The symbol of fish in Christianity plays a very significant role. Firstly, it is closely associated with the name of Jesus Christ. Secondly, it is directly related to the history of this religion. If we remember that in the first centuries of our era in the Roman Empire it was brutally persecuted, it becomes clear why fish is a symbol of Christianity.
This is explained by the fact that at that time it was not possible to speak openly about the new faith and create images relating to it. Therefore, various symbolic signs and drawings appeared. They were a kind of secret writing with the help of which co-religionists identified each other. The meaning of the fish symbol in Christianity will be discussed in detail in the article.
Mysterious acronym
In the ancient Greek language there is a word Ίχθύς, which in Russian is written as “ichthys” and means fish. At the same time, it is a monogram (acronym) of the name of Christ and consists of the initial letters of his full name in Greek. In Russian this is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior. Instead of this name, the sign of a fish was often depicted, which in short form expresses the confession of Christianity.
Since, due to the persecution of faith in the early stages, images of Christ were an unacceptable subject, the indicated acronym appears in the 2nd century in the Roman catacombs. The symbol of fish in Christianity appeared long before the cross began to be used. After all, a terrible and shameful execution was previously associated with him. It only acquired its current meaning in the 4th century, when the crucifixion was abolished. At a certain period, both symbols were equivalent.
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There are symbols that accompany us throughout our lives and mysteriously influence it, although we do not always feel it. Here is one of such symbols. As children, we listen enchanted to the fairy tale about a goldfish that grants any three wishes, but also rewards what we deserve.
As a reward for his goodness, Emelya receives a pike as an assistant, thanks to which he marries the king’s daughter. A fairy tale knows a miracle fish: a woman who tastes it gives birth to heroes. The hero may be swallowed by a huge fish, but he always returns transformed: he begins to understand the bird's language, finds riches or reveals hidden secrets; or maybe in the belly of a fish you can be transported to another world. In our youth, reading the myths of Ancient Greece and Rome, we learn that fish, symbolizing the power of water, are attributes not only of the sea deities Poseidon and Neptune, but also of the goddesses of beauty and love Aphrodite and Venus, born from the foam of the sea. As the element of water, fish are associated with the Mother Goddess, the progenitor of all life.
Fish dishes were offered as sacrifices to all the gods of the underworld and the lunar goddesses of water, as well as love and fertility. This is related to the Syrian goddess Atargatis - her son Ichthys was a sacred fish - the Assyrian-Babylonian Ishtar, the Egyptian Isis, the Roman Venus, the Scandinavian Freya. In their honor, fish dishes were eaten on Fridays. Ancient Indian myths say that the god Vishnu turned into a fish during the great flood and saved the forefather of people Manu. In ancient China, fish was considered a symbol of happiness and abundance. In Japan, different types of fish are associated with different meanings. For example, a carp that can overcome oncoming currents and waterfalls is the embodiment of courage, endurance and endurance. And on Boys' Day, which falls on May 5, banners with carps embroidered with silk threads are hung in front of houses where there are boys. Entering the age of maturity, thinking about the meaning of life, trying to find our purpose, we sometimes turn to astrology, alchemy, and religion. And here new discoveries await us. As the 12th sign of the Zodiac, Pisces marks the end of one cycle and the beginning of the next. Those born under the sign of Pisces are characterized, for example, by the desire for brotherhood and peace, perfection, courtesy, “painstaking effort,” as well as “indomitable fertility.” Fishermen and sailors are often born under the sign of Pisces. In alchemy, two fish in one river symbolize primary matter and two elements - sulfur and mercury in dissolved form. For the past 2000 years, humanity has lived in the Age of Pisces, which began with the birth of Christ. It has been observed that if the first letters of the words “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior” (written in Greek) are added together, the Greek word IXOYS, “fish” is formed. The image of a fish, which became a symbol of Christ, is found on seals and lamps in Roman catacombs and on sarcophagi. It was considered a secret sign of the first Christians, who were in a hostile environment of pagans. There is also an analogy between fishing and converting people to a new faith (hence the "fisherman's ring" worn by the Pope). Christ called the apostles “fishers of men” and his converts “fishes.” As in many world and earlier religions, fish with bread and wine in Christianity is a sacred food. It is not for nothing that we often see fish in images of the Last Supper. The Christian symbol of fish combines not only astrological, but also pagan meanings. Even in ancient times, people associated fish, an inhabitant of the water element, with the origin of life on earth. Fish could bring silt from the bottom of the primordial ocean, and from this silt the earth was created. And it could serve as a support for the earth, which in this case rested on one, three or seven fish swimming in the world’s oceans. As soon as the fish waved its tail, earthquakes began. Fish was also connected with the world of ancestors. Many peoples believed that when a person dies, a person’s soul moves into a fish, and in order for the soul to reincarnate in a child, one simply needs to eat the fish. Fish also participated in rites associated with initiation into adulthood. Entering the belly of the “fish” (entrances to special huts where initiatory rites were held were often made in the form of the mouth of a fish, whale or crocodile), the neophyte symbolically died, entered the kingdom of the dead, and then, coming back, was symbolically born to a new life. Now, enriched with new sacred knowledge (after all, the dead know more than the living), he could enter adulthood. Petroglyphs, rock paintings, numerous stone and metal decorations in the form of fish from archaeological excavations are news to us from those distant times. Even today, without knowing all these details, like ancient people, we surround ourselves with images or stylized figures of fish. And according to psychologists, our dreams are quite “densely” populated by fish, which act as a symbol of the unconscious and creative inner worlds of our soul. This means that this ancient symbol still lives, and with its help we can understand ourselves - we just need to engage in dialogue with the fish.
