[hmx9123]

http://hmx9123.chemicalforums.com/OrganicSoap.html

Reply to THIS thread, not the linked one.

[gregpawin]

You know, I find it so interesting that someone hundreds of years ago thought of playing around with the fat spilled over from their pot into the ashes of their fire below actually get to the point where they're spreading this sooty black grease all over their body to get their bodies cleaner.  Who would have thought two really dirty things like wood ash and fat would make something that would make you cleaner.

[Scratch-]

THAT paints a funny picture in my mind.  

I saw a reenactment of an old village, they used charcoal from the fires to filter their water. This left a bluish film on the top of the water as one of the people there identified as lye. I'll bet that the people who invented soap used some water from a similar filter when cooking up some tasty fat (bleh  ).