One of the most important areas of folklore of any people are proverbs and sayings. These simple phrases contain worldly wisdom, which has been transmitted from generation to generation for centuries. Proverbs covered a wide variety of spheres of people's life, including the material aspect and trade relations. Let's talk about this class of sayings in more detail.
The history of the proverbs
Proverbs appeared many centuries ago when oral folk art began to develop. These brief expressions, which embody the national mind and originality of the inhabitants of the country, are still found in the PVL (“Tales of Bygone Years”), the greatest work of Russia that describes events by year.
What is a proverb? A proverb is a rhythmically organized laconic saying expressing folk wisdom. Each word in such a statement is important, not one can be removed.
Sayings should be short and relevant in order to stay in Russian as long as possible. Dying, that is, becoming obsolete, proverbs that tell of a concept or phenomenon that has disappeared from use. The relevance is maintained by statements relating to the habits and character of a person, housekeeping. Also, from the time when the first coins appeared and people refused to exchange in kind (barter), proverbs about money came into use. This class of statements is of great importance for modern people, so you need to dwell on it in more detail.
Types of Proverbs
You can distinguish many different types of sayings and proverbs, depending on the criteria for division. The main types are traditionally considered proverbs about people, about animals, about abstract concepts (love, fidelity, duty), about homeland, as well as proverbs about money. Grade 3 of the listed is the most extensive. It includes the largest number of statements. It is difficult to say which of the selected types is the most relevant. Perhaps these are proverbs about money, since trade relations (both in the world and in our country) are constantly developing under the influence of a market economy.
It should be noted that in all countries there is a different attitude to money, depending on the culture and mentality of their inhabitants, therefore it is not necessary to consider all the sayings in totality, but it is better to separate them by origin and only then study them.
Russian sayings about money
In the tradition of the Russian people, money is associated, first of all, not with wealth, but with the presence of food in the house. The peculiarity of the mentality of the inhabitants of Russia is that they see a lot from the negative side. That is why oral folk art in the matter of money affects mainly material need. In confirmation of this thesis, many proverbs can be cited: “Bread is expensive, as long as there is no money”, “From time to time a hole, old hole”, etc.
The Russian people, in principle, do not put money as an end in themselves of their labor. Money is not happiness, as they say. Inhabitants of Russia tell in small forms of folklore about many other phenomena and objects that are much more valuable than money: “Not that rich, that is, but that which is happy,” “The contract is more expensive than money”. The proverb in this case refers to the time in history when, during sales transactions, people did not resort to receipts and various documents in order to fix the agreement, but believed in each other's word.
Especially in the Russian tradition, the difference in the position of the rich and the poor is emphasized. In addition to various fairy tales and other small forms in folklore, proverbs about money also speak about this difference in material condition. The 3rd class of such sayings tells the story of this inequality: “You can’t exchange a rich man for a group of beggars”, “A well-fed hungry man doesn’t understand.” Such sayings, however, have an additional meaning. They emphasize that one who has big money is not really rich. Rich is the one who has a generous soul, good intentions, who believes in God, donates money for the benefit of the church.
English proverbs about money
In English proverbs, the emphasis is on the attitude to money, on the fact that money can spoil a person if they are treated too reverently and make them the goal of their existence. Proverbs and sayings about money, for example: “Money often unmakes the men, who make it,” are well suited to illustrate this proposition. The translation of this saying can be done in this way: "money often destroys the people who earn it."
English traditional proverbs about money show Britain as one of the most progressive countries in the world. Popular wisdom in the following proverb expresses the importance of self-education: "Money spent on the brain is never spent in vain" (translation - "money spent on self-education is never wasted").
Chinese proverbs
Eastern proverbs are traditionally distinguished by subtlety and special metaphor. In them, the main phenomenon, the subject of the statement is compared with something understandable and simple. Proverbs and sayings about money in China are also filled with the refinement and sophistication of oriental wisdom: “Money comes like sand collected by a needle, and it leaves like sand carried away by water.” This statement emphasizes how easy it is to get material wealth, as well as how easy it is to spend it without realizing how hard it was to make it all.
Among the Chinese sayings , a special group can be distinguished - proverbs about the attitude towards money. Eastern sages say that it is impossible to gain material wealth dishonestly.
Jewish proverbs about income
The Jewish people, due to certain national characteristics, treats money very economically and practically. This cannot but reflect on oral folklore. That is why proverbs about money occupy an important place in Jewish folklore. “They will not be taken to the cemetery without money” - the meaning of this saying is that it is impossible to live in peace and even die without material wealth.
At the same time, the Jewish people say that luck is important no less than money, so there are many proverbs on this subject. The sages believe that even a kilogram of gold is not as valuable as a fortunate occasion.