was van gedacht veranderd. Toen de rattenvanger naar hem kwam, zei hij “Het is een wonderlijke opdracht die je hebt volbracht maar is 1000 goudstukken geen te hoge beloning voor één dag werk? Ik zal je 500 goudstukken betalen.” De rattenvanger keek verwonderd naar de burgemeester en wandelde naar buiten. Op straat haalde hij zijn fluit weer boven en begon er weer op de spelen. Deze keer was het een ander griezelig geluid dat uit de fluit kwam. Alle 130 kinderen van Hamelen begonnen de rattenvanger te volgen. Hij wandelde de stad uit en verdween in de bergen. De kinderen volgden hem. De ouders van de kinderen huilden en vroegen “Waar heeft de rattenvanger de kinderen mee naartoe genomen ?” Ze gingen naar de burgemeester en klaagden hierover. De burgemeester wist dat hij niet eerlijk geweest was tegen de rattenvanger. De rattenvanger keerde terug naar Hamelen maar zonder de kinderen. De burgemeester spoedde zich naar hem, vroeg hem om vergiffenis en betaalde hem 1000 goudstukken. Hij smeekte de rattenvanger om de kinderen terug te brengen. Zonder één woord te zeggen draaide de rattenvanger zich om en wandelde weg. Hij kwam terug na enkele uren, maar deze keer met de kinderen.

Willy Krogmann, Der Rattenfänger von Hameln: Eine Untersuchung über das werden der sage, E. Ebering, 1934, p.67. Original from the University of Michigan. Digitized 12 June 2007. Accessed 3 September 2008.