ERASMUS+ KA2 PROJECT - Storytelling, Faity tales, Myths

SCHOOL EDUCATION No. 2018-1-PT01-KA229-047365

Sustainability for Democracy, Democracy for Sustainability

Fourth Virtual Transnational Learning Activity in Kuusalu – Estonia

 27th of October until the 27th of November 2020

 Kuusalu Secondary School

    “Democracy, Environment, Science and Technology"

Greek Myths and Tales

 Greek myths have sparked the imagination of artists, from the sculptors of antiquity who created gods and goddesses from marble to the Renaissance teachers, Surrealists and modern artists. In addition to them, the Aesop’s fables – Aesop, a slave and storyteller, is believed to have lived between 620 and 564 BC – are an important part of the Greek storytelling tradition with short, fictitious tales, useful to life and always ending with a moral.

 

The princess who became an almond tree

by Karanatsiou Eleni

 

   Once upon a time, in the part of ancient Greece called Thrace, there was a beautiful princess,Phyllis. The princess once fell in love with a young man from Athens, Dimofontas, who was the son of the hero Theseus. They met when the boat of the young Dimofontas was returning from Troy. They got married but after a while the young Athenian missed his homeland. The princess in love, not being able tobear to see him sad, let him go back believing that if he really loved her he would come back and then he would be truly and sincerely hers. And so it happened and the lovely Phyllis was left alone to wait for her chosen one for years, until in the end she withered and died of grief. But the gods of Olympus, who knew her story, transformed her into a tree so that she could wait for more years for her beloved. So the girl in love did not die but became the tree that was to become a symbol of hope: the Almond Tree. This is because after many years, one winter

Dimofontas returned to Thrace and found his beloved and faithful wife, not surrounded by suitors but to be a dry tree without leaves in the middle of the icy landscape. Desperate and full of remorse, Dimofontas hugged her trunk and then she flooded with flowers in the middle of winter. Thus the almond tree became a symbol of hope, showing that love cannot be defeated even by death.

 

Midas golden touch 

   

Midas was a king of great fortune who ruled the country of Phrygia, in Asia Minor. He had everything a king could wish for. He lived in luxury in a great castle. He shared his life with his beautiful daughter. Even though he was very rich, Midas thought that his greatest happiness was provided by gold and he was unsatisfied- always wanting more and more.

One day, Dionyssus, the god of wine and revelry, passed through the kingdom of Midas, with one of his companions, a satyr named Silenus. When Silenus got lost and Midas hosted him at his palace, Dionyssus wanted to thank him by doing him a favor. Midas thought for a while and then he said: “I hope that everything I touch becomes gold”. Dionyssus warned the king to think well about his wish, but Midas was positive. And so it happened. The next day, Midas -totally excited- woke up and started transforming things into gold. He was happier than ever before! But then, bad things started happening: Without even thinking, he ate a grape but it also turned into gold! The same happened with a slice of bread and a glass of water. Finally, when his daughter came in the room, Midas hugged her and she turned into a golden statue as well! He then started to cry and to ask desperately from Dionyssus to take this curse away from him. The god heard him and felt sorry for him. So, he did as Midas asked. In the end, our king realized the real meaning of life, became a better person, generous and grateful for everything he had!

  

The Lion and the Mouse

Aesop’s Fable

 

Once when a Lion was asleep, a little Mouse began running up and down upon him; this soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him, and opened his big jaws to swallow him.

“Pardon, O King,” cried the little Mouse: “forgive me this time, I shall never forget it:

who knows but what I may be able to do you in turn some of these days?”

The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him, that he lifted up his paw and let him go.

Some days later the Lion was caught in a trap, set by hunters who desired to carry him alive to the King.

Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was, went up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts.

“Was I not right?” said the little Mouse.

Little friends may prove great friends.

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Estonian Myths and Tales

Estonians have an ancient and rich history of folklore and fairy tales that can be traced back to Slavic and Germanic roots, and their Baltic-Finnic heritage. Surrounded by the majestic Baltic sea, enchanting forests and a diversity of flora and fauna, Estonian folklore draws from the intense landscape and provides meaning for the wild world around them.

Finnish Myths and Tales

The Tomten in Åbo Castle 

The Tomten in Åbo Castle (also known as The Tomte at Turku Castle; Swedish: Tomtegubben i Åbo slott, Finnish: Turun linnan tonttu-ukko) is a Finnish fairy tale from 1849 by Zachris Topelius. It tells the story of a friendship between an old elf, who lived in Turku Castle for hundreds of years, and his only human friend. 

At the time of writing, the medieval Turku Castle, the site of events, was badly damaged, and the story had a major influence on the desire to restore this important landmark in the City of Turku. 

The fairy tale has also served as a strong inspiration for the City of Turku, which has also organized annual "Tonttupäivä", when the castle hosts guided tours in the spirit of Topelius's story. 

