FOLK OMENS IN RUSSIAN AND VIETNAMESE CULTURES: SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

Abstract

Folk omens have long been embedded in various cultures and civilizations as an indispensable element of a national culture. These omens reflect associations between two events or situations, traditionally established through folk beliefs, based on seemingly coincidental cause-and-effect relationships. Depending on their foundation - whether derived from systematic observation or rooted in mythological thinking - folk omens may be predictive in nature or reflect irrational superstition. This study seeks to explore the similarities and differences in folk omens within Russian and Vietnamese cultures. By employing a thematic approach, it aims to enrich intercultural understandings as well as to deepen insights into the culture, history and worldviews of both nations.