REPORT INTENSIVE COURSE 2015 Riga Teacher Training and ... · Teacher Education Network-2015, Project ID: NPHE-2015/10077 Mythology, culture and identity in the Nordic and Baltic

Teacher Education Network-2015, Project ID: NPHE-2015/10077

Mythology, culture and identity in the Nordic and Baltic countries

REPORT INTENSIVE COURSE 2015

Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy September 14 – 18, 2015

Autumn Equinox celebration: Baltic and

Nordic cultural identity through traditional seasonal celebration



1. The Background for the Intensive course 2015 The course is a part of three-years Project about Nordic and Baltic mythology. In 2011, in

Reykjavik the multimedia performance Voluspa was created, including drama, music and visual art/ scenography. In 2013, in Bergen students composed multimedia performance SPOR – mythological traces in Norway. Intensive week in Riga, in 2015 was focused on Baltic perspective using the old Baltic traditions of celebration Autumn Equinox as a framework for learning and experiencing Baltic mythology and comparing them of those of the Nordic countries.

The aim of the intensive week was to strengthen bonds between the Nordic and the Baltic countries through in-depth cultural studies. In contrast with previous years, this intensive week was concentrated not on performance for public, but either on investigation of cultural context - common preparation and participation in ritual in order to obtain holistic experience of traditions as personally meaningful as well as actual for 21th century society.

Students who completed the course could earn 3 ECTS credits for their active participation. A diploma acknowledging this was provided for participants upon completion of the course.

The participants in the Baltic mythology course of 2015 were 38 bachelor and master students in teacher education from 8 institutions from 6 countries: Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway. There were also 17 teachers participating who came from all of the above nationalities. The criteria for selecting students were decided at each institution and there were on average 2-4 students from each institution. The local coordinators for the course in Latvia were dr. Ilze Briška and dr. Gunta Siliņa-Jasjukeviča, assistant professors in teacher education and traditional culture at the Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy together with the coordinator of the network Torunn Bakken Hauge .

2. Intensive course 2015 - the planning of the course The third course in the trilogy was planned in Copenhagen in Denmark. Torunn

BakkenHauge, Anne Paulsen and Siv Ødemotland from Bergen University college, Frants Mathiesen from Copenhagen and Gunta Siliņa-Jasjukeviča and Ilze Briška from RTTEMA met in January 2015.

There were two days of intensive work. The title of the intensive week was specified as Autumn Equinox celebration: Baltic and Nordic cultural identity through traditional seasonal celebration. The ideas about the content and organization of a course were discussed in constructive and purposeful way. Gunta Siliņa-Jasjukeviča and Ilze Briška suggested an idea about realization of traditional ritual and the deep research in traditions, rituals and structure of celebration in each participant culture. To promote more authentic experience the real socio-cultural environment – farmhouse in countryside was chosen for the main event of intensive week. Autumn equinox was chosen because of the course was planned in proper time (38 week - end of September). The crucial point of discussions was possibility to relate traditional ritual to art subjects of teacher training curriculum – music, visual art, crafts and drama. The solution was found in fact, that ritual contains elements of all artistic activities: music – in a form of appropriate songs, instrument playing; drama – as storytelling, ritual behaviour, organization of the event, dances and ritual games, creating the atmosphere; visual art and crafts – preparation of ritual space and making ritual attributes etc.

With a purpose to make the ideas of traditional festivities personally meaningful, the investigation of old and current autumn equinox traditions or traces of them in participants’ cultures was supposed to be an important part of a course. Gunta Siliņa-Jasjukeviča and Ilze Briška proposed to prepare homework, including instructions for the research.

Norway and Denmark colleagues found the idea of homework appropriate and useful. We decided that professional traditional music must be presented for participants during

intensive week, because music education departments are mostly oriented on classical music or jazz, not so much on traditional music.