Known. that for many peoples Pisces is the totemic creature of their ancestors. Fishes in the folklore of different nations.
There is such an abundance of fish names in ancient Russian tales and fairy tales that we can say with complete confidence: the population of ancient Rus' knew the inhabitants of their reservoirs very well. They distinguished peaceful fish well from predators, describing the characteristics of pike, ruffe, crucian carp, ide, bream, burbot, perch, sturgeon, roach, salmon, whitefish, catfish, kaluga and others. Many peoples used fish as symbols, some of them were especially highlighted. Salmon symbolized abundance among the American Indians, Irish and Finno-Ugrians. The carp was revered in China, and in Japan, bred koi carp with bright red spots symbolize strength and courage, as well as tenacity in the fight. Among many ancient peoples of Asia, carp played a special role in shamanic rituals when expelling evil spirits. Among the islanders, the shark was an image of evil and death. The main temples of Stribog, as is known from the ancient Slavs, were located on islands near the mouths of rivers, where fishermen and merchants often stopped. Berezan at the mouth of the Dnieper-Bug estuary was considered one of these islands. Before leaving for the open sea, Russian ships approached the island to bring rich gifts to Stribog. After all, according to legend, Stribog, together with Perun, commanded thunder and lightning. Stribog had many sons and grandchildren. They were the winds - Whistling, Podaga and Weather. Whistling is the elder wind, the god of the storm, lives in the mountains in the North, Podaga is a hot, drying wind. He lives in the south in the desert. Pagoda - warm, light breeze - god of pleasant weather. Until the 16th century not only sailors, but also scientists believed that a giant crayfish lived in the sea, devouring fishermen who fell into the sea. “During one of his trips to the Land of Gold (Indonesia), Captain Ismailuya approached land near Almeri (northern part of the island of Sumatra ), since he needed to stop the ship, which was damaged. When the sailors dropped a large anchor, the ship, for some unknown reason, continued to sail further. “Come down the anchor rope and find out what’s going on!” - Ismailuyya ordered the diver. But the diver, before diving, looked into the depths and saw that the anchor was clamped between the claws of the crayfish, which, playing with it, was dragging the ship. The sailors began to shout and throw stones into the water; finally they pulled up the anchor and dropped it in another place.” How similar this fairy tale, born on the shores of the Indian Ocean, is to the Oceanic myth about a giant mollusk swallowing ships with their entire crew! Both tales reflect, albeit in a fantastic form, the countless difficulties and dangers that ancient sailors faced. An amazing story about ships that almost became victims of a monstrous cancer back in the 10th century. Buzurg ibn Shahriyar told in his book “Wonders of India”. “People believed that the God of Timbabantu sent the fishermen a good catch, but he also drove the fish away from the shores. Fears surrounded the village on all sides. Fear lurked in the thicket of forests, fear crawled in the swamp mists, fear lay in wait for the traveler everywhere. Fear moaned, screamed, sobbed, snapped its jaws, roared, meowed in the middle of the dark night, rustled leaves, howled like a crushing storm, rumbled with rolling thunder, blazed with lightning... And the sacrificial fire blazed, the bodies of burned people and animals crackled and hissed. Timbabantu devoured victim after victim and was insatiable, demanding more and more victims...” The legends of our ancestors about the underwater world appeared in the 6th millennium BC. This was the period of the birth of the Slavic epic itself, which stood out from the epic of the Indo-European peoples. From this period, some archaeological monuments have reached us. It was then that the legend of the Sea Serpent was born among the Proto-Slavs. The Black Sea serpent lives at the bottom of the sea in a white stone palace - miraculously, those chambers are decorated with amber, corals, and pearls. He is surrounded by fierce guards - crab crayfish with huge claws. There is also a catfish with a big mustache, and a thick-lipped burbot, a lip-slapper, and a sturgeon, and a toothy pike, and a giant sturgeon, a toad with a belly like a jug, and the king of all fish is the Whitefish! Dolphins serve the Black Sea, and mermaids sing for it, play ringing harps, and blow huge shells. The sailing Rus conquered the sea elements in ancient times. They mastered not only the Black Sea, but also the Mediterranean. The god of the winds, Stribog, was revered by sailors and fishermen. Having turned into the Stratim bird, he could summon and tame the storm. The Russians invented the rudder, anchor and sail. They knew well the habits of