ARCHETYPAL BASIS OF POLITICAL MYTH: LITERARY TRADITION AND MODERNITY

Abstract

The article examined the features of the archetypal foundations of the political myth, defined the functions of the myth, outlined the ways of its transmission and conceptualization in modern society, ñonsidering the manipulative effects of hidden ideological influence. Based on the analysis of the works of C. G. Jung, J. Durand, M. Eliade, R. Barthes, E. Cassirer, N. Frye and others the content components and features of the political myth are specified. The author of the article emphasizes the narrative and temporal essence of the political myth. It sets the symbolic constructs of self-determination of the community in political time and space, and also forms an idea of the glorious past, the actual (usually crisis) present and the desired idealized future. Accordingly, the political myth is viewed as a dynamic form of the narrative organization of political space and time, setting meaningful meanings and guidelines for the development of a community, also providing a connection between generations. The types of political myth are, first of all, heroic myths (represented by actual archetypal images) and genealogical myths (about the origins of the community, which usually legitimize the connection with the territory and the right to independent statehood). The evolutionary, typological and myth-making approaches to the analysis of the relationship between myth and literature are analysed. It has been proven that modern political myth conceptualizes reality through narratives and discourses, and literature is one of the most important translators of mythological information. It is noted that by filling mythological plots with socio-political content, history itself is mythologized, reconstructing historical memory. Moreover, literary heroes remain in the collective consciousness «living» witnesses of the epochs.The deep motives of narrative mythological oppositions and Trinitarian structures, actualized in modern images, are revealed. Archetypes are understood as energy sources for the formation of the subject content of a political myth, which is structured around a number of binary oppositions (Good – Evil, Life – Death, We (ours) – They (others)), and the cyclical nature of trinitarian structures of procedural implementation (origin – disappearance – preservation (revival)). The transformations of traditional mythological plots and archetypal images in the modern political branding are investigated.