CONSTRUCTION AND SPECIFICITY OF POLITICAL MYTH AS AN INSTRUMENT OF DIALOGUE AND INFLUENCE

This work analyzes political mythologization, in particular within the framework of the dialectical confrontation between the artificial images of the “Messiah” and the “World Demon”. The purpose of the work is to identify the constructive and functional features of a political myth with a specific teleological purpose. Among others, an important task is to identify the destructive trends caused by the speculative influence of a political myth. The research methodology includes the dialectical method used as a tool for investigating the internal contradictions of the political myth phenomenon This method was also used to analyze the opposition of two artificial images (the “Messiah” and the “World Demon”). The analysis of authenticity (as the correspondence between positioning and content) of political mythologization as a kind of speculative system was used to identify its specifics of functioning and impact on the objects that are the main targets. This method in combination with the primary deconstruction of a monolithic myth is necessary for the subsequent synthesis of the obtained results. The modeling method allowed us to form the characteristic features of a political myth. Some elements of ethical and psychological approaches, as well as the approaches of religious studies were also used to fix the pragmatic and speculative aspects of a political myth. The following results were obtained: 1) aestheticization is an important component of a political myth; 2) for all their seeming abstractness, the images of political mythologization have pragmatic literality; 3) the parasitical nature of political mythologization was revealed; 4) the relativity of the concepts of freedom and individuality in a political myth was shown; 5) the aspect of conformism and pragmatism of political mythologization was established; 6) political myths create conditions for destructive behavior and attitudes.

Adaptation against Myth: Gary Owen’s Iphigenia in Splott and the Violence of Austerity

This article explores, from the standpoint of socio-political myth-criticism, the processes of revision and adaptation carried out in Gary Owen’s 2015 play Iphigenia in Splott. The play, a dramatic monologue composed in the rhythms of slam poetry, rewrites the classical Greek myth of Iphigenia in order to denounce the profound injustice of the sacrifices demanded by austerity policies in Europe—and more specifically, in Britain—in the recession following the financial crash of 2008. Reassessing contemporary social, economic and political issues that have resulted in the marginalisation and dehumanisation of the British working class, this study probes the dramatic and mythical artefacts in Owen’s harrowing monologue by looking back to Euripides’s Iphigenia in Aulis, the classical play which inspires the title of Owen’s piece and which serves as the mythical and literary background for the story of Effie. The aim is to demonstrate how Owen’s innovative adaptation of the sacrifice of Iphigenia, slurred out in verse, resentful and agonising, speaks out a desperate plea against myth, that is, against a dominant social ethos that legitimises its own violence against the most vulnerable—those who, as in the classical myth, suffer the losses that keep our boats afloat.

Heracles as Ancestor

As he is ubiquitous in myth, Heracles is also ubiquitous in political myth-making, especially in his role as ancestor of communities and dynasties in the archaic through Hellenistic periods. Whether invoking his heroic qualities to enhance their own virtues or linking themselves to a Heraclid tradition to promote their own historical significance, such communities found Heracles to be useful in the context of political legitimization, kinship diplomacy, religion, and other areas. Examples include the creation and promotion of the Return of the Heraclidae by the Dorian regimes of the Peloponnese and attempts by individual Spartans to benefit personally from their putative Heraclid ancestry.

Prawo jako opowieść. Zagadnienie mitu w interpretacji prawa

<p>The fact that various myths influence the shape of law and the mythologization of some of its aspects is indisputable. In most cases, this process of “mythologization” is perceived pejoratively, leading to the establishment of groundless, irrational ideas and at the same time the rejection of “science” in favor of “fiction”. This article aims to propose a different approach to both the concept of myth and the mythologization of law, by referring to the classical, ancient understanding of the concept of mythos as a fable, story. Ancient Greek myth performed a function similar to the law, establishing some basic rules in society. Stressing its “narrative” side indicates that what matters is not so much a description of reality, but a process that emphasizes the relational nature of the community. Thus, relating the myth, just like reading the norm of law, is an interpretation of the event in the light of applicable principles and systems of values, while being also a continuous process of shaping social awareness. Interpreting the law as a story means that those who create and use it lose the luxury of simply remaining the “mouth that pronounces the words of the law” as Montesquieu stated, since they are supposed to care not only for its implementation, but also for the quality and conviction of citizens as to its validity. The proposed form of reading the law as a myth-fable, political myth therefore is a search for a plot, understood as a possibility to act, to respond to the needs and problems of the changing world as well as the development of “the political” politics and education of citizens.</p>

A Royal Romance: The Cult of Cyrus the Great in Modern Iran

This article looks at the continuing fascination with the idea of monarchy in Iran, dismissed and condemned after the revolution but gradually rehabilitated through an engagement with the Shahnameh and a reinvigorated interest in ancient Iran. The interest in Sasanian Iran, as the cradle for the development of Islamic civilisation, has in turn enabled a popular re-acquaintance with Achaemenid Iran, previously frowned on for its association with Mohammad Reza Shah but legitimised by the enthusiastic endorsement of the figure of Cyrus the Great by President Ahmadinejad. This political myth of Cyrus the Great reflects the changing political dynamics of the Islamic Republic and the need to appropriate popular nationalist iconography to the state.

Political Myth of ‘Shonar Bangla’ and Rising Frustration in Bangladesh

The “Shonar Bangla” (Golden Bangla) political myth met some important historical needs during the time of the nationalistic movements in Bangladesh. However, it is likely to have created excessive expectations in regards to the managerial capability of the nationalists who successfully spearheaded the movements. Following independence in 1971, these nationalists could not translate even a tiny fraction of the myth into reality. Their dire failure in this regard might have produced a feeling of excessive frustration among Bangladeshis and as such, it may have adversely impacted the socioeconomic and political conditions in Bangladesh. By comparing some relevant data of Bangladesh and some of its peer countries (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Turkey (MITT)), this study finds that the corruption perception index of the preceding year significantly and positively influences the current frustration level in Bangladesh. Despite some limitations of the data set, the findings are intuitively acceptable and instructive for all concerned.

Myth and meaning: ‘Corbynism’ and the interpretation of political leadership

In its contribution to the study of political leadership, this article provides a distinctive analytical lens: political myth understood as meanings which animate a leadership project. Heavily constitutive of political leadership at a particular moment in time, political myths are important for understanding the resilience of a leadership project and the judgements of its actors. We demonstrate a way of applying this concept through an analysis of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership from 2015 to 2020 and the identification of four key elements of the ‘Corbyn myth’: a ‘mould-breaking’ stance on policy, a return to class politics for Labour, heralding a ‘left wave’ sweeping the world, and the moral and political repudiation of the Iraq War. Each element clearly emphasises the explicit rejection of New Labour. Our analysis provides a holistic account of the Corbyn project with greater specificity about the meanings attached to Corbyn’s leadership by supporters.