A cylinder of salt from 1st century BCE Egypt
Salt is a chemical compound and an essential component of life. Salt has a long history of multiple uses, from religious ceremonies and preservation to food seasonings and consumption.[1]
History[]
In the late 5th century BCE, the White Crystal Hills in the isolated region of Lokris, Greece were central to the country's salt supply and became highly contested during the Peloponnesian War.[2]
In 48 BCE, salt was used in the mixture natron, which was used to embalm the deceased into mummies. From his travels in Memphis, Egypt, the Medjay Bayek of Siwa investigated an awful odor that plagued the people of Memphis. From his probing, Bayek found out that "The Lizard" forced the head embalmer to taint the natron. Bayek later sought and found the bandits responsible and killed them, ending the odor and letting the priests preserve the dead in peace.[3]
In 1176, salt was used as a trap set by the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, Saladin, at a decoy tent to detect any incoming Levantine Assassins. However, the trap failed to alert Saladin's guards when Umar Ibn-La'Ahad snuck into his real tent to prove their ability of getting close enough to kill him.[4]
Salt in Renaissance Italy
In Renaissance times, salt was collected by the Italian Assassins in Rome and used to mix spirits of hartshorn along with other materials.[5]
During the American Revolutionary War, the crystalline form, rock salt, was mined, bought and sold as a raw material in the thirteen colonies. The Kanien'kehá:ka Assassin Ratonhnhaké:ton usually gathered rock salt within his community of the Davenport Homestead from its miner Norris. In fact, the Homestead's innkeepers Corrine and Oliver were responsible for crafting salted elk meat and salt itself with the use of rock salt, ands the blacksmith Big Dave also created black powder by using rock salt plus additional materials.[6]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade
- Assassin's Creed III
- Assassin's Creed: Origins
- Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
- Echoes of History (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple
- Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Assassin's Creed: Jade
