THE WISE FOOL CONFERENCE AND A STORY TELLING FESTIVAL

University of Malta

(founded 1592)

The First International Conference

on

the Wise Fool

DECEMBER 07-10, 2006

and

The First International MALTA Story Telling Festival

in Malta

DECEMBER 11-13, 2006

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

THE EnzyklopÄdie des MÄrchens

at

the Academy of Sciences, GÖttingen,

the European Commission Representation in Malta,

the Austrian Embassy in Malta, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Malta, Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Malta

and

UNIVERSITY OF MALTA JUNIOR COLLEGE

MSIDA MALTA

OFFICIAL SPONSORS:      Middlesea Insurance Ltd; The Malta Council for Culture and the Arts; The Ministry of Education; St James Cavalier, Valletta; Farsons Foundation; Publishers Enterprises Group (PEG) Ltd; and Park Hotel, Sliema; Air Malta.

Dear Colleague,

We are very pleased at the good number of scholars who have signed their intention to participate in our Wise Fool Conference. Consequently we are extending the deadline to 31 July 2006 for all those who would like to send their application.

On behalf of the Department of Maltese, Malta University Junior College, the Enzyklopädie des Märchens at the Academy of Sciences, Göttingen, the European Commission Representation in Malta, the Austrian Embassy in Malta, and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Malta, we have the honour to invite you to Malta for the  First International Folk Narrative Conference on “The Wise Fool in Narrative Cultures’’ and the First International Malta Story Telling Festival with the participation of international story tellers.

Theme of the Conference: “The Wise Fool in Narrative Cultures’’

Why the Wise Fool?

The trickster is one of the most complex figures in international folk narrative culture. On the one hand he incorporates as culture promoter and founder the traits of a hero; on the other hand, in his role as rogue and trouble maker he incorporates those of an opponent and disturber of existing order. He can appear alone but he is often the alter ego of the real hero and helps the latter to endow himself with extremely positive characteristics, because the trickster attracts upon himself all that is ambivalent or negative. By means of these characteristics, the trickster is an extremely dynamic figure, who – even though in his different characteristic peculiarities – appears in the popular lore of all peoples or regions independently of time and geographical factors.

This conference intends to focus on the phenomenon of the trickster in the Mediterranean area and elsewhere. Thus the interested geographical areas include, on the one hand the southern European countries, on the other the Islamic regions of the eastern and southern Mediterranean areas. It is the aim of the conference to examine the regional different peculiarities of the trickster figures, as well as to discuss possible connections, overlaps and completely different conceptualisations of the same. Special emphasis will be given to the transnational character of trickster culture, i.e. if one can define this culture independently from regional, national, continental and such like decisive frontiers. During the conference emphasis will also be placed on discussion of the contribution of folklore and its central characters to a European consciousness.

Because of its geographical position, there is no place in Europe better than Malta for the holding of such a conference.

The reasons for choosing Malta as venue for these international events are various, but the main ones are that 2006-2007 mark  

• the centenary of the beginning of the scientific study of the Maltese narrative;

• the centenary of the first publications of Maltese folktales and other narratives by Prof. Luigi Bonelli of the Istituto Universitario Orientale of Naples, Prof. Hans Stumme of the University of Leipzig and Bertha Koessler-Ilg;

• the one hundredth anniversary of the death of Manwel Magri, the father of Maltese folklore scholarship and the one who has collected the largest number of Maltese texts in Maltese;

• the ninetieth anniversary of the death of Xand Cortis, another Maltese scholar who collected over eighty anecdotes, a good number of which focus on wise fools;

• the fortieth anniversary of the last publication of Maltese folktale texts.

