The Mythical Worldview: Primary Elements of Nature and a Human Being

• Authors: Senvaityte D.
• Languages of publication: LT

Abstracts

EN

The very typical peculiarity of the mythical worldview according to V. Toporov is the constructing of oppositions that could spread in diverse code systems and in different hierarchical spheres. Universal categories of that worldview are the primary elements of the nature - fire, water, air, and earth - that were assumed as the most important essentials of the entire World. Those primary elements designate not only separate phenomena but also mix in various parts of the World, in different objects of the nature and even in human beings.This article shows the correlation between those primary elements and the human being provided by Lithuanian and Russian data. Just as in other cultures, surviving data on Lithuanian and Russian folk traditions, as well as the data of these languages provide testimony that the primary elements of the world appears virtually everywhere. They are representing both the beginning and the end of the world and the human being; they are important force, unifying separate parts of the world into a singular entity. Those fundamental elements indicate the vital energy of human beings, their inner personal characteristics, emotional states, and health. The metaphors show that the special intensity of emotions and hot-temper are determined by fire element. Forfeiture of the balance of those elements causes dysfunction – illnesses, negative or unstable emotions and the like.

Keywords

EN

LITHUANIAN & RUSSIAN FOLK TRADITIONS; MYTHICAL WORLDVIEW; PRIMARY WORLD'S ELEMENTS

Discipline

• PHILOLOGY_&_LINGUISTICS: PHILOLOGY & LINGUISTICS

• Publisher: Instytut Slawistyki Polskiej Akademii Nauk
• Journal: Acta Baltico-Slavica
• Year: 2006
• Volume: 30
• Pages: 651-663
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Senvaityte D.

• D. Senvaityte, Department of Ethnology and Folklore, Faculty of Humanities, Vytautas Magnus University, Donelaicio 58, Kaunas, Lithuania

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

07PLAAAA02154542