Retracing Myths – Between Magic and Reality Through Europe`s

Retracing Myths – Between Magic and
Reality Through Europe’s Traditions and
Culture
Partners
CONTENTS
Romania…………….
2-3
Bulgaria……………...
4-5
Poland………………... 6-7
Turkey………………... 8-9
Italy…………………... 10-11

Colegiul Tehnic de Alimentatie si Turism “D.Motoc”, Galati,
Romania — the coordinator

Zespół Szkół Ponadgimnazjalnych w Przodkowie, Pomorskie,
Poland – partner

ÖDEMİŞ TİCARET ODASI ANADOLU ÖĞRETMEN LİSESİ ÖDEMİŞ-İZMİR, Turkey – partner

Humanitarna Gimnazia “Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii”, Kazanlak,
Bulgaria – partner

IPSAR Istituto Professionale per I Servizi Alberghieri e della
Ristorazione “Luigi Dè Medici”, Ottaviano, Naples, Italy – partner
Summary of the project
Our project focuses mainly on students with different needs, including either the most
gifted students, the students with some different types of disabilities or the students with
social problems. The students will benefit of outgoing mobilities during the project whose
results we hope to offer them more competencies necessary for efficient work activities.
The project deals with retracing myths from all over Europe, travelling, discovering
itineraries, finding what myths represent each country, rediscovering national values,
traditions.
During the project every participating school prepares trips to historical and
representative places for their country, performances about traditions, holidays, including
songs, dances, games, dishes, costumes, national customs.
All the activities will be finalized with the creation of a web site, a DVD with
information, pictures and videos from the project meetings, student mobilities, trips and
festivities, 2 newsletters with activities performed during the two years of project and a
brochure with traditions and myths from all the partner countries.
The project is meant to raise the students' interest for subjects referred to sometimes
as boring: History, Geography, Civics, foreign language learning. And we want to do this
using more pleasant activities and at the same time offering the less fortunate ones a chance
to gain experience for their future jobs and for seeing that there is always an alternative to
their choice sometimes of abandoning school and that by staying at school they can have the
same rights and opportunities as the other ones.
Out of respect for the others' culture and values, we promote exploration into the
partners' folklore including the greatest myths as examples of the moral principles of each
country/region. The unwritten laws of every nation make the moral code of the European
countries.
COLEGIUL TEHNIC DE ALIMENTATIE SI
TURISM “DUMITRU MOTOC”, Galati, Romania
Traditions, Myths and Magic of Romania
Carl Gustav Jung suggested that
myths are the expression of the
humanity’s collective subconscious.
What I find extraordinary is the fact
that we, Romanians, keep alive our
customs. Everything is passed on from
generation to generation and I am
certain we will never give them up!
(Dragan Sorin Alexandru, 9th form)
Myths
There is a huge variety of myths;
myth genesis being a permanent
spiritual phenomenon. Each people,
each cultural epoch has imposed its
very own myths. The Romanian
spirituality also showed itself in several myths. Such myths inscribed in
the category of "Romanian essential
myths", out of which there are four
which have been permanently and
effervescently fed, and which have
been the starting points for many
national writers. According to the
literary critic of Romania named
George Calinescu, these myths
include: "Traian and Dochia",
"Miorita" (a sheep), "The Monastery of Arges" and the
"Sburator" (which is a kind of
demon that takes the shape of a
handsome young man and visits
young girls in their sleep; a sort
of "incubus"). These myths portray fundamental issues of the
birth of the Romanian
people,
man’s cosmic situation, the issue
of creation and as we may say in
modern terms, of culture, and the
issue
of
sexuality.
HIGHLIGHTS
Crossing the Carpathians to Sibiu, one of
the oldest Saxon towns in Transylvania,
you can enjoy a walking tour of the medieval town’s quaint cobblestone streets, pastel houses, 15-16th century town square,
Evangelical Church, Podul Mincinosilor (the
Liars’ Bridge), and old city walls. You can
also visit the oldest art museum in the
country, the Bruckental Palace Museum,
and enjoy a horse and carriage ride thru
the open air museum of Astra.
In the mountain village of Sibiel you can
visit the Painted Glass Icon Museum to
learn about this unique Romanian art. Next
is Sighisoara, with its walled citadel on the
hilltop, secret gateways and passages, and
14th century clock tower. It is also the
birthplace of Prince Vlad Tepes (Dracula).