Moreover, Malta became an EU-Member two years ago and we need closer contact to the European countries, especially folktale research as well as narrators. An international conference on the chosen theme and an international story telling festival have never been organized in Malta. All levels of Maltese society will be involved in the festival, with the main focus being on the younger generations. Story telling will not involve reading of stories but telling improvised and dramatized narratives from the respective cultures in one’s own language and in translation. Students would also find an opportune situation where to practise foreign languages in a proper environment. In December 2005 a mini-story telling festival was organized for students and adults with the full support of the American Embassy in Malta and the Ministry of Education and it has been a full success.

Malta is a small country with a diversity of narratives. The conference will be held in the Malta University Junior College, Msida, only a few kilometres away from Valletta. The Story Telling Festival will be held for students and the general public in Valletta. Malta is accessible by air and sea.

For further information on Malta please refer to: http://www.visitmalta.com/en/about_us/

Call for papers

Proposals are invited from around the world for contributions to the Conference. If you are interested, please send us a single-page proposal including an outline of your paper (30 min.), and the following details not later than June 23, 2006: name (with your family name in capital letters), affiliation, postal address, e-mail address, phone and fax numbers. Proposals (and subsequently papers) must be written in English. The Conference Committee reserves the right to decline proposed papers which do not fit the theme of the conference. One can, of course, come to Malta without giving a paper. The Conference Committee will confirm acceptance or rejection of your proposal by 8 August, 2006. The Conference Committee will ask you to update your abstract, if necessary, closer to the conference. We are doing our best to find sponsors to support the publication of the proceedings of the Conference.

The number of participants is limited. So, please let us know quickly if you wish to attend. The language of the conference is English. 

Latest

Whoever intends to deliver a paper has to send in his abstract not later that 31 July (p. 3). Please send in your application form duely filled with your deposit at your earliest (see p. 12). You should also contact immediately Park Hotel for your reduced accommodation fees (p. 7) and Air Malta (see pp. 7-9) to benefit from reduced prices.  

Programme

Thursday 07 December, Friday 08 December, Saturday 09 December and Sunday 10 December will be devoted to presentations. Friday 08 in the afternoon and evening will be dedicated to a cultural tour (subject to modification).

Social Programme

Malta's prehistoric temples

Mnajdra Temples

© Heritage Malta

Mnajdra lies tucked in a hollow in the cliffs on Malta’s southern coast. The site is probably the most atmospheric of all Malta’s temples. It lies in an isolated position on a rugged stretch of coast overlooking the isle of Fifla and just 600m from another principle temple site, Ħaġar Qim.

Mnajdra is a complex site consisting of three temples overlooking an oval forecourt. The first and oldest temple is a simple trefoil of the Ġgantija phase (3600-3100 BC). The most impressive of the Mnajdra temples is the third, with its largely intact façade and bench constructed in the early Tarxien phase. This temple is perhaps the finest surviving on the Islands.

The masonry shows intricate knowledge of building techniques and excellent workmanship. The concave, corbelled form of the walls indicates the possibility of some sort of domed structure as roof. The spiral carvings and decorated, pitted slabs give an exceptional aspect to this remarkable site. Most dramatic is the porthole niche to the left, framed in its trilithon and two strangely tapered orthostats on either side. All are ornamented with the dotted pattern typical of Malta’s temple decoration.

The middle temple was the last one to be built and dates to after 3100 BC. It was inserted between the other two, and set at a higher level on a sort of terrace. Today, it is mostly modern reconstruction. Its apses have walls of orthostatic slabs of modest height, topped by horizontal courses, all of Globigerina limestone quarried from the hill above. Of particular note is the engraving of a temple facade on the first taller orthostat to the left of the passage leading to the inner apses.

The ruins of Mnajdra yielded valuable relics – stone and clay statuettes, shell and stone ornaments, flint tools and decorated earthenware. The lack of any metal objects here and at other similar temples is evidence of its Neolithic origin.

A fascinating aspect of Mnajdra is its apparent relationship and orientation to seasonal astronomical phenomena, particularly its alignment to the equinox. Sunrise on the first day of the four seasons enters the southern temple of Mnajdra and lights up its interior. On the equinox days, sunlight not only enters the temple but its beam also lights up the temple’s main axis.

