Folk Beliefs in Ilam and Ancient Texts of Persian Literature

Folk beliefs, which are rooted in mythology, traditions and beliefs of the ancient mankind, are present in different parts of Iran, including Ilam, which has thousands of years of history and culture. The present study tries to familiarize the reader with some aspects of the mentality of people in ancient times regarding folk beliefs and traditions. Due to the dominance of oral tradition on literature and culture of Ilam and lack of written works in ancient times, it is not possible to easily conduct an accurate investigation considering origins and antiquity of traditions in this region. One of the approaches to assess this topic is to survey ancient works of Persian literature, which can demonstrate identical notions in these texts. Expressing these common items doesn’t imply that traditions and beliefs in Ilam have been formed on the basis of ancient Persian literature, but rather to state the origins and antiquity of these items in ancient times; beliefs and traditions that existed, more or less identically, in different parts of Iran and made their way into ancient text in Khorasan, Azerbaijan and Fars, and have not been preserved and recorded in Ilam in those times. The present study shows that beliefs and traditions, such as grabbing knife and shroud as a sign of seeking forgiveness, considering turquoise beads to be benedict, untimely song on roster and its implications, eye bounce and its secret meaning, sacredness of trees and considering them as equal to human, the sound of crows, and the like, have roots in the depths of ancient times and implies a longstanding cultural continuity with certain elements in Ilam.