Onward to Maramures, the land of wooden churches and carved wooden gates,
unique folk costumes and traditions. In
Bucovina we admire the famous painted
monasteries of northern Moldova. The
Voronet Monastery, built in 1488, is one of
the most beautiful and is dubbed the
“Sistine Chapel of the East.”
It is said that the Old Ladies, another
myth in Romania, are mean and
bring snow, rain, dampness and cold.
It is a celebration which usually lasts
for 7 days. These days mark the end
of winter and the beginning of spring.
It is a know fact that the weather in
March is unpredictable. Therefore,
people choose one of these 7 first
days from March and if the weather
is fine that particular day, it is
considered that the whole year will be
a good one, and vice-versa, if the
weather is bad, than it is thought that
the whole year will be a bad one. In
order to celebrate like Romanians do,
I'll have to ask you to pick a day
between the first and the seventh of
March. Afterwards, I'll tell you whether your "old lady" was good or bad.
(Daniela Bobocea
coordinator)
—
Customs
Romanians have had, from time immemorial, a myriad of
customs, tales and poems about love, faith, kings, princesses,
and witches. Ethnologists, poets, writers and historians have tried in
recent centuries to collect and preserve tales, poems, ballads and have
tried to describe as well as possible the customs and habits related to
different events and times of year. Customs related to certain times of
year are the colinde- Romanian Christmas carols, sorcova on New
Year's Eve or the Martisor custom on the 1st of March marking the
spring. Other customs are presumably of pre-Christian pagan origin,
like the Paparuda rain
enchanting custom in the summer, or the
masked folk theatre or Ursul (the bear) and Capra (the goat) in winter.
Martisor offered to the girls and women
I read somewhere that many archeological findings from Romania revealed
Marţisoare as old as 8000 years. Small river stones painted in white and red.
The red color of fire, blood and sun, was linked with life, therefore woman.
The white was the color of the waters and clouds and associated to man's
wisdom. (Bocaneala Marius Paul, 11th form)
In the old Roman calendar, the 1st of March was the first day of the year and
festivities called Matronalia were being held in the honor of Mars, the god of
nature, spring and agriculture. (Haret Florin, 11th form)
I find Sanzienele - a celebration of Midsummer's Day a very interesting custom. On Midsummer Eve, the lads of Maramures (north-west Romania) go
out in the evening holding fire torches which they move around in the sense of
the sun in the sky. When the torches are about to go out the young men
descend the hills, surround the plots, enter into people's yards and give the
torches to their parents to thrust them into the soil of their gardens.
(Chichiur Maria, 11th form)
A very interesting thing about Sanzienele is that they are bad pixies of the
night in Romanian folk tradition. People think these pixies could influence
future marriages. Every 24 June, in the Sanziene's night, unmarried girls cut
petals of a thistle flower. Then they keep that flower in a glass of water. They
say that the faster petals grow back at the thistle she looks after, the bigger
her chances are to marry the man she loves. (Ivascu George, 10th form)
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R E T R AC I N G M Y TH S – B E T W E E N M A G I C A N D R E AL I T Y T H R O U G H E U R O P E ’ S T R AD I T I O N S A N D C UL T U R E
Music and dance
Music and dance
represent a lively
Hora
part of the Romanian
folklore and there are
a great variety of musical
genres and dances. Party music
is very lively and shows both
Balkan and Hungarian
influences. Sentimental music,
however, is the most valued,
and Romanians consider their
doina (a sad song either about
one's home or about love,
composed like an epic
ballad) unique in the world.
Maria Tanase is considered to
be one of the greatest
Romanian folk singers and
today Grigore Lese and Taraful
Haiducilor are two of the most
famous musicians. The dances
are lively and are practiced
throughout Romania by a large
number of professional and
Căluşarii
amateur groups, thus keeping
the tradition alive; Hora is one
of the most famous group
dances but men's folk dances
such as căluşarii are extremely
complex and have been
declared by UNESCO to be
"Masterpieces of the Oral and
Int angible Herit ages of
Humanity".
