Ludowe i amatorskie pisanie historii
Folk and Amateur Historical Writings

Summary/Abstract: The social functioning of history demonstrates that it is not merely a science, but sui generis proof of the sense of existence. This is the meaning possessed from the very onset by folk historical writings. A text describing rural tradition as well as personal history or that of a region comprises an interesting aspect of culture that distinctly shows the mechanism and structure of collective memory. Peasant historical writings should be perceived from the viewpoint of prime values since they constitute a symptom of the folk world outlook. They are by no means an historical source, but evidence of the cultural invention of cultural meanings. Pertinent analyses of the phenomenon in question roughly distinguish three possible vantage points: literary – which creates the past in the form of a legend, folkloristic – which seeks historical facts in folklore, and axiological – which views the folk pursuit of history as an act of testifying to values.

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