The tradition of story making and the standpoint of minstrels in the narration of heroic romance

The existence of common names and similar narratives in Avesta and Indian epics is indicative of the antiquity of the Persian epic and mythological stories since at least the time of the companionship and symbiosis of Indo-Iranian people, that is more than two thousand years BC. Certain signs regarding fantastic animals, extraordinary birds and various narratives from Dumuzid myth and Inanna are representative of common grounds with Indo-European peoples and the inhabitants of Mesopotamia. References made by Herodotus, Ctesias, and Xenophon in books and the reports given by Chares of Mytilene, chamberlain of Alexander the Great bear witness to the fact that religious, heroic and lyrical stories had been kept in cultural centers and treasuries of Iranian kings. Other narratives such as the story of Rostam and Sohrab and the story of Kavus’s ascent to the heaven all point to the accounts minstrels created often in versified form and sang in different regions perhaps with little change. These narratives which are more often heroic, lyrical allegories have many instances in the story of Khosrow Parviz and Barbad in Shahnameh. Although minstrels had arisen from the heart of the populace and had mostly narrativized for their sake, they had enjoyed special treatment within the circles of nobles and rulers and had regular visits to their courts. In this article attempt is made to highlight the importance of these improvisators and clarify their place and position in the society of that time.