ABSTRACT
Every nation develops a collective memory that addresses its shared origins and distinct identity and accounts for its historical development. Addressing key events and broad themes in the nation's history, myths constitute sacred narratives that shape the understanding of the past and articulate values that are considered central to the nation's spirit. A “national myth,” as Gérard Bouchard's introduction to this volume points out, does not refer to the historical validity of a narrative (as the colloquial use of the term might imply); rather, it highlights its significance as a narrative encoded with symbolic meanings contributing to the nation's understanding of the past and its relevance for the present. The discursive use of an abbreviated reference to the myth, without an elaborate narration or an explanation about its meaning, reveals an underlying assumption that the meaning of that past is widely known and shared by the national community.
