Salt in the life of Armenians

Since ancient times, various magical and mythical qualities have been attributed to salt in different cultures. However, salt was of a dual nature. Sometimes it was considered a symbol of life and happiness, and sometimes it was associated with death and suffering. Salt is a mineral without which life would stop. Too much salt could be fatal. Salt was the white gold of the ancient world and was considered a treasure everywhere. All the customs and traditions that have survived to this day indicate how important is salt in the life of Armenians.

Bread and salt

According to an ancient Armenian tradition, guests were greeted with bread and salt. Bread was considered sacred and salt had a sanctifying property. Armenians called not hospitable and ungrateful people “people without bread and salt”. Faithful and close friends were called “friends who share bread and salt together”. From ancient times to this day, this dish has occupied a special place in Armenian cuisine and is considered a symbol of friendship and goodwill.

People who shared bread and salt together became allies. Breaking this friendship was considered a sin. It was the same with the oath given on bread and salt – it was indestructible and had tremendous power.

Salt and the goddess Anahit

Salt has always been considered one of the most important minerals. There are many sayings and myths about salt. For example, in Armenian mythology salt was a gift from the goddess Anahit. The salt cult was closely associated with fertility. Salt was an inseparable part of the goddess Anahit, and together they patronized mother and child.

Ancient Armenians sprinkled salt on newborn babies. In addition, there was a custom to cleanse a person or a house from evil spirits with salt. Salt was a holy seasoning and was kept in special saltcellars in different settlements of Armenia. These utensils were mostly made of clay and wood, in the shape of people and animals. The most popular saltcellars were in the shape of a woman and were associated with the worship of the goddess Anahit. Such saltcellars mostly depicted pregnant women. They were associated with the fertility and continuity of life. In the old days, such dishes were kept in the most important corner of the house – in a bread baking room called tonratun.

 

Salt in Armenian fairytales

Salt has found its unique expression in Armenian fairytales. In one of the old folk tales, when the king asks his daughters how much they love him, the younger sister replies: “Even the best food for me has no taste without salt; I love you as much as salt.” This expression makes the king very angry. He tells the girl that if she loves him as much as salt, then the salt is what she will get. He gives her a bag of salt and tells her to leave the house. However, at the end of the tale, the youngest daughter manages to convince the king how important salt is.

In another fairytale, the hero had to guard the immortal apple tree all night. He wounded his finger and sprinkled salt on it so that he stays awake all night due to severe pain.

There are also episodes where the hero, running away from the beast, sprinkles salt behind him, and mountains appear in those places and help the hero escape from the beast.

Of course, in these tales, salt is not used for its intended purpose. Here it performs a cult function. Salt is considered the taste of life. When the salt is not enough, everything around loses its meaning.

Salt Road

In the middle ages, in countries where there was not enough salt, one kilogram of it was equal to a kilogram of gold. Salt was considered an expensive and profitable trade item.

On the territory of the Armenian Highland since ancient times, salt mines have been used in Koghb, Nakhchivan and Kaghzvan. The provinces of Turuberan, Vaspurakan and Aghdznik were also rich in salt mines. The Salt Road found in medieval sources was connected to the Koghb mine. Unlike the Silk Road, this road did not pass through the territory of Armenia, but started from here, spreading to neighboring countries.

This road was busy until the beginning of the 20th century. The Koghb village is now called Tuzluca (“salt mine” in Turkish). The Koghb village was famous for its salt reserves. It was located in the Chakatk province of Greater Armenia. The village is located at the foot of Bardogh or Koghbasar Mountain. Starting from the village of Koghb, the Salt Road entered Kharbeklu or Yervandashat through the Araks River, and then, along the left bank of the Akhuryan valley, stretched in the direction of Bayandur-Alexandropol-Shishtapa-Gorelovka-Bogdanovka. The extension of the salt road had two branches: one stretched to Tsalka and Tbilisi, and the other to Javakheti and Kutaisi. Back in the 19th century, more than eighty thousand tons of rock salt were transported along this road to different parts of the Caucasus.

Salt also had healing properties. This explains the old habit of covering the baby’s body with salt. In the old days, the babies were trained in this way to get ready for the difficulties of life. One of the manifestations of the healing properties of salt is speleotherapy, which is widespread throughout the world, including in Armenia.

In 1987, the first speleotherapy center was opened in Armenia. Just being inside it can help to overcome a number of diseases.

To this day, when Armenians set the table, the first thing that they put on it is salt, which symbolizes its importance and life-giving significance in the life of Armenians. Salt in the life of Armenians is an element that will never lose its importance and strong properties.

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