PRIMARY SCHOOL OF SALASSA - COMPREHENSIVE INSTITUTE OF FAVRIA
SALASSA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - DI FAVRIA SCHOOL DISTRICT
Why the Far North stories? The teacher proposed some stories of Arctic and Subarctic culture to the two classes. The students chose one for each class, particularly meaningful and captivating.
It was not easy to find a bibliography on the subject, since these stories are of oral tradition and few writers have collected and transcribed them.
These texts narrate the rhythms of nature in an everyday life in environments that are very hostile to man.
The protagonists are the animals of the North that behave like humans. They solve, tell, explain fantastic phenomena but always linked to tribal life.
The freshness of these stories is to be found in their simplicity, charged with an emotional dimension typical of tales handed down orally. Often these narratives do not have a nice ending, because they reveal the sacredness of life with its rigid social rules.
The chosen stories:
The fourth class chose the Inuit myth of Creation which has as its protagonist the "Great Crow" creator of the world. With banal gestures he gives life to continents and oceans, populating them with animals and fish.
The fifth class chose the arctic tale of the "Old Bear and the Raven", which tells the story of a somewhat spiteful old shaman: the Bear and the courage of the crafty Raven who manages to trick him and fix everything for the good of the community.
Methodology:
The analysis of the texts involved a re-elaboration and work in small groups. The boys thus produced drawings with related captions, which gave life to two calendars. In them the whole story is told month after month.
Why stories about the far north? The teacher presented some stories about arctic and sub-arctic culture to the two classes. The young people chose one that was particularly significant and appealing for each class.
It was not easy to find a bibliography on the subject as these stories are within the oral tradition and few authors have collected and transcribed them.
These texts narrate the rhythms of nature and daily life in an environment that is very hostile for humans. The main characters are the animals of the north who behave like human beings. They set out, recount and explain fantastic phenomena that are tied to the tribal way of life.
The refreshing nature of the stories originates from their simplicity; full of the emotional dimension typical of stories passed on orally. These stories often don't have a happy ending because they reveal the sacredness of life and its rigid social rules.
The stories chosen: The Grade Four class chose the Inuit creation myth which has the "Great Raven", the creator of the world, as its main character. With simple acts, he gives life to the continents and the oceans, populating them with animals and fish.
The Grade Five class chose an arctic fable, "The Old Bear and the Raven", which narrates the undertakings of an old shaman who is a little bit mischievous: the Bear and the Raven whose courage and astuteness sets things straight and settles things for the better of the community.
Methodology: The analyzes of the texts involved a re-working of the story and group work. In this way, the children produced drawings with their relevant subtitles which resulted in two calendars. The stories in their entirety are narrated each month within them.
Bibliography (Bibliography):
"I Songs of the Ice - fairy tales of the arctic regions" by Luigi Dal Cin - ed. Cosimo Panini
"Music of the Ice" - Fables from the Arctic by Luigi Dal Cin - Cosimo Panini Editors
"Tales and Legends of the Far North" by Howard Norman - ed. Guanda
"Fables and Legends of the Far North" by Howard Norman - Guanda Editors
Fables :