The possibility, that making film about the event should be a course work of Denmark art students flashed in, but the idea had to be cancelled since Frants Mathiesen himself was not able to come to the course. All teachers were invited to involve themselves in course preparation and organization with lectures, workshops and enrichment of an event with contribution of different countries. Trine Daviknes, Annli Falk, Dzintra Iliško responded and took responsibility about warming-ups, workshops and lecture.

During course preparation in Latvia the celebration place must be found - farmhouse with authentic environment, hosts, who practice traditions, not far from Riga, large enough for 55 people. The owner of “Upescelmiņi” agreed to accommodate guests.

The reflection forms for each day, and week on the whole was prepared for each participant. Gunta Siliņa-Jasjukeviča and Ilze Briška prepared worksheets for learning in open-air

museum. As RTTEMA have very busy time in September, and there is short of administrative

resources, we decided to involve also the students and volunteers in course organisation. 3. The implementation of the Intensive course

Inspiration There were several sources of inspiration in the course.

The initial discussion was planned as the familiarization with each other and highlighting the actual aspects of a topic. It reveals surprisingly similarities and contradictions in participants’ homeland cultures. It was at the same time rising interest by funny facts and exercise for tolerance as well.

I like, that we began with the discussion about festivities. I like a start in groups – it is good way to learn about each other.

Lata Donga concert was recognized by course participants as very inspiring – an example of meaningful existence of traditional music in actual life. It was discovery for music professionals, traditional culture specialists and all other open minded people.

… Their performance really touched my hart… …Lata Donga – speechless!

The Open-air museum gave useful information about the sociocultural context of Autumn

equinox traditions in Latvia and the participants also experienced the nature. It promoted participants interest to go deeper into understanding of their own traditions.



It was something special about seeing, smelling, touching traditional items – real authentic experience…

It was very social - we can hear and learn from Latvians their personal stories… I think, that I understand Latvians better.

Sharing the theoretical concepts about cultural acquisition, identity and mythology

Dzintra Iljiško began the work of intensive week by introducing the most popular symbols of current Latvia. She accented the orientation towards sustainability, ecological thinking and intimacy with nature as features of Latvian identity.

Organizators – Ilze Briška and Gunta Siliņa-Jasjukeviča presented a framework of celebration and illustrated it with the essential components of ritual and their symbolic meanings of Latvian autumn equinox traditions.

This structure was open for completing with particular content by representatives of different Nordic-Baltic cultures during intensive week.

Ilze Briška told about the mythological stage in personal development, but Karsten Arvedsen completed the theoretical discourse with postmodern concepts of identity development, promoting the discussion about pedagogical intervention in this process.

Presentation makes me think about symbols and to find out their meanings.

Warming-up

Everybody wrote in their reflections about warming-up effects – from teambuilding by promoting empathy to learning breathing and vocal exercises.

Really exciting, thank you, Trine! Useful breathing and vocal methods. Highlight of a day - the atmosphere in gym during warming-up.


Mythology, culture and identity in the Nordic and Baltic countries Participant presentations

Participant organizations presented their homework – results of research in autumn equinox traditions in their homeland in three sessions. Each presentation lasts up to 60 minutes. Presentations were very different in their form and content. They include textual and visual materials as well as performances and workshops, plenty of information about the topic, music and drama performances and teaching songs, dances, games and handicraft for other, theoretic insights and degustation of traditional autumn food.

All presentations revealed the interest, deep understanding of traditions, creativity, professionality, meeting the challenge and teaching abilities of presenters.

Each delegation had an opportunity to demonstrate their strength, and they do it –

everybody enjoyed violin, kankle/ kokle, saxophone, piano, flute or percussion playing, storytelling, land art, media art, social studies, theoretical studies of multiculturalism, choir or traditional singing, dance etc.

In reflection, some participants recognize, that revealing the actuality of traditions in their actual life was challenging. At the same time, they revealed, that some traditional and common activities as exhibition of autumn gifts, thanksgivings for harvest or gratitude before meal may have many thousand year old roots.

We supposed that teaching the traditions to other would be more as learning, not only as a fun.

