Why were epics originally performed aloud?

Epics were originally performed aloud primarily because they served as a vital cultural tool in heroic-age societies, where they were used to stir the spirits of warriors, praise the exploits of ancestors, and provide models of ideal behavior. These performances typically took place in banquet halls or before battles, where professional singers or the warriors themselves would recite the deeds of heroes to boost morale and preserve family honor.1

While often associated with purely oral cultures, epics were frequently produced in early societies that possessed writing but remained largely illiterate. In these contexts, works were often committed to memory and reproduced through the spoken word rather than read from a text. Because literacy was limited to a few, societies relied on mnemonic skills and oral recitation to transmit these narratives. Even after written versions existed, they were often internalized and performed aloud to maintain their power and cultural significance, a practice that persisted until the spread of literacy eventually led to the decline of the oral tradition.12