The magic dance called Dansul căluşarilor is performed by a group composed of 13 young man sworn to each other by a pledge made in a
secret place before dawn. The group is comprised of a leader – the wearer of the group's flag (having the shape of sun) and 11 dancers
dressed in ribboned garments with shining butterflies and tiny bells attached on them. During the dance, the young men use a cane, not
very thick, but hard and beautifully carved. The dance begins with the entrance of the flag - placed on a pole as high as two men, with
long branches and ribbons placed on top, having the same colors as the dancer's garment. The pole with the flag is put in the middle of
the dancers. Afterwards they perform a number of dances in a circle with music accompanied by specific shouting.
Masks
Masks are linked to folk
festivals held predominantly in Maramures and
Moldavia. Typically
made from the hides of
sheep, goats or cows,
the masks are adorned
with fabric, hats, pompoms, metallic bits,
feathers, beans, straw
and animal horns to
represent bears and
goats,
they
are
traditionally worn to
welcome the New Year
during a couple weeks
in December and early
January.
Ceramics
Romanian pottery is
still made mainly on
traditional kick-wheels with
simple finishing tools. Shapes,
sizes and patterns reflect the
different clays and cultures of
diverse areas where are
produced. Color glazes and
decorations vary from strong
geometrics, to delicate florals,
animals and humans. There are
approximately 30 pottery
centres throughout the
country, each with its own
distinctive style, but the main
areas are in Horezu in Oltenia,
Corund in eastern Transylvania
and Radauti and Marginea in
Moldavia.
Painted
Eggs
The
most
readily recognizable examples of
Romanian art are the famed
painted eggs, especially prominent around Easter time. Painting of real hollowed-out eggs
was an integral part of preparations for this festival of renewal.
Women and children gathered in
someone's home and spent a day
painting and gossiping. Intricate
patterns were actually secret
languages known only to residents of the regions where they
were painted. The oldest known
were painted with aqua fortis
(nitric acid) on a traditional red
background.
We use different
colors to paint
the eggs and
every color symbolizes
something: red means
fire, sun; black
means absolutism,
eternity;
yellow is happiness and youth;
green
means
spring, freshness
and
fertility;
blue is health
and vitality. In
the past people
were
painting
eggs with natural colors, but
nowadays they
use
synthetic
colors.
(Manolache
Sorin,
12th
form)
Traditional costume
Embroidery on folk costumes worn for holidays and special occasions (like weddings) follows strict regional patterns and serves also as
a sort of secret language known only to people within the different regions. Linen has been the most common material for clothing,
combined with wool during the winter or colder periods. These are embroidered with traditional motifs that vary from region to
region. Black is the most common colour used, but red and blue are predominant in certain areas. Traditionally, men wore a white shirt
and pants (if made of wool they are called iţari) with a wide leather belt, usually over the shirt, and a vest sometimes made of leather
and embroidered. They wore either boots or a simple shoe made of leather and tied around the foot called opincă and they wore a hat
which differs in design from region to region. Women also wore a white skirt and a shirt with a vest. They wore an apron called
şorţ or cătrinţă which is also embroidered and a headscarf called basma; on special occasions they wore more elaborate outfits.
Page 3
HUMANITARNA GIMNAZIA "SV. SV.
KIRIL I METODII", Kazanlak, Bulgaria
BULGARIAN MYTHS AND
TRADITIONS
ST. LAZAR’S DAY
St. Lazar’ s day is celebrated a
week before Easter. According to the
tradition young women wear traditional
Bulgarian costumes and flower wreaths
and go about houses, singing folk songs
and saying blessings for health and
happiness. In return housewives give eggs
to the young women and in the end of the
day, girls go to the nearest river and
throw away their flower wreaths in the
river. I think that it is one of the most
interesting Bulgarian celebrations which
presents the Bulgarian culture and
traditions. (Betina Mitkova, 9th grade)
MUMMERS
Bulgaria is famous for its ‘Sirni Zagovezni’
celebration. You are probably not familiar with the way they
act
on
this
occasion,
but
here
it
goes!
All men from different parts of the country dress up with some
kind of costumes made of leather pants (which have lots of
broken little mirrors on them) and the most shocking thing you
first would definitely stare at is their big scary masks! The
main ritual is to dance around the streets and scare away the
evil souls surrounding us. They have big bells on their belts;
you will notice them easily as the sound is pretty loud too..
( Dimitar Dechkov, 10th grade)
The mummery is a very popular custom in Bulgaria.