After each presentation the ideas about how the tradition of particular culture can fit into the structure of celebration ritual on Thursday were summarized.

So the idea of homework has justified itself – the structure of autumn equinox ritual were completed with activities from different Nordic and Baltic traditional cultures, revealing their meanings have come from common origins.

I was surprised about my neighbourhood traditions – they are so similar, but I have not known anything about it!

Videos from Lithuania and Estonia – I was emotionally touched. I was pleasantly surprised to hear many songs, which I know in Estonian also. In my

head I sing them in my own language. I never regret doing drama, and I got experience of feeling of sharing emotions freely

in safe environment between strangers. Brilliant! Highlight of a day - going out and making land art.

Some of reflections recognize, that the there was too much time for presentations, but too little for workshops. However, homework description contained invitation to include workshop for teaching anything to others in presentation. Some institutions realized it successfully. Maybe the proportion between narrative and practical work should be show more precisely, but maybe the criteria for teaching should be explained better.



Thursday – preparation for the celebration (see program in attachment …) and Autumn equinox celebration

After familiarisation with a place participants engaged in five workshops (see in program). All workshops were related to preparation of celebration, so, students can learn a way, how to integrate their learning in socio-cultural context:

Created wattle fence marked the boundary of celebration place. Cereal crowns and belts made by participants were donated to hosts.



While making fertility amulets – wheat dolls, participants revealed art-therapeutic effects of

special teaching methods of crafts, symbolic meanings of traditional colour composition and garments.

Music and games prepared fit in processions and ritual near oak tree. Paper lanterns, made in Danish workshop on Wednesday, were lighted and put under the oak

tree in twilight, in order to commemorate ancestors in Autumn equinox. It seems to be touching moment (and it looked exciting), because a reverent attitude to decedents appeared as common feature of all participated cultures.



Special part of celebration was meal. It began with a ritual donation of food (with Islandic

and Latvian songs), Danish tradition – birthday greetings and degustation of Nordic and Baltic traditional autumn food.

Drama group took a responsibility to realise a fertility game. Their task was challenging, but

after repetitions with Siv Ødemotland, they manage to reach high level of drama art by expressing the ritual hazard in organic way. A beautiful synergy between drama group, other participants and guest musicians was reached.

Everybody involved in games and dances in home yard, by accompaniment of Lithuanian

and Latvian participants and guest musicians. Burning the fire sculpture pointed a culmination of celebration; participants managed to

integrate old and contemporary elements as well as artistic and mathematical content in order to create large, powerful, expressive and functional ritual attribute in excellent way. Estonian students bring together all persons with fire song. The event resounds lyrically by all loved lullaby for Mother Eart Sulla lulla, conducted by Trine Daviknes.



On the whole, all workshops and process went as planned. During celebration, participants

could use and strengthen the knowledge and skills obtained in presentations and workshops. We doubted about a need to provide written detailed scenery and predict responsibility of

each particular person. We decided not to do it, as it would be contrary to the nature of ritual, and expression of participants’ creativity.

Students’ and teachers’ reflections approve, that the main goal is reached – participants experienced traditions in a whole, felt themselves “inside” the process more than spectators from aside, consumers.

Everyone is a part of it. All the knowledge was used in practice. We celebrated autumn equinox in Zemgale

and used songs, dances, games we had already learn from each other in previous days. I loved our celebration in Thursday, the location, the workshops, the weather.

Highlight – the fire, candles and fire sculpture.

Friday – reflection



The group discussion about ideas of dissemination of results of intensive week was held by Torunn Bakken Hauge. Groups with participants from different institutions were put together. As a result of discussion fresh ideas was formulated. Students promised to create film about intensive week, to continue Autumn Equinox traditions in Nordic and Baltic countries on Facebook, to write blogs in web and inform other students about possibility to join to Nordplus projects. Some of them considered using traditional rituals in family. Idea of some of students – to use model of learning traditional culture, obtained in intensive week, for deeper exploring their own culture – is very satisficing for us.

