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THE ROOTS OF THE FORMATION OF BELIEF IN THE CULT OF FIRE IN UZBEK
FOLKLORE
Karimova Feruza Muminovna
Associate Professor of the State Institute of Economics.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15294142
Abstract. This article provides an artistic and aesthetic analysis of the roots of the
formation of views on fire in Uzbek folklore.
Keywords: fire size, intensity, speed, direction, color, place of origin, strength, water,
soil, air, etc.
КОРНИ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ ВЕРЫ В КУЛЬТ ОГНЯ В УЗБЕКСКОМ
ФОЛЬКЛОРЕ
Аннотация. В статье дается художественно-эстетический анализ корней
формирования взглядов на огонь в узбекском фольклоре.
Ключевые слова: размер огня, интенсивность, скорость, направление, цвет,
место возникновения, сила, вода, почва, воздух и т. д.
There are traditions inherited from our ancestors that are deeply embedded in the soul of
our people and have even risen to the level of belief, so that no force can destroy them. One of
such traditions is faith in the cult of fire.
It is said that the human div is made of earth, water, and fire, and it is noted that it
cannot survive without them. Indeed, fire is extremely valued in nature as one of the four
elements important for human life, survival, and survival, along with water, earth, and air.
Fire, as a natural phenomenon, has a state of gradation (gradation). In particular, fire is
used in two different (strong and weak) senses:
1. Strong fire: fire, flame, flame, bonfire.
2. Weak fire: embers, sparks.
In this, the scale, intensity, speed, direction, color, place of formation, and strength of the
fire are taken into account.
It is observed that the following factors formed the basis for the formation of the Uzbek
people's belief in the cult of fire, as well as their religious, epic, and ceremonial attitude:
1. Mythological concepts related to the cult of fire.
In this regard, the relationship
between “fire and myth” initially attracts attention. Based on the system of mythological views
formed regarding fire, the manifestations of fire are interpreted in various ways, such as “sky
fire”, “fire hidden in trees”, “fire burning in fireplaces”, “lightning fire”, “fire that gives warmth,
vitality, and life to the human div”.
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Views on the cult of fire are widespread in mythology throughout the world. The images
of Ogni, Hades, and Prometheus in ancient Greco-Roman myths attract attention because they
are directly based on such views. In them, fire is shown as a part of the sun and it is said that
Prometheus brought it to earth from the sun. Enraged by this, Zeus, the king of the gods, turned
into an eagle and tore out the liver of Prometheus, who had given fire to people.
Semargl (a) or Firebog - the names of the Slavic god of fire and fire. He is considered the
greatest god, the keeper of the eternal flame and the protector of all traditions associated with
fire. It is believed that Semargl (Firebog) is in the Svarog Circle, that is, he protects the palace of
the heavenly serpent. Semargl is the eldest son of the supreme god. The Slavs believed that he
was associated with the Moon, fire. It is said that when a person has a fever, Ognebog moves
into his div and soul, therefore it is forbidden to lower a person's temperature.
Semargl is a symbol. He is associated with the god of fire according to several signs. The
main sign of Semargl is the rune of the Wolf, they use the banner of Prince Vladimir
Svyatoslavovich - the image of a winged dog or Ra (the sun). Semargl Svarozhich is the
embodiment of the original fire, because the tongues of flame are his symbol[1].
The role of fire in the creation of not only man, but also the universe is emphasized.
Fire is shown as an element that is at the center of life, like water, soil, and trees, in the
creation of the universe.
2. Religious and mystical views related to fire.
This focuses on the concept of "divine
fire" and its purifying function.
The views on the cult of fire are very ancient, they go back to religious and
mythological concepts that were formed before Islam. More precisely, its roots are in the
animistic ideas of faith in spirits, astral (cosmogonic) myths associated with the Sun, w hich
were absorbed into the content of the Zoroastrian religion.
