Konstitutivní hodnoty polského lidového snáře
Values constitutive of the Polish dream book

Summary/Abstract: The major function of the dream book as a genre is the evaluation of entities as “good” or “bad”, which is also the basis for the interpretation of dream images. Therefore, on the basis of dream books, it is possible to reconstruct the values of folk culture. The relevant texts are of the following type: <i>eggs mean gossip</i>, <i>lice mean money</i>, <i>a ring – a wedding</i>, in which the first element is a dream image and the second is its explanation. The two elements together constitute the frame of the genre “If one dreams of X, in reality Y will happen”. Values are connected with explanations (Y), but evaluation in the dream book is also found in the images themselves. Generally speaking, what is <i>young</i>, <i>light</i>, <i>clear</i>, <i>complete</i>, <i>healthy</i> is explained as signifying life, health, youth, wealth, good harvest, harmony or happiness. On the other hand, what is <i>dead</i>, <i>old</i>, <i>dark</i>, <i>dirty</i>, <i>incomplete</i>, ill is explained as something bad, in particular death, illness, old age, poverty, bad harvest, quarrel, unhappiness or sorrow. The most important values for the folk dream interpreter are practical ones, connected with basic human needs, therefore the center of the folk world is life and its protection.

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