Jul 25, 2025Gōsāns were artists who narrated stories through poetry and music in the streets and neighborhoods. They served as guardians of Iran’s epic tales and passed them down to the Sasanian era. The Gōsāns’ tradition of recounting epic narratives was a rich one—especially among the storytellers of Khorasan, who benefited from both the cultural diversity and religious freedoms of the Kushan and Parthian periods in the East.
Storytelling and tale narration have a deeply rooted history in Persia (Iran) —so much so that one could rightfully call Iran the Land of Stories.
Many Iranian tales carry philosophical and moral themes. In ancient times, profound concepts were conveyed to the people through storytelling, making them more comprehensible. This tradition continued after Islam, producing invaluable works such as Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, Balkhi's (Rumi’s) Masnavi Ma’navi, and others, all of which hold significant places in Persian literature. These stories played an essential role in shaping the culture of society and had notable social functions.
What truly enabled these stories to resonate with the public was the artful and captivating performance of the storytellers. In studying ancient Iranian sources, we encounter fascinating narrators who recited various stories with great enthusiasm. These performers were known as Gōsāns—artists who recited tales in verse and song in towns and neighborhoods.
One Parthian Manichaean text reads:
"Like a Gōsān who recounts the deeds of kings and heroes of old..." (Tafazzoli, 2010: 76)
From this statement, we understand that Gōsāns were the keepers of Iran’s epic tales, passing them down to the Sasanian era. These very tales later formed part of the Khwaday-Namag (Book of Kings) in Middle Persian literature, and ultimately found expression in Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh (ibid).
It appears that the Gōsāns’ art embraced both romantic and heroic tales. Timeless love stories such as Zal and Rudabeh, Bijan and Manizheh, and even Vis and Ramin originate from antiquity. Meanwhile, heroic epics such as The Seven Labors of Rostam and Rostam and Esfandiar have always commanded attention.
The Gōsāns’ tradition of reciting epic tales was a rich one—especially among storytellers in Khorasan, who benefited from the region’s cultural diversity and the religious freedom of the Kushan and Parthian periods in the East (Gharib, 2007: 179).
One must not overlook the influence of stories—particularly mythological ones—in establishing a cultural framework in ancient society. When elements from other civilizations entered the Iranian cultural sphere, the deeply rooted presence of mythology among the people acted as a filter. As myths held a special place in their lives, foreign elements passed through this mythological lens and found their appropriate function within the fabric of Iranian culture.
Translated from kheradgan.ir/p/8729
Bibliography:
– Tafazzoli, Ahmad. (2010). The History of Iranian Literature Before Islam. Tehran: Sokhan Publishing.
– Gharib, Badr al-Zaman. (2007). Sogdian Studies. Edited by Mohammad Shokri Foomeshi. Tehran: Tahoori Publishing.
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