The first time when I met a mummer was when I was three
years old. I still remember it because it was scared but when I
understood why they wear that terrific costumes I liked it.
Since that event I go to see the mummers every year because I
like the people and all the fun there. (Slavi Ivanov Ivanov, 11th
grade)
MIDSUMMER DAY
On Midsummer day
Bulgarians celebrate the so
called Enyovden. It is believed
that the beginning of the winter
starts on this day. It is thought
that in the morning when the
sun rises it winks and plays.
Anyone who sees this sunrise
will be healthy throughout the
whole year. I personally think
it’s one of the ‘magical days’,
which come only once a year.
( Dimitar Dechkov, 10th grade )
ORPHISM
Orphism is an ancient Thracian religion founded by
Orpheus, which taught people how to achieve immortality through
rituals and self - improvement. Orphism says that the soul of man is
divine and immortal. To prevent the reincarnation holy life must be
kept. In the Thracian society, it is the king - priest who makes the
connection between the two worlds. Orphics are engaged in rituals
that represent purification and rebirth of man.
(Yanitsa Trendafilova, 10th grade )
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R E T R AC I N G M Y TH S – B E T W E E N M A G I C A N D R E AL I T Y T H R O U G H E U R O P E ’ S T R AD I T I O N S A N D C UL T U R E
CHRISTMAS
Although I do not
celebrate Christmas, I can
say that Christmas is one of
the nicest holidays, where
the whole family gathers to
celebrate together.
All the kinds of food that
were not allowed during the
fast days are now prepared
and the feast pig is being
cooked.
At midnight young boys
called waits go from door to
door and sing Christmas carols for health and prosperity
of the house. In older days
the exchange of gifts was not
a tradition, but now it is. All
presents are distributed on
25th December’s morning. I
think that Christmas time is
one of the most beautiful celebrations of the year. It is
full of joy, goodness, hope
and many nice things.
(Yuksel Mustafova, 10th
grade )
On Christmas Eve
the whole family gather for a
special meal. The fact you
are with your relatives and
you are celebrating such a
pure holiday is awesome.
There are a lot of traditions
which we perform, like the
setting on fire a piece of tree
by the eldest man in the family
or trying to find the coin in the
bread, which will bring you
good luck. As for me, I really
enjoy this time of the year and
this celebration of course. I
have fun while making the
dishes and I always sing
Christmas songs. Most of all I
love having such a beautiful
celebration with my family.
(Stefanka Miteva, 9th grade)
FIRE DANCING
The “anastenaria“
is a unique custom in
Bulgarian culture and till
today it has still retained its
mystery. According to the
tradition the dancers called
“nestinari” play barefoot on
embers in the evening of the
day of St. Constantine and
Helen. They wear icons of
the saints. The dancers are
from certain families and
they believe that they have
received from their ancestors
a
secret
heritage
of
righteousness.
(Vanya
Sakazova, 10th grade )
Page 5
Zespół Szkół Ponadgimnazjalnych w
Przodkowie, Pomorskie, Poland
POLAND – TWO LEGENDS FROM KASHUBIAN
LAKE DISTRICT – THE PLACE WHERE WE LIVE
1. SNUFF –
Kashubian symbol
and tradition
‘A snuff’ is the powder made
from ground tobacco leaf.
Taking the snuff was very
popular among Kashubian’s
men. In small shops and
taverns they could buy every
kind of it. It was kept in
snuff – boxes and inhaling it
was supposed to guarantee a
good health. It was treated as
a remedy for many illnesses
and was given to women and
children as well. Taking it
was allowed everywhere and
on every occasion – very
often
during
business
negotiations or services in
church. This custom, though
very old, survived till today.
Snuff - boxes have been
made from animals’ horns
(mostly cows’ horns). This
product (especially handmade) is a great souvenir
from
Kashubian
Lake
District. As a legend says ‘a
snuff’ which is popular in
many parts of the World took
its origin in Kashubian Lake
District. It has always been a
very important part of the
Polish tradition. It is considered as a very hospitable
thing to give guests a little
snuff when they visit you.
