Estimated characteristics of fire in Russian and Vietnamese proverbs

Ngo Xuan Bien

The cult of fire in the past and at the present time remains the most revered in the ritual rituals of many peoples of the world, including Russians and Vietnamese. The article examines the appraisal in relation to the image of fire in the traditional picture of the world of Russians and Vietnamese. The place of the fire element in the universal mythological system and archaic cultural traditions is determined, which is reflected in the proverbs of the two analyzed peoples. Analyzing examples of the artistic embodiment of the image of fire in the proverbs of Russia and Vietnam, the author comes to the conclusion that in most cases the idea of fire has a dual character. The creative interpretation of the fire element is associated with rituals of purification, transformation, renewal, while its destructive power is conveyed in images of disaster, punishment "from above", destruction and further rebirth, which is reflected in the evaluative characteristics of fire in Russian and Vietnamese proverbs.

Keywords:evaluative characteristic, proverb, fire, semantics, mythological role, world culture.