During the month of Moharram, after the processions round the village, in the evenings certain individuals hosted a gathering in their house or in the mosque. A religious and literate villager told the story of the suffering and death of Imam Hossein and his family. The audience cries, and when the emotions get too strong, the leader starts to sing the story. These ‘rozeh’ where a speaker explains an aspect of religion are also held during Ramazan and on other religious days.Materials collected during field research for a D.Phil (Oxford University) in Iran in 1974 and 1975/6, and during short return visits in 1992, 1995, 1996.
Audio recordings include: folk stories, music and songs, rituals, people’s own historical recollections
