VERSIONS OF THE SZÉKELYʼS SELF-IMAGE FROM HEROIC TO IRONIC

The collective mental image of oneʼs community is closely related to the image created by strangers. Human sciences such as social psychology, political science, history, but also literary studies deal with the study of national images. The Székelys, a group of Hungarians with a specific dialect, traditions, and a separate sense of identity, already created lasting images of self-representation in texts in the 18th century, which are supplemented by the external images developed about them. The study examines the characteristics of the Székelyʼs self-image presented in literary form, how it has changed over time, and what kind of image Hungarians living in other regions have of the Székelys.