Asbestos has been considered a valuable utility for its fire-resistant properties for more than 3,000 years. This value did not decrease soon, even though adverse effects became apparent almost instantly after its discovery. It wasn’t until the dawn of the 20th century that there was some kind of consensus on what fibrous stone material really is. While we know today that asbestos is the lifeblood of a host of specialist lawyers, it used to be a major point of speculation among mystics, naturalists, slaves, and kings alike. Ultimately, it would take hundreds of years to learn what asbestos really was, but in the meantime we were determined to understand it. That’s what folklore is for.

Salamanders

Salamanders are a seemingly unlikely place to start, but they are actually an integral part of asbestos folklore. Some quick research reveals that the word “Salamander” is derived from the Persian meaning “inner fire”. This may not seem to have much relevance until you understand that salamanders were thought to be “fire elementals,” meaning they only need fire for sustenance. However, it doesn’t stop there, salamanders may actually have been one of the most misunderstood creatures of ancient times. They were considered as miraculous and dangerous creatures that were born from fiery fires and that could destroy entire armies with their poison. When it was discovered that an asbestos cloth could be woven that could not be destroyed by a hot fire, the fibers were thought to be the fur of a salamander. Of course, even if the salamanders had fur, it would be safe to bet that no one knew what it looked like. This myth remained very popular until Marco Polo put an end to it after visiting a Chinese asbestos mine and deducing that it was actually a stone dug out of the ground.

Scammers and Pranksters

Many of the myths surrounding asbestos refer not so much to asbestos itself, but to the way people use it. There was a lot of leeway in ancient times when it came to using a fabric that would not burn in fire. A famous group of pranksters, aptly named “The Human Salamanders,” were particularly famous for wearing fireproof asbestos-based clothing to do crazy things like hand grilling steaks while standing inside an open flame. Others had more nefarious intentions, the sale of fireproof dresses that supposedly belonged to Christ was especially common in the Middle Ages. Asbestos, its origins, mythology, and potential uses eventually became known in so many ways, in so many cultures, that it was soon interpreted as several different substances with names like Salamander, Mountain Leather, and Rock Floss.

Slave disease

This last bit of folklore, unfortunately, turned out to be completely accurate in hindsight. It was considered a myth, but in ancient Greece it was said that slaves who had worked in asbestos mines were not worth buying due to their short life expectancy and their tendency to develop lung diseases. Initially, before it was known for its unique properties, asbestos was used almost exclusively by slaves. However, it was soon used specifically for royalty. Asbestos came to be woven into napkins, tablecloths, and was used to make candle wicks. The effect on the slaves and workers who had no choice but to weave the cloth was widely observed. What in all probability was mesothelioma was then called “the slave disease.” You could say that a precedent was set for asbestos exposure to be considered a problem of the poor since ancient Rome.

Turns out, there wasn’t much left to clarify about asbestos after the salamander skin myth was debunked. Ultimately, its defining characteristics stood out from the start. You cannot burn it in a fire and it will kill you. Hindsight is twenty, and yet asbestos still seems like hell from another world. But this is and always has been the main role of folklore, to transform and diminish the things that terrify us. Maybe one day as a society we can eventually avoid these things altogether and leave salamander skin on the ground where it belongs.