The Wisdom Web is dedicated to the intercultural art of living.
At its core are values of inclusion of different cultures and the beauty of being different.
At the Wisdom Web, wisdom from all over the world is collected and presented in a special symbolic way.
In this sense, collecting, arranging, developing and presenting — via the Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living — takes place in a very unique way, emphatically distinguished and handled differently than, for example, Wikipedia and other (open source) encyclopedias do.
In doing so, the QfWf wants to contribute to intercultural connections based on the realization that these:
grow through awareness of the historical roots of cultures,
thrive on interest in other cultures and wisdom traditions and
bear fruit through encounters and cross-cultural perspectives.
The Wisdom Web continues to grow organically, with a rich palette of philosophical, artistic and spiritual expression and reflections, which concretize the Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living.
This is accomplished thanks to the input of various QfWf-authors[1]
update 2022-07
[1] QfWf authors are authors, actors, artists, designers, drafters, photographers, illustrators, video and film makers and other producers of text, images, sound, and stakeholders who make the texts and other materials available to a QfWf-site have made.
The Animal Wisdom Collection aims to unlock cosmopolitan and ecological wisdom from cultural traditions worldwide. It consists of an intercultural storytelling programme, developed from the artistic and philsophical presentations on this theme at the Meeting Days 2019-2021 and the QfWf-project for the development of a digital intercultural lesson on fables worldwide and the website Animal Wisdom, honoured by the Fund Zuidoost i.c.w. Prince Bernard Culture Fund. The aim of the Animal Wisdom Programme is to show the beauty of cultural diversity of animal stories from all corners of the world on the one hand and, on the other hand, the cultures uniting cosmopolitan and ecological values expressed in the fables. Developing the ‘elemental’ wisdom that transcends the boundaries of cultures is the focus of this series of (e)books.
Caribean stories on Nanzi the Spider – Mirelva Romano
The natural power that animals embody — attributed to animals in fairy tales, legends, myths, and other stories — show this elemental wisdom known to cultures worldwide. It is a symbolic form of wisdom, holding up a mirror to humans on how to shape the good life in the cosmopolis. These cultures transcending values in stories offer a perspective beyond value relativism and power politics by mono-cultural, polarizing and oppressive ideologies on the world stage.
QfWf-Authors and artists have collected animal wisdom stories worldwide from various genres. They have processed these stories in new and appealing and artistic forms. In doing so, they introduce readers both to cross-cultural wisdom in a variety of genres as well as to stories (traditions) from specific cultural regions.
Heidi Muijen and Greg Suffanti
EN, 2022
ISBN: 978 94 921 27 105 177 pages, pdf Purchase: Wisdom of Animals
This e-book explains the QFWF storytelling program.
It unlocks the philosophy behind the Intercultural Wheel of Animal Wisdom.
This e-book contains 20 animal stories from four cultures: Snake, Salmon, Raven, Lion and other (mythical) animals are always highlighted from the North, South, East and West.
Sninniq Wild Woman – story of the indigenous Northern American people – Greg Suffanti
In all the stories, original works by visual artists — Caroline Young, Chrisje Ronde, Greg Suffanti, Louis Van Marissing, Nour Kayali, Robin Stemerding and Veronica HuisintVeld — express the wisdom that these animals embody. Just like the photos by Adri de Groot, Gea Smit, Heidi Muijen, Johann Gomes, Joke Koppius, Laurens Gomes, Maike Stegeman, Marie-Claire Marx, Miny Verberne and Moniek Steggerda.
Due to the appealing stories and artistic forms, this animal wisdom drawn from all over the world, feeds the soul very directly – even without having to decipher the symbolism – and in addition, reflections by Dr. Heidi Muijen on all stories provides food for reflection on how animals as strange birds, smart foxes and courageous lions can develop ‘global citizenship’.
This book is available in a Dutch version and in an English version
Buddha as an Animal
Greg Suffanti
EN, 2022
ISBN: 978 94 921 27 075 61 pages, pdf Purchase: Buddha as an Animal
The third eBook is Buddha as an Animal, as Originally Told in the Jatakamala by Arya Shura, and features classic Buddhist stories retold by Greg Suffanti. Several stories are in poetic form and one can be heard as a rapversie!
It is sung how the Bodhisattva, reborn as Dhritarashtra, king of the geese, spread the wondrous Dharma….
Read how a woodpecker, rabbit, buffalo, elephant and other wise animals from the east also embody Buddhist virtues!