sea fish, some they caught with seines, and some with fixed nets. The period of epics and sacred texts about fish was from the middle of the second millennium BC. e. and lasted until the 3rd-4th centuries AD. e. From this “time of ancient kingdoms” the names of many leaders and princes are remembered, and numerous archaeological sites complement the history of this era. Various peoples have preserved many epics in which fish and fish-like monsters played a significant role. Among the peoples of the North, the burbot personified the underground kingdom. After all, it spawns and shows its activity - zhor, opening a “terrible gape” for this when the polar night reigns in the Arctic. “The frosts are bitter outside, but the burbot is having more fun,” says a popular proverb. This is how modern fishermen talk about winter burbot fishing: “In the darkness, from under the ice, you drag some kind of monster, like a water goblin, slippery, covered with sticky mucus, which makes it impossible to hold it in your hands. A burbot pulled out onto the ice in the bitter cold flutters, moves, twists, raises its big head and opens its mouth...” And one could imagine our ancestor who went out on the ice to fish at night, after visiting a local sorcerer or priest. More often, prayers were said at the sacrificial place for good luck, and enemies were feared. These scenes were preserved in the epic of the northern peoples. In “Kalevala” many scenes are associated with the fight against underwater monsters, represented either by pike or burbot. To win the favor of his future mother-in-law, the mistress of Pohjema, the groom Ilmarinen must do many good deeds - plow a snake field, defeat a bear and a wolf, and, finally, catch and deal with a huge fish from Tuoni or Mana - the underworld, personifying evil forces. News about global events that took place on Earth comes to us, descendants, in the form of legends and myths. For example, the World Floods. In the myths of different peoples, fish acted as life saviors. Some historians believe that in human memory there were five great floods: “Platonovsky” (7500 BC), “Atlantic” (5500 BC), “Worldwide” (3100 BC), “ Deucalion" (1400 BC) and "Biblical" (800 BC). Floods are associated with earthquakes, melting glaciers, outbursts of water accumulated in valleys, volcanic eruptions and the fall of celestial bodies. All nations where myths about floods exist, in Iran, Transcaucasia, Syria, Turkey, Palestine, had a cult of fish as the savior of people and the Earth. We find echoes in the texts of various documents that have survived to this day. The Sumerians have a text translated as “House of the Fish.” This is a monologue in which it is said that a special house is being built for the safety of the fish - a temple pool. Temple fish pools are an attribute of many mandatory buildings in the Middle East, Transcaucasia, and Egypt. Such sacred pools were known even among the ancient Indo-Europeans - the Aryans, who lived several thousand years ago in northern Europe. The discovered sanctuary of Beles (Belobog) or the Belovodskoe sanctuary of the Aryans near Seid Lake (in Sami “Holy Lake”) also had a sacred well on Mount Ninchurg. In the ancient Libyan city of Siwa, the sacred pool of Ammon-Ra is still filled with water, although it was built by the priests of the city of Ammonia during the life of Pharaoh Akhenaten IV (1419-1400 BC). In Russia to this day, almost every locality has its own Holy Lake, take a look at the map of any large region. A small carp fish, which has, in addition to local Georgian names - Pichhuli, Kaluga, Kapvest, Ludzha, Kapueti, also has another - Khramulya, that is, temple fish. This is the most valuable fish among Georgians. Only on the most solemn occasions is it prepared for the table. In ancient China, breeding aquarium fish followed ancient beliefs. The Chinese have a lot of legends where crucian carp is the progenitor of a particular family. Silver crucian carp are bred in pools and aquariums. There are three varieties of crucian carp in China: kuroji or black crucian carp (Carassius carassius), ginji or humpback black crucian carp (C. a. gibelio) and ji - Chinese silver carp (C. a. auratus). The first information about breeding orange or goldfish appeared long before Confucius (551-479 BC). Their images are found in the earliest written monuments, on the coats of arms of noble families. They become an integral part of Buddhism. Every Buddhist temple had a pool with goldfish. Fish acts as an earthly principle among the Chinese of the Shang (Yin) era in the 16th-11th centuries. BC e. On bronze vessels about 1 m in size, made according to a wax model, there were four longitudinal seams, which served as symbols of the four cardinal directions. The decor of the vessel had a horizontal division into three belts. The lowest one was filled with stylized waves with images of swimming fish, symbolizing the element of water. The middle