Following in the footsteps of mice: immersion, learning and journeys in search of the legend of Hamelin (Germany)

Abstract

In the article the author presents his research on fairy tales from an aesthetic, poetic and investigative immersion in the city of Hamelin (Germany), scene of the famous legend "The Pied Piper of Hamelin". From the learning of the wanderings through the small town, the researcher merges with his own research on the universal fairy tales, guided by the irresistible melody of curiosity and personal discoveries. It examines the meaning of the "fatum" or fate in the universal tales and from the legend of Hamelin, presents the main characteristics of the universal tales that sustain the mystery of its origins and its immortality, always renewing itself and illuminating the restlessness of contemporaneity. The author illustrates the article with photographs, log book, map and notes – witnesses of these wanderings and their own anxieties and transformations, and finally reveals the learning of this traveler-researcher. The meaning of the journey is revealed between departure and arrival, much more in the inquiries and encounters experienced than in the answers found.