Sakralne i ludyczne symbole szczygła w języku i kulturze

SACRED AND LUDIC SYMBOLS OF A GOLDFINCH IN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE The article is dedicated to symbolic representations of szczygieł (a goldfinch) in Polish language and culture, taking into account the European cultural background. The author presents the process of symbolization of the sacred and ludic profile of a goldfinch as a representative of avifauna based on linguistic data (etymology, phrasematics), text data (literature and folklore), as well as on iconography. References to Western European painting made it possible for the author to present the multiple layers of a goldfinch symbolism and related differences in the way of imaging, developing connotations and conceptualization of symbolic contents. The sacred imagery was dominated by Biblical associations, while in ludic images there was a tendency to present birds as autotelic beings without strictly religious connotations.