VOL. 60, BOOK 1, PART B, 2022, pp. 131 – 144 Full text (Bg)
Author: Tanya Yankova
Affiliation: Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv
Abstract
This text discusses different aspects of the woman–willow binary in view of the pagan or Christian layers in various works of folklore and literature. The epic line in Erben’s ballad lends meaning to the metaphor “the woman is a willow,” while the simultaneous deaths of the mother and the tree reinforce their
identities as a common whole. The essay traces how the one complements the other and highlights the two creatures’ completeness achieved thus. The fruitless tree becomes a symbol of a mother’s unconditional love which overcomes all.
Key words: compensation, completeness, theme complex, cradle – womb
