SALT SUPERSTITIONS
Many old Scottish people still ,believe that salt should never be borrowed, or if borrowed, paid back immediately, because if the borrower should die in the meantime his ghost would be forced' to wander. When a Highlander died, it used to be the custom to place a platter on his chest containing salt, salt being the emblem of the immortal soul. The custom is still observed in remote parts of Ireland. Another salt superstition is that it is unlucky to pass anyone salt, for if you do you are helping him to sorrow. It was said that the devil never touched salt in any of his food, but when a saltcellar overturned he was always near, so salt should be flung at him over the shoulder to drive him away. In Leonardo da Vinci's picture of “The Last Supper” there is an overturned salt-cellar, and this is associated with misfortune and Judas’s betrayal of Our Lord. Some people say that bad luck associated with spilled salt dates from t li is.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NEM19330819.2.9
Bibliographic details
Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 19 August 1933, Page 2
Word Count
173SALT SUPERSTITIONS Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 19 August 1933, Page 2
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Nelson Evening Mail. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.