
For instance, salt was sprinkled on all sacrificial animals by the Vestal Virgins alongside flour. In pre-medieval Greek, salt was consecrated in rituals.We will, however, briefly mention a few in here. The collection of stories and myths concerning salt is vast enough to have an independent book written. This is because salt, as much as it is an important flavoring agent, shouldn’t be added to coffee and has no use to coffee.įor as long as it has been in active use, salt has held an undeniable significance in religions and cultures across the globe. Salt to my coffee – This is an informal modern-day idiom used to mean that however important someone or something may be perceived to be, they/it can be pretty useless or damaging to another person.To take with a grain of salt – Used to encourage one not to believe everything they are told, especially when it seems exaggerated or not representing the real truth.This idiom is associated with the Biblical ‘Sermon on the Mountain’ found in Matthew 5:13. Salt of the earth – Used to mean good and influential.This idiom is said to originate from slavery whereby a slave’s worth was measured in comparison to salt. Worth your salt – Used to mean that one serves their anticipated purpose as they should.This idiom came about because of the excruciating pain caused by literally adding salt to an open wound. Add salt to the wound – Used to mean causing additional pain or making bad situations worse.Salt, again owing to its characteristics and uses, has been incorporated into the English language mainly in idioms. Surprisingly salt added to food in a dream servers as a caution of looming illness.If a dreamer sees salt dissolve in the rain while in a serene environment, then in this case it is an indication of reconciliation.When salt in a dream is spilled, the dreamer is being warned of or alerted to problems in the home.When salt appears in a dream as an object held in hand or appears in the dream in a form that is crystallized, then it is seen to mean that the dreamer will soon experience joy and happiness or gain profit.

Salt connotes varying meanings in dreams as is shown below.

Chastisement – Salt became a symbol of chastisement after Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt for looking back at Sodom (the book of Genesis in the Bible).Welcome – The welcoming attribute of salt is a derivative of the Slavic traditional welcoming ceremony whereby bread and salt were offered to guests.Luxury – In ancient days, salt was a commodity only affordable to royalty and a select rich, hence its luxurious connotation.Fidelity – Salt gained its fidelity symbolism from religious folklore whereby it was used to create binding covenants usually together with other sacrifices.

Preservation – This symbolic meaning stems from the usage of salt as a food preservative and for mummification of the dead.Purity – Salt became a symbol of purity because it was used by an ancient civilization to ward off evil spirits, mummify bodies, and treat wounds.Taste – The taste symbolic meaning of salt is derived from its use as a seasoning agent in food by various civilizations across centuries.Salt, however, is also associated with bad connotations namely chastisement, contamination, bad thoughts, and sometimes death. Salt Symbolism And Meaningīecause of its characteristic qualities and usage in pre-medieval life and customs, salt has for centuries been a symbol of taste, purity, preservation, fidelity, luxury, and welcome. Salt comes in different textures and a variety of colors ranging from white to pink, purple, gray, and black. History shows that salt is so much a part of civilizations that it has even caused nations to go to war. The earliest documented traces of the usage of salt date back to 6000 BC where salt was extracted from evaporated water by civilizations such as Romania, China, Egyptians, Hebrews, Indians, Greeks, Hittites, and Byzantines. Generally speaking, salt is obtained by processing salt mines, or by evaporating either seawater or spring water. Scientifically known as Sodium Chloride, salt is a product of neutralization (reaction between an acid and a base).