All participants fulfilled intensive course evaluation form (attached ). Most teachers and students were satisfied with the course. As the main benefits meeting each

other/ new people from other countries, getting to know different cultures, feeling pride to represent own culture, use of different methods, visiting authentic places, experience of unity, being together in celebration were mentioned. Students appreciate good food and possibilities of entertainment in Riga as well.

Good combination of theory and practical movements. I like the variety of methods that was used – working in groups with rewarding. I feel myself proud to represent my country. As a learning result understanding of reasons of different rituals was mentioned.

3. Conclusions

We think, we managed to show holistic way, how to deal with traditions nowadays. After self-reflection, we realized sharing knowledge and practices, teaching each other and

learning from other, preparation to celebration and experience of ritual as meaningful activity is a good way how to experience music, dance, drama, visual art, social sciences, cultural studies not only for showing (for others), but for being within it.

We obtain a confirmation that cultural approach to learning traditions can be successfully implemented in a multicultural group. Students and teachers shared knowledge and experience about autumnal solstice traditions and reflected on the Scandinavian and Baltic cultural identity and the importance of traditions nowadays. As well, we understood how our course should be developed. More specified feedback forms would be elaborated – the similarities and differences within Nordic in Baltic cultures were recognized, but not fixed as a result of learning.

We are satisfied about the possibility to learn much from our colleges from Nordic and Baltic universities – about organisation of the project work. RTTEMA students appreciated a participation in intensive week in the whole and organization process particular.

Our suggestion for further projects is - as September is very busy study time in Universities, it makes sense to rent premises outside university, especially, if socio-cultural context and natural environment is essential for the intensive week content. Learning the traditions in authentic environment allows to meet natural landscape, genuine things and involve all senses.

Attachments:

1. Autumn equinox celebration. Initial information 2. Home work 3. Program of intensive week 4. Program of celebration 5. Worksheets



6. Course reflection form 7. Agenda of teachers’ meeting 8. Intensive week certificate



Attachment 1

AUTUMN EQUINOX CELEBRATION We all want to have happy, prosperous, harmonic and wholesom life. Each culture

creates its’ own ways how to reach this goal. These methods depends on the world view, dominant in particular culture.

Perception of world of Baltic and Scandinavian ancestries has arisen in continous connection with nature. As well, they believed, that besides visible world, our ancestors, deities and spirits of nature take part in all events and activities of the life. Upper world – heaven, Sun, Moon, stars – takes care of astronomical proceses - rithm of day an night, summer and winter. Underworld – Mother Earth, Mother Sea, Mother of Forest, Mother of Death souls of ancestors, deities and spirits of nature is responsible for material life of nature and people. But everyday life, each activity of individual and society from the birth to death are connected closely with both other worlds. In acordance with mithological thinking, all living and non-living, visible and invisible, past, present and future, cosmos and human being are united and interdependent.

The function of traditional seasonal festivities is to organize the societie’s life in accordance with rithm of cosmos, organic nature and invisible world.

A year can be figuratively compared with a human. First of all, it is a small baby, then

- a kid, teenager, adult, middle-aged man, old man. Autumn fits with the mature phase of


Mythology, culture and identity in the Nordic and Baltic countries life. Period of birth, growing and flourishung is over; it’s time of ripening of fruits and seeds, amassing the the resources for next cycle of life. When lifeblood is accumulated safely in seeds and other reserves, old body may appear to die; nature go in winter rest.

For people it is a tight and responsible time of harvesting. In Latvia it begins in mid-

August and lasts until the end of September. This time people spend working together, helping each other – harvesting in join-work.

The Autumn Equinox festivity is a culmination of harvesting. Works in the fields and meadows are going to be finished. A harvest is brought into barns and precincts. Those, who have worked hardly and wise, can rest and enjoy the fruits of their work, keeping in mind who must be thank for the autumn wealth.

Festivity rituals reveal the traditional culture perceptions of unity of world the most notably.