Ħaġar Qim Temples

© Heritage Malta

The temple of Ħaġar Qim, excavated for the first time in 1839, dates from the Tarxien phase (c. 3200-2500 BC). It stands on a hilltop overlooking the sea and the islet of Fifla and lies some 2 km south-west of the village of Qrendi. Much of interest has been unearthed, notably a decorated pillar altar, two table-altars and some of the “fat lady” statues on display in the National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta.

Ħaġar Qim itself consists of a single temple unit. However, it is not clear if it was constructed as a four- or five-apse structure. Another aspect of Ħaġar Qim is the small, three-apse structure near the temple which may have been the quarters of the temple’s priest or shaman. Other temple ruins stand a few metres away from the main temple.

The forecourt and façade follow the pattern typical of temples across the Islands. Particularly noteworthy are the larger orthostats at the corners, which are notched to take the second of the horizontal courses above. Apart from the replacement of a few original blocks which fell, such as the lintel over the main doorway, no restoration has been done.

Beyond the first pair of apses, the temple interior is more firmly screened off than is usual at other temple sites. Visual access seems to have been limited to porthole slabs. The only decorations at this point are a single, displaced sill stone bearing a pair of opposing spirals like those of Tarxien Temple, and the most attractive of all free-standing altars discovered at temple sites.

Through the next doorway, the right-hand apse has a curious setting of low orthostats forming a sort of pan as if intended for the corralling of animals. The left-hand side apse has a high trilithon altar on its left and three on pillar altars, two on the right with another in a small chamber behind. Less an apse than a passage, this gives access to one of the additional chambers. It consists of part of a temple unit, a central court, niche and right apse, tacked closely against the main temple. A low standing pillar stands at the end of the apse. A more complete unit – entrance, court, niche, and one pair of apses, lies to the north, and two simple oval chambers to the west.

In the external enclosing wall, the first orthostat behind the right-hand corner of the façade is one of the largest of any temple. Standing at 6.4m long, it is estimated to weigh close to 20 tonnes. The upright menhir stands 5.2m high.

Our tours to these temples are partially sponsored by Heritage Malta and the total cost (including guide and transport) is 8 Euro. The cost for dinner at Ħaġar Qim Restaurant is 8 Euro.  

The Story Telling Festival

As this festival intends to focus on European folk narrative, various professional narrators from European countries have been invited to participate. Entrance is free and scholars participating in the Wise Fool Conference, students and the general public are invited to attend. Further details will be published in due course.

Accommodation

Park Hotel, a four star hotel in Sliema, is one of our sponsors and is offering a 40% discount on all accommodation prices to all participants:

• single rooms at Lm12.50 instead of Lm19.50

• twin room at Lm8.50 instead of Lm12.50 per person per night

These rates, net to hotel and including buffet breakfast and all local taxes, are valid for the conference and story telling festival, i.e. from 7^th to 13^th December 2006. If any participant wants to confirm he will have to contact Park Hotel (e-mail address: info@parkhotel.com.mt, attention Ms Annabelle Massa-Trapani) and pay a 25% non- refundable deposit to confirm the booking. For all the bookings reference “Wise Fool” has to be quoted. Any one who books half board pays Lm3.75 instead of the usual Lm4.75 if booked in advanced. All bookings have to be confirmed by 31^st August.

Flight discounts

As the Official Carrier for these two cultural events Air Malta is offering special discounted rates applicable on Air Malta point-to-point scheduled routes available to all participants and accompanying partners through Air Malta offices.

To benefit from this arrangement, you may either contact any of Air Malta’s  Outstation offices or book online to make your flight reservations.

Participants who wish to book online, can access http://www.airmalta.com/conferences and log into Air Malta’s booking engine with a pre-defined login name and password to avail themselves of the  discounts.