layer—the world of the earth—was filled with moving animals, and the top layer—the sky and mountains—was shown as a triangle. Among the Iranians and their neighbors, the fish-savior of God is a pure creature. It is known that when one infidel shot an arrow from a bow into the sky to hit the god, the fish covered it with its body. After this, she developed wounds - gills. Apparently, this is why the Indo-Aryan Slavs did not have the custom of sacrificing fish. In the “Book of Veles”, on one of the tablets the ancient priests wrote: “The gods of the Rus do not take human or animal sacrifices, only fruits, vegetables, grains, milk, cheese drink (whey) infused with herbs, and honey. Never a live bird or fish...” In order not to offend the fish, a number of rituals associated with fishing have been developed. Among the Ossetians, the ancestors of the Alans, the god Dombetyr forbids fishing when it spawns. The northern Slavs had a god of the sea, who was called Perdoatys. He was the god of fish and fishermen. Before going out to sea, the fishermen made sacrifices, and the priest stood in front of the crowd of fishermen, predicting success, commanding where, with what wind and when each boat should sail. The peoples of Northern Siberia believe that a “hairy father” lives in the water, who tends fish flocks and helps fishermen. Asyakh-Torum is not only the god of the upper Ob, but also the manager of fish resources. Among the Nivkhs or Gilyaks, the owner of the sea, living under water, manages the eggs of the fish and maintains their numbers. The Japanese have a similar myth. The goddess of food, Ukemochi, constantly worries that there will always be fish in the sea, which she needs to support the lives of the people under her control. The Aztecs believed that in order not to disappear from the face of the earth during floods, people turned into fish. God Tezcatlipoc turns himself into the Sun, and populates the earth with people created from ashes. The rest of the gods made sure that everything was washed away with water, and people turned into fish. In the Chinese version of the flood, Gun takes the form of a fish after death, and Yu emerges from his body, who manages to tame the waters. Fish in China was one of the symbols of wealth. The Khevsurs and other mountaineers of the Caucasus, as well as the inhabitants of Central Asia, gave magical meaning to fish designs. You can still see “fish” motifs in the ornamentation of buildings, on dishes, on embroidery of women’s clothing and towels. In many ancient drawings you can see how fish and whales act as supports for the Earth. They themselves swim in the vast ocean. With the sudden movement of a swimming fish, as the Buryat epic testifies, earthquakes or, as the Altai myth states, floods begin. The same explanations for these natural phenomena can be found among the Japanese and Ainu. In Indian beliefs, fish appears as a riding animal - the Sun circles the Earth in its boat drawn by fish. The Scythians had an interesting idea of the world. The foundation of the world was performed by a large fish - a plate of gold. The fish is divided along the lateral line. Below are images of small fish, at the top, above the side line, are carved animals in the Scythian animal style. The image of a flying bird ends the lateral line on the caudal peduncle. The golden plate of the fish was used as a clasp on the belt. The fish also acted as a symbol of strength. In the Hebrew tradition, she is associated with the demon Asmodeus, especially in his struggle with Solomon and Tobias. Tobiah defeats the demon with the help of a fish. Religious taboo on fish and sacred reservoirs Due to the fact that fish were sacred animals among many peoples, a taboo developed on eating certain species. Although fish could be poisonous in itself as a species or be a quickly perishable food product. It is known that in European fish - barbel, marinka, etc. - caviar becomes poisonous during the ripening period. It’s not for nothing that the Ukrainians and Belarusians call the barbel a madder, which among the ancient Slavs meant the Queen of Death. The mucus of many marine fish is also poisonous. Sometimes improperly prepared fish, such as fugu, a Japanese delicacy, can cause poisoning. In the Bible we read (chapter 47): “And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron... Of all the animals that are in the water, eat these: those that have feathers and scales... And all those that do not have feathers and scales, whether in the seas or the rivers, of all that swim in the waters, and of all that live in the waters, are unclean to you. They must be bad for you; You shall not eat their flesh, and you shall abhor their corpses” (Leviticus, Chapter II, The Bible about clean and unclean animals). In the Koran, the holy book of Muslims, from 107 verses of 21 suras, some sayings (Sura 16, etc.) are associated with the Islamic prohibition of consuming pork and