Oral Tradition in Persia - A Glance

In the ancient world of Persia (map; Iran is most of Persia), only official administrative documents--such as land grants and tax records--were written. Almost no narrative survives in written form from this time--the history of the kingdom was generally passed on as an oral tradition. Tales of the exploits of "the king" -- always recounted without time and without specifics -- were told and retold by the people, thus preserving a sense of national identity. (If I find the book I read this in I will come back and add the reference. It isn't on the library shelf where I found it, as others I've perused aren't...)

This pattern continued on through the ages in this region.