Examining the Role of the Bath in Folk Literature as a Site of Cultural Exchange

Beyond their hygienic functions and contributions to public health, the hammam (a traditional public bath in Iran) has played a central role in the cultural and social life of communities, serving as one of the most frequented communal spaces. Despite numerous studies on the Iranian hammam, most have focused on its architecture, ethnography, or hygienic functions, while the folk literature associated with the hammam—including poems, proverbs, rituals, and popular narratives—has rarely been examined independently. Aiming to address this gap, the present study investigates the position of the hammam as an institution of cultural exchange in folk literature. Within this framework, it first analyzes wedding poems and songs performed during celebratory rituals, whose performance was well suited to the architectural and acoustic characteristics of the hammam, particularly its echoes and reverberations. It then examines the presence of the hammam as a spatial element in the formation of folk narratives, including stories of supernatural beings. Finally, 251 proverbs related to the hammam are collected and analyzed, reflecting people's everyday attitudes, beliefs, and experiences regarding this space. The research adopts a descriptive-analytical method based on library and documentary sources. The findings show that the poems, rituals, and proverbs associated with the hammam reflect its deep presence in the collective imagination and vernacular of the people, clearly illustrating the social status of bathhouse attendants, the common fear of darkness and dampness in the hammam, and the customs surrounding wedding ceremonies.