2.‘THE DEVILISH
VIOLIN’
The Devilish Violin is a
very typical instrument for
every Kashubian music
band. Despite its name, they
do not have anything in
common with typical violin
because it is percussion
instrument. The Devilish
Violins can have many sizes
but most often they are
Page 6
man’s height. They are made
from a long stick with a
cymbal on the top - which
imitates a kind of hat. There
is
the
devil’s
head
underneath
and
many
colourful ribbons. On the
bottom there is something
imitating resonance box –
kind of drum. To play on the
Devilish Violin a musician
has to strike the cymbal with
the baton and hit the floor
with the whole instrument.
Whenever you have got a
chance to see and hear
Kashubian music band you
may see this Devil emitting
very unique and outstanding
sounds.
A l e k s a n d r a
Glowczewska, the
English teacher and
coordinator: ”The choice
made by us, as far as the
Legends are concerned, is
not accidental. We have
got a lot of Legends where
Devil plays the main role.
Kashubian people have
always been considered as
religious people and they
were afraid of Devil. They
tried to live in a way that
would make it impossible
for Devil to grab their soul.
We chose two Legends –
both on the same ‘devilish’
subject but their mood is
quite different. One of
them – The Snuff Legend
is rather serious while The
devilish Violin Legend is
cheerful and funny.”
What do our students
think about Kashubian
Legends:
Przemek
Formela,
rd
student of 3 IT class: “
The Snuff is a very
significant element of our
culture. This legend shows
in a very interesting way
Kashubian people as a
very smart, hard-working
citizens but they appear
also as nosey and proud
human beings. The Legend
about Devilish violin is the
favourite one for children.
It is very cheerful tale and
it can be a perfect
bedtime story. I like its
simplicity and positive
emotions it creates.”
Page 7
ÖDEMİŞ TİCARET ODASI ANADOLU ÖĞRETMEN
LİSESİ -ÖDEMİŞ-İZMİR
TURKEY
THE LEGEND OF
BEAR STONE
Once upon a time four or five girls
went to the mountain to cut shrubs.
After cutting the shrubs and
preparing them to carry, they sat
down and wanted to rest for a
while.
During this time, one of them fell
asleep because of fatigue. While
The girls were ready to put shrubs
on their shoulders to carry, when
they noticed that one of their
friends fell asleep.
The girl was sleeping so peacefully
that they didn't want to wake her
up saying 'somehow she will wake
up and follow us soon. ' When the
girl woke up, it began to get dark.
The girl, who immediately put the
shrubs that she cut on her shoulder
to carry, started to walk down the
mountain at dusk. Meanwhile a
bear appeared next to her. Seeing
that the bear chasing her
approached very closer, she
realized that she had no other way
to escape and crouched down. She
prayed “My God, I have no other
way to escape from this creature
anymore. Transform me to either a
Stone or bird.” While she was
transforming to a Stone, the bear
reached the girl and touched her,
and they were transformed to
Stones together because her prayer
was accepted.
THE LEGEND OF DEDE KORKUT
It is a powerful fable about a
man who boasted too much,
and was cured of his pride by
a brush with death.
There was once a great
warrior called Dede Korkut.
He and his men swept across
the earth conquering lands
far and wide, and as his
power and wealth grew, so
did his pride. He began to
believe
that
he
was
invincible, and perhaps even
immortal.
After
one
particularly great victory in
battle, he held a feast in his
palace for seven days and
seven nights on end. And on
the seventh night he called
for the music and dancing to
cease, and he made the
following speech.
“Men. We have conquered
all before us. There is no
force on earth that can hold
us back. We are the greatest
army that has ever lived and
Page 8
fought. I challenge all
creation to stand and fight
us, and still we shall prevail,
so long as I, Dede Korkut,
am your leader. ”
And when the leader had
finished speaking, there was
cheering
and
uproar
throughout the palace and
the celebrations continued
among great merriment and
rejoicing.
But God was also listening to
the proud speech of Dede
Korkut. And He was
displeased at his arrogance
and boasting. And so God
ordered Az’rail, his Angel of
Death, to visit Dede Korkut
and to take his soul.
Az’rail flew into the palace
and stood on the table in
front of where Dede Korkut
was feasting. The leader
looked up at the intruder and
said:
“Dark Warrior, who are you
to stand before me so
insolently?”
And Az’rail replied: “I am
not one to answer questions
from the likes of you, for I
am here to punish your
arrogance and boasting”.