Plot Beneath Turku Castle, in the deepest and darkest cellar vault, lived the 700-year-old elf Tomten with a white beard so long that he could wind it twice around his waist. 

The lonely Tomten was good and honest, but disciplined and tidy, and also had a slightly peculiar taste for his living comforts.

 He had only three friends: the elf of Turku Cathedral, his magical black cat Murri in the cellar vault and his only human friend, Matti, the old janitor of Turku Castle.

 Matti was 12 years old when he first met Tomten; at that time, the boy was looking for old musket bullets in the vaults of the castle, where he found an underground passage.

 Matti was trapped in the tunnel as the rocks collapsed, but the Tomten who emerged helped him out of the tunnel through Turku Cathedral. 

Matti didn't expect to see Tomten anymore, but the old elf wished Matti a great future and secretly helped Matti in his studies and work, until Matti became a janitor at Turku Castle at the age of 30.

 Matti worked for 50 years until he retired at the age of 80 and left his job for his granddaughter's husband.

 After that, old Matti spent a lot of time in the decaying castle, repairing the place, not knowing that the Tomten also repaired the castle every now and then. 

There were plenty of things to repair in the castle due to the weather and the natural forces, but Tomten was tenacious and had for centuries secured the castle by repairing it so that the castle would not leave only ruins over time.

 When Tomten saw how old Matti loved the castle like him, his heart was tender and he reappeared to Matti after all these years. In his spare time, Tomten told Matti about the history of the castle and the people who inhabited it, including the dukes and kings. 

Tomten used to invisibly enjoy the table and secretly listen to the secret talks of the lords of the castle. He also told Matti about the battles and other conflicts around the castle; when the Great Fire of Turku came at the time when Tomten was visiting Raseborg and Loviisa to meet his cousins, he had decided that he would never leave Turku again. 

Tomten introduced Matti to the cellar vaults of the castle where Tomten lived. There, he showed the first door to his guarded treasure chamber full of gold, silver and jewels. 

He also showed another door that leads to the dungeons where many would-be treasure thieves are now in chains and turned into wolves. The old elf also showed a third door, which he himself would not dare to open. According to Tomten, there is a tunnel under the door to beneath the castle's foundations, where the old Väinämöinen, the ageless wise man, is sitting and waiting with his warriors. 

Matti swore to himself that he would never visit beneath the castle. However, he invited Tomten to the upcoming castle wedding: Rose, Matti's greatgranddaughter, was marrying a sergeant major. Tomten, invisible, gave her a beautiful crown as a gift.

 The guests, who did not see Tomten, were sure that Matti has found it in the castle, but only Matti knew the truth. Matti drank too much wine and started to tell about Tomten and treasure to the greedy gossip Saara, who went on to tell her greedy son Kiljanus everything she heard. 

Saara and Kiljanus, looking for treasure, came into the cellar vault. Tomten stopped them and turned Saara into a cat and her son Kiljanus into a wolf. They would never be seen by people again. Tomten was disappointed with Matti and he replaced Rose's crown with a piece of rusty iron. 

Matti understood the reason and repented of his actions. Tomten was no longer friendly toward the inhabitants, the flowers were no longer watered and the walls were not repaired.

 The old elf was tired. One day, Tomten showed up for the last time to 90-year-old Matti, who was visiting the castle with Rose and her son, Eerik. At that meeting, Matti offered his life to preserve the castle, but Tomten said he would rather have the life of the baby as his servant, and Rose adamantly refused.

 Tomten was ready to do something violent, but the song of Väinämöinen's kantele stayed his hand. However, Matti died while the kantele was playing. Rose promised to Tomten that her son would take care of the castle. After Matti's funeral, the Tomten began to repair the Turku castle again, and invisibly help the many people moving to repair it.

Portuguese Myths and Tales

Lagoa das Sete Cidades (Lagoon of the Seven Cities), also known as the Caldeira das Sete Cidades (Boiler of the Seven Cities), is located to the North-West of São Miguel Island, in the Azores Archipelago - Portugal. It is the largest crater lake in the Azores with an area of approximately 4,5 km2 and a depth of about 33 m.

The Lagoon, with different ecological dynamics, is characterized by the double colouring of its waters, divided by a shallow channel with a low bridge that separates on one side a mirror of green waters (Lagoa Verde – Green Lagoon) and, on the other, a mirror of blue waters (Lagoa Azul – Blue Lagoon). By creating one of the most incredible landscapes of the Natural Park of São Miguel Island, it is one of the main natural sights of the archipelago.

 

 

The characteristics of Lagoa das Sete Cidades and the beauty of the surrounding landscape gave rise to beautiful legends and tales about its origin and formation, such as the one we present – “The Princess and the Shepherd in the Kingdom of Lagoa das Sete Cidades”.