More than a Feeling: Storytelling, Memory and National Myths at Dark Events

Abstract

Dark events are frequently analysed in terms of their social and political contexts and this is especially true in the case of dark commemorative events, linked to national tragedies, wars and other conflicts. Countries stage national commemorative events to create and sustain national myths. The way that these are designed and held, combining multiple elements into a narrative form, can be understood as a process of nationalist storytelling. This research note argues that whilst previous research into these events has drawn on theories of collective memory, viewing them from a storytelling perspective suggests that alternative approaches of competitive or multi-directional memory can provide insightful explanations of the often-contested role they play in national myths and contemporary social and political conflicts.