Dede Korkut was far from
used to hearing such
defiance and rude words
directed at him. He was
filled with rage and jumped
up onto the table meaning to
cut off the head of the dark
stranger. But before he could
do so, Az’rail changed into
the from of a bird and flew
out of the window.
Dede Korkut rushed to the
stables and ordered his horse
to be saddled immediately.
Soon he was charging out of
the palace in pursuit of the
angel. First he saw him in the
moonlight standing on the
highest tower of the palace,
then he too saw him take off
with a wing span far greater
than any bird he had seen
before. He charged after him,
firing arrows and hurling
javelins into the sky, but
none came near the dark
bird. He pursued him out of
the city and into the forest.
Deeper and deeper into the
forest he went, following the
terrible screeches and cries
of the bird, when suddenly
the angle appeared before
him.
“At last you’re mine” Dede
Korkut, meaning to run him
through with his lance. ”
“No, you are mine,” said the
figure before him. “For I am
Azra’il, the Angel of Death
and I have come for your
soul. You boasted that you
were
immortal
and
invincible. Now the moment
of your death has come, oh
arrogant one.”
At these words, Dede Korkut
threw himself on the ground
before the angel and said.
“Now that I look death in the
face, I understand the
arrogance of my life. But I
beseech you, kind Angel,
spare me. Give back to me
the remaining years of my
youth and strength, and I
swear that through my words
and my deeds I will prove
that I have learned my
lesson.”
And the Angel replied: “I do
not decide such things. I am
but a messenger from the
Almighty. ”
And Dede Korkut cried out:
“Then get out of my way and
stop wasting my time. ” And
he fell on the ground and
began to pray to God”
“Forgive my boasting oh
Lord of All Creation and
give me another chance”.
And God heard his words
and was pleased, and He
ordered the Angel to spare
Dede Korkut his life, on
condition that he could find
another who was ready of his
own free will to give up his
own life for that of Dede
Korkut’s.
Dede Korkut rode back to
the palace a changed man.
He felt sure that all he had to
do was to ask his father to
take his place in death, for he
was an old man, and had
never refused his son
anything. But when he came
before his father and gave
him his request, his father
replied:
“My son. I have struggled all
my life so that I can enjoy
my old age. I am sorry, but I
am not ready to die in your
place.”
And Dede Kokut was
surprised and disappointed,
but he thought that surely his
mother would not refuse him
anything. But when he asked
her she said:
“Oh my son ! I have already
given my life to you many
times, when I gave birth to
you, when I fed you with my
own milk, when I took care
of you. Now the rest of my
life belongs at your father’s
side, as company for his old
age”.
And the young warrior was
disappointed and distraught.
He returned to his chamber
and prepared to die. But
when
his
young
and
beautiful wife saw him, she
asked what troubled him and
he said:
“Beloved. The Angel of
Death is about to take my
life unless I can find
someone willing to die in my
place. And yet it seems that
even my parents, who
previously
have
never
refused me anything are not
willing to do this for me.
And so I have no escape. I
must bid you farewell for I
am about to die.”
And when she heard these
words his wife replied:
“Look no further. Why did
you not ask me? I love you
so much that I will gladly
give what even your own
father and mother have
refused. Take my life so that
yours can be spared.”
And when the warrior heard
those
of
true
and
unblenching love, tears came
to his eyes. He fell on his
knees and prayed to God
again saying:
“Great Lord. Forgive me.
Take my life and spare that
of my wife, for she has faced
death more calmly and
bravely than I.”
And God was again pleased
to hear those words, and he
decided to spare both Dede
Korkut and his wife, and
they lived a long and blessed
life and there was peace and
prosperity throughout his
lands.
And God wrote on the palms
of the Angel of Death, in
letters of light:
“In the Name of God, Most
Merciful and Beneficent” and
he ordered the angel that when
ever he must take the soul of
one of the faithful, he must
show to him those letters so that
his soul might come out of his
body and return to its maker.
Page 9
IPSAR Istituto Professionale per I Servizi Alberghieri e della
Ristorazione, Ottaviano, Naples, Italy
THE LEGEND OF ROME FOUNDATION
Romolo and Remo are, in Roman
mythology, two twin brothers and
one of them, Romolo founded
Rome and he was its first king.
According to the legend they were
children of Mars and Rea Silvia,
descendants of Enea.
