popular songs, 19th century, czech music, hussitism

Music was a prompt mirror of the political and social events, having a significant impact on the process of shaping Czech identity in the 19th century. Social songs offered the potential not only for entertainment, but also for demonstrating political, social and ethnic attitudes. The Czech Middle Ages being a favourite subject. Master Jan Hus (1415 burned at the stake for heresy) became a symbol of the martyrdom of the nation, defiance, struggle and moral attitude for his disciples. In the 19th century, the themes of Hus and Hussitism were attractive to a considerable part of Czech society. In the context of social songs, it forms an important ideological group. The study presents an overview of subjects, stratification of the functional aspects of songs (seriousness, pathos, humour, etc.), musical quotes of authentic mediaeval Hussite songs and musical counterfeits in the 19th century (i.e. pseudo-Hussite songs), the positions of this repertoire in the context of Czech social songs.