„Cały mój majątek: wianeczek i kosa”. Stereotyp wianka w pieśniach ludowych powiatu sokólskiego

Abstract

The article is devoted to the stereotype of wreath imbedded in folk songs of the Sokółka region (the Podlaskie province). In the traditional culture, the wreath is a symbol of ‘virginity’ and ‘maidenhood’ that is why the research was limited to the axiological profile of this notion that has not been reconstructed yet. Not only was the mechanism controlling its conceptualization analyzed in detail, but also the ways of its valorizing were studied. This paper includes wide cultural connotations, which are indispensable for proper comprehension of folk texts. This conducted analysis confirms that a high axiological position of virginity is most frequently presented as an economical value, which is indicated by the usage of a conceptual metaphor ‘a wreath is a treasure’.