The article is devoted to comparative study of phraseological units of the Mari, Russian and English languages, modeled on the basis of somatic components вуй / голова / head. It aim is to identify and to characterize the idioms that are carriers of cultural and national information, as well as to describe the features of extra-linguistic reality, which seem relevant for the carriers of Mari, Russian and English culture and language. The number of phraseological units with regularity rethinking of the Mari people customs and traditions includes such expressions as вуйым пÿтыраш (literally: spin the head), вуй пулчаш (literally: wind the head). They symbolize the changing social status of women who got married. Phraseological units вуеш упшым (картузым) шындаш (упшалаш) огыл with value "have the determination to do or to accomplish something," refers to the views of the Mari people about the need to cover your head to protect it from damage and the evil eye. The Mari phraseology also contains and describes the abusive expressions, the main component of which is the token вуй. Among Russian phraseological units with the somatic component голова, which reflected the cultural-historical code, the following phraseological units were analyzed: без царя в голове – very stupid, narrow-minded; с царем в голове – very smart, intelligent, clever; outdated: царь в голове – someone with the mind, the thoughts, concerns, etc. In the English language among phraseological units with a somatic component head, referring to the corresponding culture and historical stage, the following phraseological units are described: to break Priscian's head 'to break the rules of grammar'; King's head 'postage stamp with the image of the King'; Pope's head 'broom for sweeping ceiling', and others.