БЕЛАРУСКІ ГІСТАРЫЧНЫ АГЛЯД
НАВУКОВЫ ЧАСОПІС

Henadz Sahanovich. Political Myth in Historical Memory and Historical Writing

The article deals with relationship between myth and history, as well as place and role of political myth in memory and historical writing. Following Christopher Flood, the author defines a political myth as an ideologically marked narrative which aims to give a true account about the past or the present connected with the past to a social group and is accepted by that group as valid. Typical themes and functions of that phenomenon are considered and it is described as an essential form of collective memory. Realizing that the divide between myth and history is faint the author tries to find out why myth as fiction and affirmative narration can be presented in scientifically-oriented historiography. As it is underlined, investigation into political myths shows a way to historical consciousness of a society and its identities.