Indigenous and Mythological Elements in the Performative Narrative of the Story of Rustam and Esfandiar

The tale of Rostam and Esfandyar is one of the most fascinating stories in Shahnameh which has had wide reflection among the populace. Ever since its creation this tragedy has been very popular in different regions of Iran and has undergone changes and been distorted at times. The ancient region of Kouhmareh Sorkhi is one region where this tale is very popular since antiquity. Like most other narratives this tale is not remembered by the people of this locality and only is told by the eldest and the most renowned naqqal of this area, Ali Hossein Allinejad , the last of the naqqals and narrators of the region. The naqqali narrative of this tale in this area is an amalgam of epic, popular and mythological beliefs of the natives of the region. The studies made by the writer of this article on the present epic narratives in the area and specifically the recent narrative shows that narrators and naqqals have tried to make these narratives more acceptable among the community by incorporating mythological ethnic elements and beliefs among people and thus preserve them in memories. This inspection not only shows part of mythological beliefs of this community but also records narratives not previously studied nor recorded in references. The findings of this research are presented under the following sections:1- Birth of Esfandyar 2- Fertility myth 3- Martyred gods 4- belief in genies