In Autumn Equinox festivity, exaltation of Sun and god of fertility – Jumis is

important. They are invited to take part in feast in order the people can thank them for the harvest with burning the fire, sacrificing the food, magic rituals – chasing Jumis, catching him and locking up in cornfield till spring and fertility strengthening ritual – searching the stebere.



An important part of the celebration is honoring of the landlord and hostess – the most

important people in the household: they are crowned with wreaths of ears of cereal.

Thanksgiving in a form of a feast for ancestors in autumn is dedicated to souls of community predecessors, because people believed that good harvest and chances to survive in winter depend on their favor.

An integral part of Festivity is enjoying the fruits of labour. It manifests in dancing, singing, playing the games and exuberant meal.

Many of those concepts anb believes are lost in nowdays. Other - transformed in

another forms - exist in current, postmodern world. Some of them live in our grandpatents’ childhood memories. Some of them we use every day without realizing their meaning. And even, if the particular rithual or mythological image is not actual now, the values, which


Mythology, culture and identity in the Nordic and Baltic countries were important for our ancestors – fertility, prosperity, dignity, unity, sustainability etc., are equaly important today.

So, Your home-work is – to find a traces of autumn equinox traditions in your culture.



Attachment 2 Preparation to

AUTUMN EQUINOX CELEBRATION Home-work Investigation of Autumn Equinox traditions in my culture

1. Read the text. 2. Find in your culture traces of traditional Autumn Equinox

celebration, tell another participans about them and be able to teach your tradition to others. Find one or more believes, tales or description of tradition of harvesting, one or more traditional musical/horeographical examples - folksong, dance, game, one or more example of rithual atributes – fireplace, amulets, special food, costumes and accessories etc.

Pay attention to key words: Time: the border between summer and winter - proportion of light/ darkness,

maturity of nature, fulfillment/ exhaustion, life/ death. Space - inside/ outside, upside/ downside, home/ field/world, this world/the

other world/the beyond. Participants – people, ancestors, deities (Sun, Mother Earth, Jumis, Freya

etc.). Meaning – balance between giving - taking, generosity, fertility, prosperity,

sustainability, gratitude, blessing, togetherness, unity. Ritual activities - harvesting, singing, dancing, burning the fire, making the

amulets, cooking, eating, sacrificing, thanksgiving, donation with a purpose of promoting prosperpos and generous life.

Sources – collections of traditional culture materials, scientific articles and narratives of older people (Your family members or neighbours) or traditional culture specialists.

Your results – presentation about your findings and ideas, what you can teach to other participants about your traditional culture.

Good luck!



Attachment 3 ADITIONAL SEASONAL FESTIVITIES IN BALTIC AND

NORDIC CULTURES: SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES Program

Time Content Place Monda

y, 14.09 Framework of the week: Traditional seasonal celebrations as a

anifestation of cultural identity RTTEMA

09.45 - 10.00

Registration

10.00 - 10.15

Opening: Welcome in intensive course 2015! RTTEMA hall

10.15 - 10.45

Lecture: Autumn equinox tradition (time, space, participants, meanings, ritual) in Latvia. Dr. paed. Gunta SIliņa-Jasjukeviča, Dr.paed. Ilze Briška, RTTEMA

Room 308

10.45 - 11.15.

Lecture: Cultural sustainability: relationship between individual - society - nature – culture. Dr. Dzintra Iljiško, DU

Room 308

11.15 – 12.00

Discussion in groups (teachers’ group, too): What is important for the festivity? What does it mean to celebrate in ancient times and today? Is a party celebration?

Room 308

12.00 - 12.30

Lunch Canteen

12.30 – 13.30

Presentation of RTTEMA and Daugavpils University Room 308 13.30 –

14.00 Coffee break

14.00 – 15.00

Presentation of Bergen University college Assambley hall

15.00 – 15.40

Musical performance: traditional singing, traditional music instruments playing performance. Folk music group “Lata Donga”

Assambley hall

15.40 - 16.00

Feedback: written questionnaire. Emotional experience and rational, useful conclusions for the rest of the week.