In addition, Greg has illustrated the stories with his watercolours.
This e-book contains all of the stories from the Mahayana Buddhist Jatakamala Narratives in which Buddha is represented as an animal.
InEnglish
Caught in the Cosmic Web — Ghanaian Folk Tales in the Twenty-First Century
Kofi Dorvlo and Louise Müller
EN, Akan/Twi, and Ewe, 2022
ISBN: 978 94 921 27 112 130 pages, pdf Purchase: Caught in the Cosmic Web
and
Gevangen in het Kosmische Web — Ghanese Volksverhalen in de 21e Eeuw
Heid Muijen and Johann Gomes
NL, Ewe en standard Akan/ Twi, 2022
ISBN: 978 94 921 27 028 circa 140 pages, pdf Purchase: Gevangen in het Kosmische Web
Ghanaian stories about the spider Anansi and other African animals. Twenty Animal stories straight from the modern oral tradition, put in writing for the first time by Dr. Kofi Dorvlo… can be found in the 4th and 5th e-book! With an introduction by Dr. Louise Müller. Josee Tesser’s cheerful illustrations bring the old Ghanaian stories to life for today’s readers with her refreshing and artistic interpretations.
As experts in African Studies, Louise Müller and Kofi Dorvlo shed light on how the spider Anansi, when encountering other animals, demonstrates both his wit and criticism of the greed, stupidity and arrogance found in human society.
Two trilingual e-books:
English, standard Akan/Twi and Ewe — and
Dutch, standard Akan/Twi and Ewe.
Jewels of Indian Folklore ― Blurring and Blending of Cultures
Nivedita Yohanna and Greg Suffanti
EN, 2022
ISBN: 978 94 921 27 136 173 pages, pdf Purchase: Jewels of Indian Folklore
The sixth eBook contains 20 traditional Indian stories: some are retellings by Dr. Nivedita Yohana and Greg Suffanti of stories from, among others, the classic Panchatantra — from the ancient Hindu Vedic tradition.
In addition, Nivedita and Greg, inspired by this old storytelling tradition, have created a number of original stories themselves. Enjoy the timeless wisdom, which is reflected in the coexistence of animals, with difficult confrontations between a jackal and tiger, the servitude of the camel, the arrogance of the young tiger and the witticisms of a monkey. Each ‘moral of the story’ has been brought to the fore with practical and fun exercises for students and reflections on the virtues that the animals represent.
Together, the authors illuminate the meaning of these stories and their roots in the Vedic tradition.
Nour Kayali’s original drawings and oil paintings and Greg’s watercolors depict the mythical wisdom of these animal tales.
In English.
Madagaskar, Land van Orale Cultuur, Lemuren en Kameleons
It was English and Norwegian missionaries who were the first to record their folktales, before Madagascar became a French colony in 1895. In few similar countries was there such a wealth of oral tradition in all its forms.
Dr. Marcel Reyners takes us along in the 7th e-book to a series of Malagasy animal stories. Such as the story of the healing of the king’s only daughter, which provides a fascinating explanation of why the locust serves as food for the chameleon.
Illustrated with animal and embroidery pictures by Malagasy women, and with original illustrations by Mirelva Romano and watercolours by Greg Suffanti.
In Dutch.
Purchase of Educative Materials
One hundred percent of the money raised by the sale of all of the products will be used in realising our upcoming QfWf educational projects, all of which are non-profit and run by volunteers.
The QfWf Wisdom Collection was born from the wisdom of wildhaired QfWf authors, who open up the richness of cultures worldwide with stories, music, visual arts, philosophical and spiritual traditions to a wide readership in their own way. They show wisdom from North, South, East and West in breadth, in multifaceted and artistic forms. Collections that go into more depth and highlight specific artistic wisdom from cultural traditions will also appear in the QfWf Wisdom Collection.
These (e)books are published in the Dutch and/or English language; and sometimes multilingual. The proceeds of these (e)books will entirely benefit this programme and upcoming QfWf projects. We hope for a wide and interested audience for this entire varied series.
The first three books in the QfWf Wisdom Collection will be published in a physical form, partly due to a grant awarded in 2023 by the Cultural Participation Fund for the ‘QfWf Global Citizenship from the Street program’.
The fourth and next publications in the series are all ebooks (pdf).
