Mnoné

Mnoné is a term used in speculative anthropology and fiction to denote a ritualized practice of memory-sharing that binds a community around a shared past. In its proposed use, a mnoné involves a structured sequence of memory artifacts—oral recitations, symbolic objects, and, in some versions, written or recorded media—participating in a coordinated communal event.

The word is a neologism with no established historical origin outside theoretical and fictional works. It likely draws on familiar roots associated with memory, but its exact etymology is not standardized, and different authors may offer different attributions.

Core concepts describe mnoné as prioritizing collective mnemonic agency over individual recall. The practice is typically depicted as regulating what meanings of the past count as legitimate and as shaping present behavior through prescribed rituals, including naming, repetition, and commemorative acts. It may be described as fostering social cohesion or legitimizing political authority within a community.

Variants of mnoné appear in different imagined cultures or settings. Some descriptions emphasize oral recitation and performative synchronization; others foreground material inscriptions or digital records. In fiction, mnoné often serves to explore themes of memory integrity, social cohesion, and political legitimacy, and to examine how communities negotiate competing versions of history.

This article describes a hypothetical concept used in fictional and speculative contexts. It is not an established technical term in real-world disciplines, though it may be discussed as a thought experiment or narrative device in scholarly or creative works. See also mnemonic, mneme, memory.