How to prepare the Autumn equinox celebration? What is familiar, what – challenging?

Assambley hall

16.00 Enjoy Riga! Tuesda

y, 15.09 Theme: Autumn equinox celebration in Baltic and Nordic

cultures: similarities and differences. Sharing experiences about traditional seasonal celebration

RTTEMA

09.00 - 09.30

Warming up. Learning songs (about work, harvest, prosperity, earth, gratitude), proper games and dances, Trine Daviknes (Norway)

Gymnastic hall

09.30 - 12.00

Presentations/ workshops of participants about autumn equinox celebration in their traditional culture.

Room 308, 309

12.00 - 12.40

Lunch Canteen

12.40 Leaving for museum RTEEMA entrance

14.30 – 16.00

Visitation of the Open Air Museum. Outdoor education. Insight in museum-pedagogy Worksheet for integrate learning.

Open Air Museum



Dr. paed. Gunta SIliņa-Jasjukēviča, Dr.paed. Ilze Briška, RTTEMA

16.00 – 16.15

Feedback - questionnaire

Wednesday, 16.09

Autumn equinox celebration in Baltic and Nordic cultures: similarities and differences. Sharing experiences about traditional seasonal celebration

RTTEMA

09.00 - 09.30

Warming up. Learning songs (about work, harvest, prosperity, earth, gratitude), proper games and dances

Gymnastic hall

09.30 – 12.00

Presentations/ workshops of participants about autumn equinox celebration in their traditional culture.

Room 308, 309

9.30 – 10.30

University of Iceland

10.30 – 11.30

UCC/ Department of Teacher Education

11.30 – 12.30

Aarhus camp

12.30 – 13.00

Lunch Canteen

13.00 - 14.30

Planning of tomorrows festivity – responsibilities, choice of a group, materials needed, ordering a lunch for Thursday, etc.

Room 308

14.30 Enjoy Riga! Thursd

ay, 17.09 Workshop: preparation the attributes for the festivity. Joint

work. Farm as a center of traditional culture practice.

Valle (45 km from Riga)

12.00 Leaving for Valle Strēlnieku laukums

12.45 - 13.15

Lunch (picnic) Familiarization with a place of celebration. Farmstead “Upescel

miņi” 13.15 –

13.35 Warming up. Learning songs (about work, harvest, prosperity,

earth, gratitude), proper games and dances Farmstead

“Upescelmiņi ” 13.35 -

17.00

Parallel workshops: 1. Crafts. Traditional bakery: bread, buns, pies etc.

Preparation of ritual atributes: making ear crowns, grain amulets 2. Crafts. Wattle fence weaving. 3. Visual arts, technologies. Fire sculpture building. 4. Music. Creating the sound. Repeating the songs

(about work, harvest, prosperity, earth, gratitude), proper games and dances for celebration.

5. Music. Kokle workshop. 6. Social sciences. Preparing the house and yard,

decoration, serving the table, costumes, etc. Ideas from each partner’s home work.

Farmstead “Upescel

miņi”

17.00 - 20.00

Autumn Equinox celebration. Ritual and pleasure. Ritual of fire. The Songs and dances.

Farmstead “Upescelmiņi”

21.30 Return to Riga. Friday,

18.09 Reflection, evaluation of week RTTEMA

10.00 - 12.00

Individual reflection on experiences obtained in Intensive week.

Room 308



Discussion: • How are traditions/ ritual the part of history and of

contemporary culture/ my actual life? Oral evaluation, questionnaire.

• Similarities and differences in Nordic/ Baltic cultural traditions of The Autumn Equinox festivity? What do mean “generosity”, “harvest”, “gratitude”, “honoring of previous generations” for current Nordic/ Baltic cultures?

