Naslov
Mythologized historical heroes in the formation and affirmation of national identity

Autori
Babić, Petra

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, neobjavljeni rad, znanstveni

Skup
The 12th Congress of South-East European Studies

Mjesto i datum
Bukurešt, Rumunjska, 02.09.2019. - 06.09.2019

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
National heroes, national identity, Nikola Šubić Zrinski, Petar Zrinski, Fran Krsto Frankopan, Josip Jelačić

Sažetak
The paper elaborates the function of heroes in the national history and how they afterwards turned to be very important during the unification process and in the identity affirmation. This paper takes Croatia as a case-study and explores how common memory of such national heroes as Nikola Šubić Zrinski, Petar Zrinski, Fran Krsto Frankopan and banus Josip Jelačić contributed the process of formation of national identity from the 16th to the 19th century. These four outstanding personalities took part in some of the key moments in Croatian history: the battle of Szigetvár in 1566 (Nikola Šubić Zrinski), the Magnate conspiracy, i.e. the rebellion against Habsburgs 1664-1671 (Petar Zrinski and Fran Krsto Frankopan) and the military campaign against Hungarian revolution in 1848 (Josip Jelačić). Owing to the great importance of these historical moments a kind of a cult had been created about these protagonists. In the above-mentioned process two periods can be identified, which correspond with the development of other European nations: 1) from the 16th to the middle of the 19th century ; and 2) during the second part of the 19th and in the 20th century. At the end of the first period the cult of the Zrinski family was at its peak ; in Croatian collective memory it achieved the status of the nation's „golden age“ and the Zrinski family started to occupy the place of a national dynasty. In the second period, because of the aforementioned military campaign, Josip Jelačić became in the public opinion someone who was able to restore Croatia's „golden age“ and in this he was also mythologized as a nation’s „saviour“. The paper will show that it was not only their objective importance which launched these men as „national brands“, but also the fact that they were fighting against the then justified enemy (i.e. the corresponding Ottoman, Austrian or Hungarian oppression). In addition, it will be shown how in the case of the four above- mentioned personalities variations of popularity and the intensity of their cults changed in accordance with changeable political circumstances in Austria-Hungary and, later, Yugoslavia. Folk songs and other artistic achievements inspired by the above mentioned heroes (in music, poetry, literature and painting) will be consulted as one of the historical sources for this paper. Also, historiographical works and the presence of the heroes in everyday life (in newspapers articles, monuments and sculptures, names of streets and squares) will be explored too. All this will be used to demonstrate how the cults of the heroes as national saviours were formed during longer periods of time, and when – mostly in the second half of the 19th and in the 20th century – were they used as elements of national cohesion, of national affirmation and even as a form of declaration of national identity.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

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