Salt in Myth and Legend

[Rakor]

I've been doing research stuff for a campaign and since I've been watching Supernatural I was thinking about salt and its effects as a protective element, a symbol of purity or as a weapon against the supernatural.

I can't seem to find what I'm looking for though. Why does salt harm faeries? Ghosts? Why does salt on a doorway or circle block the passage of supernatural things? I can't find a basis or explanation for it

 

[Fallen Seraph]

In more then a few mythologies salt is viewed as something that can purify and make a area sacred. As such depending on how you view things like fey, ghosts, etc. it would harm them/be a barrier for them because they are not pure.

 

[justanobody]

Salt absorbs water, really well.

Salt/sediment enriched water is what helps create petrified trees. The salts replace the water in living bodies in order dry them out and preserve them.

Salted pork or such can go quite a while without spoiling. It was one of the first known things to use in mummification.

These things that feared losing there water may have just been so afraid of salt that that is where the protection came from was fear, like most superstitions.

Trivia on Origin of Common Superstitions Spilling Salt | Trivia Library

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

To echo the above, salt is often a barrier to certain undead spirits- ghosts or vampires usually- who either are "impure" or feel compelled to count each individual grain, depending upon the legend. If its a counting legend, rice is often a substitute.

Salt is commonly used to destroy zombies (and similar walking dead) or break spells of possession in Carribbean, African, and South American legends.

 

[ppaladin123]

Just a guess here. Salt is a preservative and antiseptic. Before we came to understand infection, microbiology, decay, etc., humans tended to believe that such things were caused by unclean spirits, magic, demons and so forth. Since salt counteracted decay and infection, it may have been thought to have magical properties that would also allow it to act as a ward against other dark forces.

 

[jdrakeh]

Salt has always had importance attached to it — it was even used as currency in ancient Rome. If you go even further back, though, you'll find that the Bible dictates salt be used to purify all meat or grain offerings to God:

And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

I suspect that this coupled with the obvious observable benefits of salt form the root of legends about salt's protective or purifying power in later folkore and legend. Note that most folkore attributing protective or purifying powers to salt originated in predominantly Christian societies (e.g., Medieval Europe, Russia, etc).

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Salt is commonly used to destroy zombies (and similar walking dead) or break spells of possession in Carribbean, African, and South American legends.

Actually in a vodoun-oriented campaign of mine in 4e. My party will make a circle out of salt just in-case any undead (which are somewhat common compared to most settings) decides to come by.

It is also used also in my setting, by some when making a deal, you must douse your hands in salt before shaking on it. Basically it is saying the deal was good and your intentions with the deal are pure.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

just a guess here. Salt is a preservative and antiseptic. Before we came to understand infection, microbiology, decay, etc., humans tended to believe that such things were caused by unclean spirits, magic, demons and so forth. Since salt counteracted decay and infection, it may have been thought to have magical properties that would also allow it to act as a ward against other dark forces.

qft.

 

[Asmor]

Salt, being the purest-white thing many people would even see in day-to-day life, became a symbol of purity.

 

[justanobody]

Along with biblical reasons... Lot (Bible - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

So It could have been seen as a source of divine retribution as Lot's wife was turned to salt for disobeying.

Vampires, etc are affected by holy water, so the religion comes into play a good bit when you consider that they are cursed and having the curse broken on them would mean sure death, and even as a cure or to heal them the salt would mean their end and divine retribution for what they had become just like Lot's wife when she turned to look back.