• Summary – thinking about and sharing the principles of effective teaching of cultural traditions and success un intensive week

12.00 - 12.30

Lunch Canteen

12.30 - 14.00

For teaching staff – teachers TEN meeting: plans for future RTTEMA

12.30 Enjoy Riga: old city, Wooden Riga, Art Nouveau museum etc.



Attachment 4 TRADITIONAL SEASONAL FESTIVITIES IN BALTIC AND

NORDIC CULTURES: SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES Program of celebration

Thursday, September 17

Time Content Place 12:00 Leaving to Valle Riga bus station 13:30 Arrival in Valle Farmhouse 13:35 Gathering near Lime tree circus –

song, ,,Lai bij’ vārdi, kam bij’ vārdi”, introduction, familiarization with a place of celebration

Lime tree circle at farmhouse

14:00 Lunch (taken from RTEEMA canteen)

farmhouse yard

14:20 Joint work –gathering potatoes (all participants)

Potatoes field

Time Paralel workshops Participants Place 14: 40 Music. Creating the sound.

Repeating the songs about work, harvest, prosperity, earth, gratitude, proper games and dances for celebration.

Workshop from 14:40-16.40 • Kokle workshop

(accompaniment to Latvian and Lithuanian songs);

• Marsh • Signal of celebration

begining, • Firesculpture burning

music • dances • games • table song

Garner house

Crafts. Wattle fence weaving • 1.group from 14:40-15:40 • 2.group from 15:40-16:40

1.group 2.group

Farmhouse yard

Crafts. Preparation of ritual atributes: making ear crowns, grain amulets, lunch on fire, ,etc

• 1.group from14:40-15:40 • 2.group from 15:40-16:40

1.group 2.group

Farmhouseyard

Visual arts, technologies. Fire sculpture building.

Workshop from 14:40-16.40

Farmhousemedow

16:40 Social sciences. Table decoration, serving the table (all participants).

Farmhouse yard



Time Autumn Equinox celebration. Ritual and pleasure. Ritual of fire. The Songs and dances.

Place

17:00 Beginning of celebration – musical signal, hosts worshiping (coronation),

Farmhouse yard

17:10 Ritual near oak tree – insight of Baltic autumn equinox traditions (cleaning the space with sound of dūcenis and burning juniper tree smoke, all known song ,,Rāmi lēnām” or other, all known lithuaninan song, sacrifice, fire ritual (grains, bread, wax, wool), gratitude to ancestors, (food sacrifice), all known game.

Farmhouse oak tree

17:35 Ritual near ash tree (Igdrasil) – Scandinavian traditions.

Performance

Farmhouse ash tree

18:00 Fire sculpture burning Music of fire (music group)

Farmhouse medow

18:20 Lunch – table song ,,Ai galdiņi, ai, galdiņi (Daugavpils university and other countries, degustation of food, lunch

19:15 Večerinka - games and dances at garner house– Stebere searching ritual, dances and games (all participants, folk group Grodi)

Garner house

20:00 Leaving to Riga



Attachment 5 Worksheet no 1 Is it Autumn or not yet?/ How do you know, that autumn has came? Walk around and be open and observant! What features of Summer did you meet? What features of Autumn did You meet?

I see an autumn….. I hear an autumn….. I touch an autumn… I smell an autumn…. I taste an autumn…. I feel an autumn….

What’s your conclusion? What knowledge of native/ foreign tangue did you need? What knowledge of math did you need? What knowledge of visual art did you need? What knowledge of natural science did you know? What knowledge of music did you know? How to help children experience autumn?


Mythology, culture and identity in the Nordic and Baltic countries Worksheet no 2

Institution, ___________

Your name, if You want_____________________

EXCURSION IN OPEN AIR MUSEUM, RIGA, TUESDAY, 15.09.2015.