Enea, as we know from the Eneide,
was Venus' son. He with his father
Anchise and his son Ascanio,
escaped from the burning Troy
conquested by Greeks. His wife,
Creusa, died during the Troy fire.
Enea escapes from Troy with
Anchise, Ascanio and Creusa.
While Enea was sailing on the
Mediterranean sea to go far from
his home town, a tempest, caused
by Juno, obliged him to stop in
Carthago where Dido was the
queen.
Dido fell in love with Enea and
asked him to reign with her. After
a year, at Jupiter command, Enea
and his fellows left again to reach
Lazio, in Italy.
Dido before killing herself cursed
Enea and his descendants.
After a long and dangerous trip on
the Mediterranean sea Enea landed
on the coastline of Latium vetus
(ancient Lazio).
become vestal virgin (priestess).
However, Mars felt in love with
the young girl and two twins were
born: Romolo and Remo.
There the king Latin and his daughter
Lavinia hosted him.
Lavinia and Enea fell in love each
other but Enea had to fight against
Turno, king of Rutuls, who was the
promised husband of Lavinia.
Enea won, he married Lavinia and
together founded a new town
called Lavinio.
After Enea's death, Ascanio
reigned on Lavinio together with
his stepmother. After a while,
since the town carried on growing,
Ascanio went away founding
another town called Albalonga.
Ascanio's descendents were kings
of Albalonga for many generations. One of those kings was
Numitore who was dethroned by
his brother Amulio. Amulio killed
his brother's sons and obliged Rea
Silvia, Numitore's daughter, to
Numitor' s brother, Amulius, had
taken the throne from him and had
forced Rhea Silvia to become a
vestal virgin so that she would not
have any children who might try to
take back the throne.
When the boys were born,
Amulius seized them, put them into a
basket and threw them into the
river Tiber. He hoped that they
would drown. However, the boys
were rescued by a she-wolf who
fed the babies with her own milk
and cared for them.
...AND POMPEI
They grew up and were found by
the shepherd Faustulus, who took
them home and looked after them
until they were grown up. The two
young men discovered who they
really were and decided to kill
Amulius and put their grandfather
back on the throne. After doing
this they decided to build a city of
their own but could not agree
where to build it. Remus favoured
the Aventine Hill but Romulus
wanted to use the Palatine Hill.
They could not reach an agreement
and so each began to build his own
city enclosed with walls.
One day, Remus visited Romulus
and made fun of his wall by
jumping over it and saying how
Page 10
easily it could be breached.
Romulus was so annoyed that he
killed Remus and said the he
would kill anyone who mocked his
city or tried to break through the
walls
of
Rome.
The legend says that Romulus
became the first King of Rome in
753BC.
Starting from Rome and town after
town, a big empire was created.
Among several towns we can find
in our region Pompei.
It was not very far from Rome and
it was considered a good place for
holidays because of its climate.
Pompei, like other Roman towns,
reproduced, perfectly, the Roman
way of life and its civilization.
Furthermore even if it was
destroyed during the eruption of
the Vesuvius occurred in 79 B.C. ,
it is still the best example of a
Roman town all over the world and
it represents the best confirmation
of Roman power and civilization.
THE LEGEND OF THE BIRTH OF NAPLES AND ITS MYTH
Every aspect of life in the city of Naples is
closely tied to the waters that bathe, so the
same myths about the birth of these coasts
are a symbol of life that rises from the sea.
The sea is a presence inextricably linked
to the history, legends and any activities of
daily life in the city of Naples. The image
of the Gulf, with slopes of Mount
Vesuvius that degrade slowly towards the
coast of Sorrento, is the hallmark of these
places, the landscape which attracts
tourists from all over the world.
The name "Partenopeo" derives from the
name of the woman who is identified in
the local legends as the founder of these
lands, Parthenope. Charming character,
linked to these places from legends that
date back to Greek populations of the third
century BC, Parthenope, by its very
nature, calls the idea of the sea was no
more, in fact, than a mermaid.
Not the only one on the coast of Campania,
the siren Parthenope was the typical Greek
legends: a being from a woman's head and
the body of a bird of prey, other than the
woman from the tails of fish, an image that
will be born only in the Middle Ages.
The place where it was said she lived,
together with the sisters, was identified
with the small archipelago of Li Galli, off
the coast of Positano. The three islands that
make up the archipelago were, in fact,
known in antiquity as "The Sirenuse", just
marking the site as a habitat of these
amazing creatures.
