Czech Question as an Answer? The Problem of Unpredictability of National Myths

Abstract

Abstract The field of nationalism studies has stagnated for the past three decades. What looks like a breath of fresh air is Gerárd Bouchard’s theory of national myths, offering a new perspective on the hitherto largely overlooked study of myths. But while Bouchard brings us closer to the practical utilisation of myths, his theory also implies that the process of mythification is largely unpredictable. Myths seem to emerge and disappear in a rather mysterious manner, preventing us from effectively controlling them. The story of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the first Czechoslovak president, demonstrates this problem. Masaryk originally succeeded in constructing a democratic Czechoslovak myth, but later historical developments rendered his efforts not only ineffective but also counter-productive. The culprit, however, should not be sought in Masaryk’s philosophy or actions, as some authors have suggested, but rather in the unpredictable nature of the mythification process itself.