There is no need to convince anybody that there is such a thing as individual memory; memory attaches to persons in the singular. But does it attach to them in the plural? Although the term “collective memoiry” has gained currency and a whole new discourse has been built around it that fills extended libraiy shelves, there are still inveterate skeptics who tenaciously deny the phrase has any meaning. It is of course easy to create a new term , but how can we be sure the term corresponds to anything in reality?