Right here the wildest guesses would
identify the place of the meeting between
the Greek hero, Ulysses and the creatures
half woman and half bird, described by
Homer in the Odyssey. Hard to say if these
theories are plausible, but it is certain that
this episode is closely linked to the myth of
the birth of the city of Naples.
Right between the islets of Li Galli, Ulysses
decided to tackle the sirens. These
beings were able to sing melodies and
extraordinary, with these, they used to
enchant the unfortunate sailors who crossed
their path, devoting their ships to a safe
wreck.
The witty Odysseus, however, with a
clever ruse, he manages to save his ship
with all hands, passing the home of the
Sirens unscathed. Among them was our
own Parthenope, the most beautiful of all.
Proud of her abilities in singing, certain
that nobody could escape the magical
sound of his voice, the siren does not
accept the defeat of the ingenious Greek
hero and left to drown in the waters of the
archipelago. The sea itself, however, does
not accept the loss of a creature of such
splendor and the waves will pick up the
lifeless body. Transported by water, Parthenope arena is right in the Gulf of Naples and her body will create part of the
coast. The exact location where her body
stopped is identified with the islet of
Megaride, right here, where now stands
Castel dell 'Ovo.
CAPRI BETWEEN HISTORY AND LEGEND
The history of Capri is linked to that of the Mediterranean Sea, the
people who have crossed and that stretch off sea between Cape
Misenum and Punta Campanella was the scene of major events and
cultural exchanges. The origin of the name of the island is disputed
between the great cultures of the past: some argue that it comes from
the ancient Greek Kapros (wild boar) and others from Latin Capraeae
(goats).
The first estimator of the island was the Roman Emperor Augustus, who in 29 B.C. dissolved the city of Naples and began his
private domain. His successor, the Emperor Tiberius, even as he chose retirement from political life in Rome and built 12
villas, including Villa Jovis in Capri and Anacapri Villa Damecuta .
The Blue Grotto is one of the natural beauty of the island best known in the world thanks to the special play of light that is
created in its waters. For many centuries the Blue Grotto (formerly known as the Cave of Gradola) was not the most visited
and, indeed, was feared by sailors because the local folk tales described her as a place haunted by spiritsand demons. The fate
changed dramatically when the Blue Grotto, April 18, 1826 was "rediscovered" by the German writer August Kopisch and
painter Ernst Fries, his friend and travelling companion, accompanied by
local fisherman Angelo Ferraro and the notary Giuseppe Pagano.
The Faraglioni are three peaks of rock rising from the sea a few meters from
the coast. Each Faraglione has its name: Star, Faraglione Middle and
Scopolo. Scopolo where, according to the legend, lives the Blue Lizard, and
is the only place where you can find it. It is said to have taken these colors to
blend with the sea and the sky.
Page 11
Retracing Myths– Between Magic
and Reality Through Europe’s
Traditions and Culture
The impact of the project
The institutions can benefit this project because they will have more interested students, more
motivated ones, better prepared teachers, more understanding when faced with the special needs
of some students and they will learn to respect the migrants, other nationalities, religions, the
different ones. They have now the possibility to prove the world that they have talented and gifted students, values and beautiful traditions that deserve to be known and brought to life. By the
staff and other decision - making factors' involvement there will be created conditions for the extension of the relations and the strengthening of the partnerships and by extra-project activities.
The transparency of the activities from the project, their promotion at the local, regional, national and international level will raise the school's prestige and will open new opportunities of the
development of relationships and future funding. The institutions will be more willing to experiment new challenges and to assume new responsibilities.
The staff will have the opportunity to meet their colleagues from other countries, to share their
knowledge, to exchange opinions, to learn many things one from another, from the school system
and values in each country, to keep in mind what they learnt and bring it home and change
something for the better. Working in partnership will develop special abilities as teachers and
learning partners at the same time. The teachers participating at the project will have the
opportunity to enrich their competencies of teaching active citizenship by experimenting
teaching situations in a multicultural and multi linguistic context during the exchanges.
This publication has been developed in the framework of the project
Retracing Myths – Between Magic and Reality Through Europe’s Traditions and Culture in the
frame of
LLP Comenius Partnership Program
The project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This document 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.