Free resources included in this post.
Fairy tales know what you have forgotten.
The need to remember our connection with the land we call home becomes more and more important at a time in history where almost everything is displaced and disconnected.
Even when we live in the same place for decades we forget the names of the flowers and trees around us, how our food is sourced from the earth and the sea, and what our place in the natural environment is.
In this research and community project, we return to Malta’s indigenous ħrejjef (folk and fairy tales) to rediscover the folk characters, flora and fauna of these Mediterranean islands. To our delight, we meet Sansuna, a quiet giantess whose relationship with 9 year old Toninu is problematic until Katarin, his younger sister, steps in to save the day.
At the heart of this story is a carob tree, one of the oldest trees in the region.
Did you know that carob trees can live over 1000 years? Can you hear the resonance between the word carob and carat – the measure of gold? The two are closely connected because in olden times the weight of gold was established in comparison to the weight of the carob pods.
What happens in this story when gold is valued more than carob pods?
Enjoy our resource pack, available below for free, and look out for the forthcoming release of our audio version of this story.
NB. This is an ideal teacher resource to use in class during English, Geography or PSCD lessons (7+) or even at home during family time.
Buy your tickets to hear the story told live http://www.ziguzajg.org/
This project is commissioned by ŻiguŻajg International Arts Festival for Children and Young People and supported by the Malta Arts Fund.