Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-02
Salt is a Thing of Both Good and
Evil Genius.
IN FORMER Times USED As MONEY
Safeguards Employed by Knowing
Ones Against Its Bad Effects.
\ PLEDGE OF FRIENDSHIP


uee preserves whatever it animates. and
without 1t all is corrupted. He therefore
directed that salt-cellar should be placed
upon the table at every meal, in order to
remind men of this emblematic virtue of
salt.
Cosmas, the Egyptian geographer s,ata1
that salt currency was in use in Africa ;,
the sixth century: and Marco Polo wrote
that salt was common medium of ex-
change among certain Asiatic people In the
thirteenth century. In Thibet pieces of salt
shaped in mold and weighing about half
a pound each served as small exchange
eighty such pieces having a value eoual Ia
about So
There is an old proverb that "manv
packs of salt must be eaten together to
bring friendship to perfection"
Sold slaves for Salt
So highly did the Thracians of old prize
salt that they bartered slaves in exchange
for it,
Felix Dubois, in his "Tlmbuctoo the Mvs-
terious, comments on the variety of salt
In the interior of the Soudan, and saws il
Is the most valuable commodity. Of that
region, the true gold of the soudanese
In speaking of a lack of piquancy or
polntedness in a duh sermon or address
the french people say, There was no salt
in that DISCOURSE
The covenant of salt is the most sacred
possible among the Jews
CompactS between eastern tribes are CON-
Hrmed by salt, and the most solemn
pledges ratified by it.
The idea that the splitting of salt pro-
duceS evil consequences is supposed to
nave originated in the tradition that Judas
overturned a salt-cellar at the Paschal
supper as portrayed in Leonardo da Vim
eli painting.
In early times any one having the mis-
fortune to spill salt supposed to incur
the anger of all good spirits, and to be rem
dered susceptible to the maleyoIent in
fuences of demons.
1t was customary among the Greeks to
present salt to the gods as a thank-offering
at the beginning of every meal
There is a Norwegian belief that IL one
spills salt he will shed many tears as
may suffice to dissolve the quantity of salt
he has lost
To Avert Ill Luck.
In one part of Pennsylvania, in order to
avert i'll luck after salt has been spilled.
one should not only toss pinch of the
spilled salt over the left shoulder but
should also crawl under a table and come
out on the opposite side.
The following lines found in British
publication of the last century:
weel tel you the reason
Why spilling OF Salt
Is esteemed such Fault,
because ii doth everything season.
TIL antiques did opne
Twas of Friendship sign,
So served 1t TO guests in decorum
And thought Love decayed
When the negligent Maid
Let the salt cellar tumble before them.
The tossing of spilled particles of salt
over ones left shoulder is not deemed suf-
ficient in New England to avert the sever
ance of friendships ties; the spilled salt
must also be thrown upon the stove.
There is in Russia a superstitious preju-
dire against helping ones netphhpr IN
at table on account of the liability to quar-
rels thereby incurred.
In Italy helping friend to salt at table
was formerly thought to be indication
of undue familiarity. and when salt was
offered by one gentleman to the wife of an
other, it was deemed sufficient cause for
Jealousy and quarreling.
When native of AbySsinia desires to
pay a delicate attention to friend or guest
he produces piece of rock salt and gra-
ciously permits the latter to lick 1t with
his tongue.
The priest sometimes places a little salt
In the child's mouth at baptism in Sicily.
thereby imparting wisdom, 1t is believed.
Hence the popular local saying in regard
to person who Is dull of understanding.
that the priest put but little salt in his
mouth
A common amulet among the Neapoitan
poor is a bit Of rock salt suspended from
the neck.
It's Uses Charm.
Inc peasants OF the f1arIZ mountain re-
gion in Germany believe that three grains
of salt in milk pot will keep witches away
from the milk.
Salt was in high repute In olden times in
Scotland charm and the salt box
the first chattel to be removed to new
dwelling. In 1879, when Robert Burns was
about to occupy a new house at Ellisland.
he was escorted thither along the banks of
the river NTH by procession Of relatives,
and among them was borne a bowl of salt
resting on the family Bible
A mother seeks to protect her daughter
from evil glanceS in Bohemia by placing a
little bread and salt in her pocket and
when young girl goes out for a walk
the mother sprinkles salt on the ground be-
hind her. that she may not lose her way.
Scotch fishermen have a custom of salt
ing their nets "for luck" and they also
sometimes throw a little salt into the sea
''to blind the fairies"
According to the mythical lore of Fin
land, Ukko. the god of the sky, struck fire
in the heavens a spark from which de-
scended into the ocean and became salt
The earliest mention of salt in the Bible
is in reference to the destruction of Sodom
and Gomorrah.
Formerly the women and girls among the
Mexican Nahuas who were employed in the
preparation of salt were wont to dance at
a yearly festival in honor of the goddess OF
salt Huixtocihnatl. whose brothers, the
rain gods it is said, the result of a
quarrel drove her into the sea. where she
invented the art of making the precious
substance.
1t is a time-honored custom in eastern
countries to place salt before strangers as
a token and pledge of friendship and good
will.
Homer called salt divine.
Influence Over Evil.
AS indicating the superstitious reverence
with which salt is regarded in the east
may be cited the story of a noted robber
In Persia, who had entered the palace OF
a prince and was about to depart with
his spoil when he stumbled over an object
which his sense of taste revealed to be
lump Of salt. Having thus involuntarily
partaken of a pledge of hospitality beneath
another mans roof, he dared not violate
1t and left his plumber behind him.
Evil spirits 1t is said. cannot bear salt.
and Horst tells this story: German
peasant and his wife. who was witch,
were invited to supper by the devil one
evening All the dishes lacked seasoning.
and the peasant, in spite Of his wife's re-
monstrances, kept asking for salt. and
when, after a while. it was brought. he re-
marked with fervor: Thank God. here is
salt at last!' whereupon the whole scene
vanished
In Hungary salt is sometimes sprinkled
on the threshold of a new house to keen