Authors

Discussion

How could the supposed or real remains of the oldest Slavic epic become the most translated literary works in the early 19th century, and as emerging cultural symbols of nations influence their (self-)perception for next decades? What does the reception of these works abroad say about Romantic Nationalism in Europe in general? The paper is based on current research on Romantic Nationalism (A. M. Thiesse, J. Leerssen) and emerges from an analysis of the reception network of Slavic epics using the example of the Tale of Igor's Campaign, the Manuscript of Dvůr Králové as well as the Serbian songs collected by V. S. Karadžić, which in the 19th century were often discussed together as "Slavic" works. The focus is not on the question of authenticity of these texts, but rather on the networks and practices of the European representatives of nationalism, through which they achieved fame in the 19th century as original examples of exotic Slavic culture, as well as on the models of their mutual comparisons, adaptations and critiques (North/South, Pan-Slavism/Nationalism, etc.).