Semantics of fire and its derivatives in the ritual practice of Kazakhs:traditions and modernity

Abstract

Fire and its derivatives (soot and ash) played an essential role in the traditional culture of the Kazakhs, whose relics are revered to this day. This article examines traditional Kazakh ideas of fire, soot, and ash, their functions and roles in ritual practice, as well as the symbolic content of these elements. Fire, as one of the elements of nature, becomes the mediator that “cultivated” man and became one of the archaic universals of culture. Being one of the most archaic elements of culture, fire is part of the cultural code. Using a functional approach, the authors of the article identify the practical functions of fire, which form the basis of the symbolic content in the ritual practice of the Kazakh people. Using the semantic method and cross-cultural analysis, the authors identify the symbolic content of fire. At the same time, this study is characterized by the collection and analysis of a wide range of materials (macro approach) from the cultures of Turkic and other peoples, which makes it possible to identify the main elements of these practices and their variants (types) in the global cultural space.