Prestiż, tradycja, władza – mit o trojańskim pochodzeniu we francuskiej historiografii przedoświeceniowej (rekonesans badawczy)

The beginnings of a nation or country occupy a special position in the mentality of every society. As medieval France searched for its roots in mythological and biblical events, the French attempted to prove their Troyan origins, as Troy was one of the most popular motives at the time. This article turns to Jan Assmann’s concept of cultural memory to describe how in the early modern period this myth was changed and adapted to current needs. In France the Trojan myth served as an argument backing the independence of the French nation, and was constructed in opposition to the descent from the Gauls, who were conquered by the Romans. In addition, it was a tool of foreign policy (against England, the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire) and in internal politics.