"A white dove few out of the dead body and soared into the blue sky": Te Image of the Soul as a Dove in the Czech Linguistic and Cultural Environment
Abstract
Te symbolism of the dove is quite rich in many cultures. Birds (and especially doves), with their ability to fy high in the sky, were usually associated with heaven or the upper world, gods, etc. In Christian iconography, a dove symbolises the Holy
Spirit and also, as a symbol of purity, the souls of some saints and martyrs. A dove represents the pure soul leaving the dead body. We can also find the image of a white dove as an innocent soul in Czech oral tradition, for example in folk tales, and in widely known texts of Czech authors (e.g. B. Němcová, K. J. Erben). Te soul-dove usually leaves the body when a character, typically a helper of the hero, is freed from their curse (for example, by beheading). Tis chapter discusses the image of the soul as a dove in the Czech language and culture, using mostly the methods of cognitive and cultural linguistics.