It was a long time ago. There was no salt then. And ash was added to dishes for taste. And only one married couple ate very tasty: the woman knew the secret of preparing good food. She used salt. This was the whole secret of that woman’s culinary art. But she didn't open it to anyone. She was nicknamed the Goddess (or Mother) of Salt.
The husband’s sister really wanted to find out what the secret of her brother’s wife was. She refused for a very long time, but then she took pity and told her how to make food tasty.
It turned out that salt flows from her body when she washes herself. Those drops of water that she pours on herself turn into small grains of salt. This is the seasoning that she adds to food during cooking.
So the Goddess of Salt revealed her secret. The salt came from her own body, which was different from the body of any woman because it was divine and immaculate. And therefore, every pore of her skin exuded joy and gave taste to the dishes that her husband liked so much. He rejoiced at the salt because it was the taste of his wife's body. But the ungrateful daughter-in-law could not keep the secret and spread the word to the whole village about what she should not have told. So the secret of the Salt Goddess quickly reached the ears of her husband.
He saw how, after ablution, his wife began to collect droplets of water from her body. And these small droplets immediately turned into grains of salt. It turned out that what came out of his wife’s body was something that gave a great taste to the food that he liked so much and which others ate as something unique.
But instead of being happy about his wife’s gift, he began to beat her. In this way he hoped to drive the taste of salt out of her body. The unfortunate man did not want to admit that the nectar of his wife’s body gave him pleasure.
He beat the woman so hard that tears flowed from her eyes. And these tears had a salty taste - after all, they, too, were the moisture of the goddess’s body. From then to this day, everyone’s tears are salty, because the Goddess of Salt cried because her husband did not like the nectar of her body.
Solya's mother was offended, and anger rose from the depths of her heart. Her head and her heart did not listen to each other, and she said:
“Since you treat me with such contempt and disgust, and since you have not appreciated the best that is in my body and that gives the taste to your food, I am leaving forever.” Now you have to buy it. You will pay money to buy me.
They both fell silent. The sky became covered with black clouds and a terrible downpour came down with thunder and lightning. The water began to overflow its banks and small lagoons began to form, which then overflowed and flooded the plains; then they became a large river that flows into the sea.
The woman raised her head and with sad eyes looked for the last time at the place where she lived. Then she took a dugout trough and sat down in it. The trough stayed on the surface, and little by little she swam, helping herself with her hands. The rain continued to pour: the water seemed to be preparing the way for the Goddess, who was moving away from her home, from the earth. In vain did the gossipy daughter-in-law shout for her to come back. The goddess swam away... She disappeared from sight and disappeared into the depths of the ocean. There her body mixed with water. And since then the seas have become salty, because the Goddess of Salt lies there.
Here, on the land where she lived, there is a small lake of salt water. This may have been the spreading hair of the Goddess.
And since then people have been forced to buy salt.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru