2016-02-26
“The universality of traditional tales of the Portuguese speaking countries” by writer M. Margarida Pereira-Müller [Conference]
On March 4, at 15:00, at the Portuguese Langauge Center at TSU (Building II, room 203), writer M. Margarida Pereira-Müller will present a conference about the universality of traditional tales from Portuguese speaking countries.
Throughout the ages, the traditional tale has been the vehicle used for transmitting the culture from generation to generation – the memory of a community. Since the beginning of mankind there have always been tales in all countries and in all cultures of the world. Many of the traditional stories we think are Portuguese or European are to be found as well in other parts of the world, told in a very similar way. Sometimes the only difference is the physical frame: the landscape, the flora and the fauna, how people dress or eat.
Most of these tales have animals as main characters that are always inserted in a social context, thus portraying life itself with its intrigues, ambitions, generosity, violence, and justice. They were used to explain the origin of habits and customs, natural phenomena and to teach fundamental concepts in human relations, as, for example, what is good and what is evil.
Many of these tales end with a proverb. As we know, the proverbs translate the generalization ability, and help to achieve pedagogic goals of the community. Both, traditional tales and proverbs reflect the universality of the teachings, having both an educational role in society. The tales feature moral, universal truths that are also expressed in proverbs.
M. MARGARIDA PEREIRA-MÜLLER
Born in Portalegre of an army officer and a Post Office employee M. Margarida Pereira-Müller travelled through the whole country and received influences from Portuguese-speaking African countries. After high school at a boarding school, Instituto de Odivelas, and a degree in Anglo-American-German Philology from the University of Lisbon, she went to Germany for post-graduation course as scientific documentalist at the Lehrinstitut für Dokumentation in Frankfurt am Main. She spent a few years in Germany working as a Portuguese teacher at different universities and technical high schools as a foreign correspondent for different Portuguese publications. She returned to Portugal, kept on working as a journalist (marketing and travel), press consultant, translator and writer. With a new post-graduation course in “Publication and Electronic Edition” of the Catholic University of Lisbon, she increased her writing time. She has over two dozen published books, primarily in the area of tales and gastronomy, and more than four dozen of published translations.
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This event is part of a second edition of the series of Conferences/Workshops in English titled “Portuguese and Brazilian Culture for Beginners”, taking place throughout the present academic year at the Portuguese Language Center at TSU and is open to anyone who wishes to know a bit more about Portugal and Brazil’s traditions, music, literature, society, cultural heritage, etc..
To keep updated on the various conferences/workshops to come, check the Portuguese at TSU facebook page regularly (facebook.com/portugueseattsu)
If you wish to secure your place or want to learn more, send an e-mail to vera.peixoto@tsu.ge
Throughout the ages, the traditional tale has been the vehicle used for transmitting the culture from generation to generation – the memory of a community. Since the beginning of mankind there have always been tales in all countries and in all cultures of the world. Many of the traditional stories we think are Portuguese or European are to be found as well in other parts of the world, told in a very similar way. Sometimes the only difference is the physical frame: the landscape, the flora and the fauna, how people dress or eat.
Most of these tales have animals as main characters that are always inserted in a social context, thus portraying life itself with its intrigues, ambitions, generosity, violence, and justice. They were used to explain the origin of habits and customs, natural phenomena and to teach fundamental concepts in human relations, as, for example, what is good and what is evil.
Many of these tales end with a proverb. As we know, the proverbs translate the generalization ability, and help to achieve pedagogic goals of the community. Both, traditional tales and proverbs reflect the universality of the teachings, having both an educational role in society. The tales feature moral, universal truths that are also expressed in proverbs.
M. MARGARIDA PEREIRA-MÜLLER
Born in Portalegre of an army officer and a Post Office employee M. Margarida Pereira-Müller travelled through the whole country and received influences from Portuguese-speaking African countries. After high school at a boarding school, Instituto de Odivelas, and a degree in Anglo-American-German Philology from the University of Lisbon, she went to Germany for post-graduation course as scientific documentalist at the Lehrinstitut für Dokumentation in Frankfurt am Main. She spent a few years in Germany working as a Portuguese teacher at different universities and technical high schools as a foreign correspondent for different Portuguese publications. She returned to Portugal, kept on working as a journalist (marketing and travel), press consultant, translator and writer. With a new post-graduation course in “Publication and Electronic Edition” of the Catholic University of Lisbon, she increased her writing time. She has over two dozen published books, primarily in the area of tales and gastronomy, and more than four dozen of published translations.
***
This event is part of a second edition of the series of Conferences/Workshops in English titled “Portuguese and Brazilian Culture for Beginners”, taking place throughout the present academic year at the Portuguese Language Center at TSU and is open to anyone who wishes to know a bit more about Portugal and Brazil’s traditions, music, literature, society, cultural heritage, etc..
To keep updated on the various conferences/workshops to come, check the Portuguese at TSU facebook page regularly (facebook.com/portugueseattsu)
If you wish to secure your place or want to learn more, send an e-mail to vera.peixoto@tsu.ge
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