The series opens with Amor Fati: Spelende wijsheid voor de kosmopolis in which Heidi Muijen explores the question of global citizenship through the Wheel of the Intercultural Art of Living. The book thus highlights both the vision of the Quest for Wisdom foundation and the background for the board game of the same name developed by her, which addresses mythical-philosophical symbolism from the four corners of the world. A Greg Suffanti telling about his aquarelles for Amor Fati
series of watercolours, Chinese brush paintings, drawings and collages by Greg Suffanti, Agnes Roothaan, Louis van Marissing, Annelie van Steenbergen, Caroline Young, Nour Kayali, Klaske Rehorst, Josee Tesser, Elin Maljaars, Maya Plas & Mitra Muijen depict intercultural themes as a common thread throughout the book. (NL, EN, 2024, ISBN 978 90 441 3970 9)
The second book (Post)Koloniale wa(a)r(d)en by Fred de Haas contains layered reflections on (post)colonial history: the author mirrors the Caribbean and Meso-American identity in poetry and literature, also with poems written by his own hand. Josee Tesser has enlivened this charged history with portraits of poets and historical figures in striking and humorous black-and-white drawings. In addition, the approximately 100 clickable links to musical interpretations bring the intercultural identities of Central and South American peoples into experience. (NL, 2025, ISBN 978 90 441 3973 0)
The editoral board of the third book Amor Mundi — Heidi Muijen, Klaske Rehorst en Robin Stemerding — documents the QfWf project ‘World Citizenship of the Street’ with art, poetry, images, raps, intercultural and philosophical reflections of the Quest for Wisdom Soul Circle how the world dream of the cosmopolis is developed into artistic forms for current contexts. (NL, EN, 2024. ISBN 978-94-92-127-198)
Hans van Rappard expertly explains the fascinating Chinese and European wisdom traditions in an intercultural-philosophical manner in e-book 4, Walking Two Roads, Accord and Separation in Chinese and Western Thought (EN. 2023. ISBN 978-94-92-127-204)
In e-book 5 Russische Zigeunerromances, Fred de Haas opens up a hitherto little-exposed genre of Gypsy Romances with its rich intercultural and historical sources. The (90!) clickable links to beautiful old and newer renditions, including the musical renditions of Fred de Haas (guitar and vocals) and Ralph Kreuter (balalaika), are surprising. (NL, RU, 2023. ISBN 978-94-92-127-211)
In e-book 6 Middeleeuwse chirurgie in woord en beeld, Marcel Reyners makes this invaluable combinations of the drawings of Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu (1385–1468) with the text of ‘The Method of Medicine’ of Albucasis (936–1013). about illuminated medieval surgery available to a broad Dutch-speaking audience – drawing on his years of life, travel and work experience with his richly flowing and literary pen. (NL. 2023, ISBN 978-94-92-127-228)
E-book 7, Ik ben iemand die intens leefde… — Bloemlezing: gedichten en illustraties by Marianne H.B. van Halewijn contains a large collection of poems and digitised mandalas bequeathed by the author to the Quest for Wisdom foundation. This colourful anthology expresses an intensely felt cosmic connection. (NL, 2024, ISBN 978 94 92 127 174)
E-book 8, Knipoogjes: Korte en luchtige tijdreisjes in gezelschap van Henry Bergson, consists of columns in which essential issues are light-heartedly addressed by philosopher Rosalie de Wildt. The illustrations, watercolours by Greg Suffanti, add a humorous, colourful and intercultural layer to Rosalie’s philosophical outings. (NL, 2024, ISBN 978 94 92 127 181)
E-book 9, Het duurde maar even … – Gedichten die mij raakten by Fred de Haas contains about 60 poems with translations and adaptations by about 40 poets in Creole, German, French, Galician, Papiamento, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian…. (NL, multilingual, 2024, ISBN 978 94 92 127 242)
E-book10, Eye of the Tiger – Colorful Heritage of the Far East contains a unique collection of Chinese brush drawings by Caroline R. Young, interspersed with historical and mythical stories from the Far East. (EN, 2025, ISBN 978 94 92 127 259)
The financial benefits from these (e)books and other educational materials – which are all realised by volunteers – will entirely benefit this programme and upcoming QfWf-projects.
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At the Wisdom Web, wisdom from all over the world is collected and presented in a special symbolic way.
Heidi Muijen 
Heidi Muijen and Greg Suffanti
Greg Suffanti
Kofi Dorvlo and Louise Müller
Heid Muijen and Johann Gomes
Nivedita Yohanna and Greg Suffanti
Marcel Reyners