The relationship between myth and fire is often reflected in epic creation in the image
of a dragon. A dragon is a huge creature that spews unparalleled fire from its mouth. People
believed that where there is treasure, there will be a dragon. They are supposedly the
guardians of treasure. For example, in the legend of “Khorezm and Hurjamol”, the appearance
of the dragon is artistically described using the art of simile and hyperbole: “Its bod y is like a
mountain, its mouth is like a large scroll, and each tooth is like the blade of a moon axe. The
dragon, whose blood-filled eyes were burning, was spraying fire from its mouth, and it
dragged its huge div with its paws, each of which was like a maple tree, on the ground. It
was so long that it was impossible to know where its tail was. Its eyes, shining like fire , were
as sharp as sunlight, and the wind that appeared with each breath buried the surroundings in
dust.”
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In anthropogonic myths, a person’s dream of “not burning in fire or drowning in
water” is interpreted in a special way. This motif is one of the common motifs in the folklore
of the peoples of the world, as can be seen from the fact that it is embedded in the content of
the motifs of Odysseus crossing the river of fire alive, and Alpomysh not dying even though
he was burned in the fire. This epic motif is also found in the plots of hagiographic legends.
Taking this into account, M. Rakhmonova specifically notes: “The expression of views
related to the cults of fire, water, birds and plants occupies a special place in legends, in
particular, views related to the cult of fire are clearly visible in the plots of legends in which
the symbol of fire is personified.” Indeed, the legend “Old Fire Khoja” shows that there was a
sacred place in Khorezm called Old Fire Khoja. It says that Muslim hojas had such
supernatural power that they did not burn even in fire. To test this, a king brought fifty
cartloads of firewood, placed the master in the middle of it, and then ordered a fire to be lit.
Those who thought that the master would be left with nothing after the flames died
down, were surprised to see that the master was still sitting there, unharmed, without a single
hair on his head or burning in the fire. Then the fire-worshippers were amazed at this and
acknowledged the power of Islam[2].
This legend suggests that the views of the pagan religion were gradually replaced by the
ideas of Islam.[3].
In the Avesta, Mithra is depicted as the sun god. He is a symbol of happiness. After all,
the veneration of fire, its worship - the religion of Zoroastrianism, is very developed in the
life of the ancient Turkic peoples. For example, according to Narshahi, Mukanna threw
himself into a heated oven for three days. The reason is that he wanted to ascend to heaven,
bring angels of fire, and defeat his enemies. As A. Ashirov noted, not a single Zoroastrian
ceremony took place without a symbol of faith in fire – fire[4]. The fire was kept
unextinguished and protected from the gaze of strangers and non-believers. The ashes of the
hearth or hearth were also considered sacred and buried in sacred places. In addition, in each
dwelling there were family hearths (ovakhona, otashka, otsakhona), where the household lamp
always kept its hearth and flame burning. They were often arranged in specially separated and
kept clean rooms, and the fire was kept burning on a specially made hearth or a pedestal in the
form of a chair (base, tagkursi). Even now, the tradition of building a tandir, an oven, is
preserved in every household. When building a tandir and lighting it for the first time, an ox horn
was added to the fire along with the firewood. On this basis, it was hoped that the family would
be well-off and bread would be plentiful.
There are also proverbs related to the name of the tandir. They teach the following:
“Watch at the beginning of the oven”, “There is no flour on the top, there is a double oven at the
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top”, “Do not light the oven without kneading the dough”, “Unripe dough does not stay in the
oven”.
Basically, hearths were built to light the fire, store it and cook food. A hearth is a device
closed on three sides on which a pot is placed. Based on archaeological excavations, it has been
determined that the first examples of the hearth date back to the Paleolithic era. Due to religious
and mystical views related to fire, the hearth or hearth was used to perform various rituals and
ceremonies. The hearth (oven) was considered a sacred place in all peoples. In the Lower
Paleolithic, hearths were made of stone, then of mud, brick and plastered with straw clay.
Nowadays, there are different types of kilns, such as earth kilns, clay kilns, iron kilns, and
gas kilns, and they are also called large kilns and small kilns depending on their size.
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