The (re-)making of the myth of ancient origin in Macedonian history textbooks

The myths of ancient origin are often seen as part of the potentially most dangerous historical narratives since they imply a precedence and a 'historical right' over a territory. While they are now absent from the educational systems in most European countries, we may observe an opposite development in parts of southeastern Europe. This presentation focuses on the myths of ancient origin communicated, implicitly or explicitly, in history textbooks in the Republic of Macedonia for almost a decade. They propose an ancient Macedonian origin to the ethnic Macedonian students, and an Illyrian origin to the ethnic Albanian students. The goal of the presentation is to relate the presence of the antiquitas myths in Macedonian history textbooks with wider socio-political developments. It aims not only to understand its (pseudo-)academic construction, but also to understand its function in the contemporary Macedonian society. Therefore, both the 'enlightenment' and the 'functionalist' approach to historical/political myth were used. The presentation suggests that the antiquitas myths in the Macedonian case have several functions. For the ethnic Macedonians, they give meaning and significance in the context of the 'Name Dispute' between Macedonia and Greece. For both ethnic Macedonians and ethnic Albanians, the myth provides an argument for exclusive 'historical' ownership over a particular territory. In both cases it uses simplified narratives which satisfy the need for a feeling of security in the face of real or imagined threat posed by the relevant Other.