1. Explore the boarders between different worlds in traditional farms and near location, draw or describe them:

a. Between familiar and other world (places, which are enlightened or dark, safe of dangerous, in centre or at the boarder);

b. Things, objects or places, which seems to have ritual meaning (ordinary or special things).

i. where the other world could be met (souls of grand-grand parents, death, spirits of water and earth, Jumis, Tusse, Huldra etc.);

ii. objects related to the upper world – Sun, God, Laima (fire, sighns, upside ... )

c. Between summer and autumn:

2. Look at Your materials gathered and reason: a. Which of them are familiar to you, which – alient; b. What are objects with equivalent meaning/ significance in current world;

3. Reflect!

Your knowing:

I was surprised, confused, interested in... I got to know... I realized... Your doing (skills, including observation, imagination, exploration, explanation, reasoning):

I can/ cannot to do... I learn to do... I managed... Your being:

I felt... I appreciated... It was importent for me... I am...

4. Mark, which questuins of reflection are the most essential for you?



Attachment 6

TEN network meeting in RIGA 2015

Friday September 18th 2015, 12.30 – 14.00 Riga Teacher Training and Management Academy, Room 308.

Agenda

Chair of the meeting: Network coordinator Torunn Bakken Hauge Reporter: 1.The TEN network 2015 – 16 - STATUS .

a. The 2015 application, result, and contract for 2015-2016. b. Status mobility teacher and student exchange 2015-16 c. Status project 2011 – 15.

2. Reporting the Intensive course and meeting in Riga 2015.

a. Teachers reporting: Of the course (for mobility grant 2014 – 1 A 4 page) to their own partner representative and to Torunn Bakken Hauge.

b. Student reporting: 1.Of the course (hopefully several pages) and 2.financial report to their own partner representative

c. Course leaders (Riga) reporting: 1. The (official) report of the course and 2 financial report to Torunn.

d. The other partner representatives: Financial reports (summing up all students + couple teachers who have not mobility grant + self contribution and work hours) to Torunn.

Deadline for all: October 15th 2015

3. Application TEN 2016 . Framework and deadlines.

a. Procedure application for mobility grants. b. Ideas for new project? c. A project committee to plan a new 3 year project? d. Procedure application for project.

Deadline for a new project description (by/ committee): December 15th , 2015.

REFERENCES /DOCUMENTS TEN –homepage: http://www.hib.no/en/realations/partners/international-

relations/teacher-education-network/ Nordplus homepage : http://www.nordplusonline.org/Who-can-apply/Nordplus-Higher-

Education Here you will find: Nordplus Handbook 2015. Read the pages with General criteria and

Nordplus Higher Education.

http://www.hib.no/en/realations/partners/international-relations/teacher-education-network/

http://www.hib.no/en/realations/partners/international-relations/teacher-education-network/

http://www.nordplusonline.org/Who-can-apply/Nordplus-Higher-Education

http://www.nordplusonline.org/Who-can-apply/Nordplus-Higher-Education



Attachment 7

INTENSIVE COURSE 2015 – EVALUATION

Name ……………………………………….… Age………………. Country……………

Study program……………………………………………………………………………………….

Questions (please write on the back side if there is too little space!):

1. How has your general experience been during the intensive course in Riga?

2. What has been a) highlight of the week? b) the surprise of the week? c) the frustration of the week?

3. What do you think about course content and working methods of the week?

4. What do you think of the organization of the course? Preparation, information, directions, time-schedule, etc…

5. What has been the most valuable experience or most significant learning outcome?

6. What do you think about your own participation?

Other comments?

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with un so that we can learn!

Gunta, Ilze and Torunn



Attachment 8

Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy

TEN Teacher Education Network

Intensive Nordplus course Riga, Latvia, September 14 – 18, 2015

TRADITIONAL SEASONAL FESTIVITIES IN BALTIC AND NORDIC

CULTURES: SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

Participation certificate ………………………………………………… has completed the TEN Intensive course

2015 successfully, participating actively in the in the course and the creative process and is credited with 3 ECTS points.

……………………… …………………………….

………………………… course organizer course organizer course

organizer TEN coordinator

Documents

REPORT INTENSIVE COURSE 2015 Riga Teacher Training and ... · Teacher Education Network-2015, Project ID: NPHE-2015/10077 Mythology, culture and identity in the Nordic and Baltic