“I have eaten your salt . ” is an idiom preceding oath of loyalty. Once you have partaken “someone’s salt”, meaning shared a meal , you are friends for life . The hindi term “namak ” stands for salt , and it is synonymous with honour , friendship , loyalty for life . I think salt must have been a precious commodity at one point of time , hence the importance attached to it . There is a story where a king asks his three daughters to quantify their love for him . The eldest one says that she loves him as she would the precious jewels . The second , not to be outdone , says that her love for him ranks amid the love for precious metals , viz., gold , silver etc. Only the third and the youngest says that her love for him , rivals that of her love of salt.
The king reacted as kings are wont to , by jumping to conclusions , getting his elder daughters married to princes , and the youngest princess to a pauper. As she climbed into her plain palanquin , as against her sisters’ bejewelled ones, the youngest princess called the palace cook aside and whispered something into his ears.
Thereafter , all the meals in the royal household were bereft of taste. So bland were they , that the king was compelled , eventually , to send for the royal cook and ask him what was the cause . He then replied -"Your majesty! It was the youngest princess parting wish to have salt excluded from all your meals , till you called for her . "
The King realised his error , and importance of salt , in one stroke. He , of course , called for his daughter , showered riches on her and begged for her forgiveness .
The Angelina Jolie film "S.A.L.T " also has undercurrents of loyalty for one's country , and how far you could go , in order to prove it.
Once you have partaken “someone’s salt”, meaning shared a meal , you are friends for life . The hindi term “namak ” stands for salt , and it is synonymous with honour , friendship , loyalty for life . I think salt must have been a precious commodity at one point of time , hence the importance attached to it .
There is a story where a king asks his three daughters to quantify their love for him . The eldest one says that she loves him as she would the precious jewels . The second , not to be outdone , says that her love for him ranks amid the love for precious metals , viz., gold , silver etc. Only the third and the youngest says that her love for him , rivals that of her love of salt.