The following login name and password will be required -

Login – story

Password - story

Participants who prefer to contact Air Malta outstation offices are to advise our staff that they will be participating in the above mentioned events. On making their reservation you will be informed the payable amount to cover flight costs and taxes.

AIRMALTA OUTSTATION CONTACT DETAILS

Important Notes on Air Travel

• The above lists Air Malta major overseas offices / General Sales Agents

• NB - no direct services out of Australia - Canada - USA

• Certain routes operate on specific peak periods only

• Latest schedule updates can be located on - www.airmalta.com

• Certain offices may request a service charge or commission

Transport

To make things easier for all participants and to respect our conference programme we have organized a transport system from Park Hotel direct to the Conference Centre at the University Junior College and back and to Valletta where the Opening Session will take place on Thursday and to the Prehistoric Temples on Friday, all at the cheap price of 40 Euro. Consider that one taxi trip in Malta costs a minimum of 20 Euro! We ardently ask all participants to use this system to help us run our conference with as few logistic problems as possible.

Please address all applications and requests for information in relation to the Conference and the Festival to:

Dr George Mifsud-Chircop

University of Malta Junior College

Pjazza Ġużè Debono

Msida MSD 10
Malta G.C. (Europe)

Tel.: 00356-21431654

Fax: 0035621433482

e-mails: george.mifsud-chircop@um.edu.mt; mifchir@onvol.net  

Registration Form

Please send this completed registration form to:

Dr George Mifsud-Chircop

93 “Fommu bil-Għasel”

Triq il-Bufula Ħamra

Il-Mosta, MST 02

Malta G.C. (Europe)

Forms should reach the above address by 23 August, 2006.

Note. Kindly fill in and mark with a cross where applicable.

Title: Professor/Dr/Mr/Mrs/Rev.

First name: ...............................       Surname: .............................................................

I am presenting a paper. Yes/No.

Title of paper:

A – Conference Fee deposit: 80 Euros.

B – Audiovisual material required – please, specify.

C – Social Programme

Mid-day cold buffet on Saturday and Sunday 09-10 December, 2006:

12 Euro per day (12 Euro x 2)                                              =          24.0 Euro

(Please specify your dietary preferences.)

Friday 08 December. Lunch at Ħaġar Qim Restaurant                  =          08.0 Euro

(Please specify your dietary preferences.)

Friday 08 December. Malta Prehistoric Temples

guided tour including transport                                           =          08.0 Euro

Saturday 09 December. Conference banquet. No charge.

(Please specify your dietary preferences.)

D – Transport                                                                                  =          40.0 Euro

D – Payment

Total, including 80 Euro conference fee

and an extra 1% for bank charges:                                              ............. Euro

The Organizing Committee would like to point out that it will only accept payment by bank transfer, thus prospective participant’s bank is to instruct its overseas correspondent to credit the relevant foreign currency amount directly to our account.

Please send your money to

Mr Saviour Seisun

Sort code: 44738

IBAN: MT54MMEB44738000000073003337051

Bank's address:

HSBC Bank Malta PLC

Bugibba

Malta G.C. (Europe)

Tel. 00356-21582504

Mr Seisun’s personal address:

Att. Department of Maltese

University of Malta Junior College

Pjazza Ġużè Debono

Msida MSD 10           
Malta G.C. (Europe)

Participants will be asked to pay a deposit of 80 Euro and the remaining sum during the Conference.

The Organizing Committee would like to remind participants that we are doing our utmost to keep costs to a minimum.

Thank you for interest. I look forward to welcoming you to Malta for the Conference.

Please address all requests for information in relation to the conference to:

Dr George Mifsud-Chircop

University of Malta Junior College

Pjazza Ġużè Debono

Msida MSD 10           
Malta G.C. (Europe)

Tel.: 00356-21431654

Fax.: 00356-21433482

e-mails: george.mifsud-chircop@um.edu.mt; mifchir@onvol.net