Alternative healing and new Hungarian mythology: “That can only happen here and only with us”

The object of the proposed paper is to present an ongoing research project dedicated to map and describe some of the narratives and rites focusing on community healing, the “healing of the nation” in the contemporary new Hungarian national mythology. The presentation will have two major focuses:  a) alternative healing rituals practiced with Hungarian national symbols [sometimes at ethnic-specific healing places in Hungary and also in the Szekler/Székely region of Transylvania (Romania)]; b) the identification and comparative analysis of healing narratives and rituals in the new Hungarian mythologies.  The relation between alternative healing and new Hungarian mythology will be explained based on interviews, participant observations and the qualitative investigation of representative mythic narratives.