„Polscy Aryjczycy”. Pomiędzy naukowymi podstawami mitu a mitycznymi korzeniami nauki w dyskursie słowiańskim XIX wieku

Abstract

The article is devoted to reflection on the role of the Aryan discourse in the research of Slavophiles of the 19th century. Traditional studies on the ethnogenesis of the Slavs conducted by historians on the basis of ancient “scraps” and incomplete sources did not give the answer that would satisfy the political ambitions of the Poles. The inclusion of ethnographic and linguistic methods into the Slavic studies helped create the narrative in which the journey, made by the early Slavs from the Land of Aryans, became a full history of the people’s origin. The conviction about the Indo-Iranian origin of the Slavs shaped the mythical thinking and attempts to create a story legitimizing the right to self-determination and the historical significance of this group. The belief in ancient Aryan heritage considerably changed political orientation and the pursuit of a new identity – free of inferiority complex with respect to the West and ready to dictate its own conditions. Discussing the issues related to race and racial differences between particular peoples, including the ones belonging to the Slavic family, showed the authors’ political views and the future of the nation they envisaged. It also deepened the split within the Slavic studies. The sources available and studied by the Slavic history researchers did not provide clear answers to the question whether the Slavs are direct descendants of the Aryans, therefore the research and texts that are examined in the article have creational and commentary nature and serve the function of creating narratives shaping the community. The aim of this approach will be to reflect on how scientific discourse creates the foundations for identity myths.