eating fish without scales... “this is filth, or unclean...” The prohibitions were needed to protect people from poisoning. Indeed, in hot and especially desert areas, in the absence of methods for long-term storage of food at that time, food poisoning is a common occurrence. Botulism bacteria multiply primarily in quickly perishable foods. And fish without scales, wounded by a harpoon or bitten by a predator could deteriorate faster. The same applies to pork, which spoils quickly in the heat. The fish were declared sacred because they belonged to the temple. And priests and other clergy, initiated into sacred secrets, forbade eating them. For Buddhists it was goldfish, like the sacred cow for Hindus. In ancient Egypt, among many sacred animals - cats, crocodiles and others - there was also a small fish - the Nile elephant snout. For many peoples, fish embodies the soul of a deceased person, acting as a kind of creature of the lower world - the kingdom of the dead. To be resurrected, you need to be there. Among the Mongols and other Buddhists, Buddha appears as a fisherman - a catcher of souls. Therefore, even now the lakes of Mongolia are abundant in fish, since it is practically not used by local residents. The “fish” symbolism of Jesus Christ is also not accidental. Formally, the Greek word fish (Yachkhyt) is deciphered as an abbreviation for “Jesus Christ - the son of God, the savior of souls.” The resurrected god of fertility is associated with fish in the Afro-Eurasian myth of Ishtar. The basis of the cult of Ishtar is Nineveh, which means “House of Fish”. Lucian (120-190) in his treatise “On the Syrian Goddess” talks about the beautiful young man Combabas, who lived in Hierapolis. He castrates himself and throws the phallus into the water, which is swallowed by a fish. There are similar versions of the Egyptian myth about Osiris in the Georgian fairy tale “About the Nine Sons of the King.” The youngest son of the Georgian king takes living water from a spring belonging to a fish woman. When a young man is killed and dismembered, a fish woman collects the body and, sprinkling water from a spring, resurrects him. The miraculous resurrection of the biblical Jonah is known to occur after he was swallowed by a fish. A person getting into the stomach of a fish and then being rescued is also known among other peoples. In a Russian fairy tale, Ivan is swallowed by a pike fish, which then vomits him out. The Melanesians have the same tale, where Kamakajak was the hero. It is no coincidence that many ancient monuments in China, India and Egypt depicted a fish, symbolizing a new birth in the other world. In early Christian literature, Jesus Christ was called the “Fish” - a symbol of faith, the purity of the Virgin Mary, as well as baptism and communion. Sometimes fish replaced bread and wine in gifts. The gospel motif combines fish and bread. Christian fishermen Peter and Andrew are saints; Jesus promises to make them “fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19). Ancient people understood caring for nature near their home, that clean water was the basis of life. Keeping lakes and rivers clean is the theme of many legends. The Proto-Slavs and other Indo-Europeans worshiped pure springs and streams, created wells that were revered by everyone who lived nearby and used the water. The ancient Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus (624-547 BC) wrote: “The self-propelling force of the element is water, from which everything that is, that was, and that will be came.” There are practically no mammals on the islands of Oceania. The basis of food is coconuts and breadfruit. Breadfruit is considered sacred. There is a legend that tells how the servants of one of the leaders pursued the goddess Papa. The goddess hid from her pursuers on a breadfruit tree. She knew that this tree could not be cut down and its branches could not be broken. Even a splinter that bounces off can kill a person. It is chopped only when it is necessary to make an image of the goddess. But before the bread tree will be sacrificed - black fish, red fish and black pig. The healing properties of fish in ancient myths in ancient times knew not only the structure of many fish, but also their healing properties. In cuneiform signs found in Mesopotamia, a fish-wipes are mentioned among a dozen names of drugs. According to the Babylonian and Assyrian doctors, its impressive organs possessed healing properties. These recipes are confirmed by modern medicine. Medicines prepared from the body help in severe diseases, such as leprosy, epilepsy, heart disease. For more than two thousand years, the Japanese have been used by the drugs from fish-bush to raise a general tone and in various diseases. The ancient Chinese and Koreans made an extract of toxic fish. Especially appreciated by sea pike perch (Lateobrax Japonicus) and Atlantic Puffer (Sphoeroides Spen-Gleri). And the Romans and the Greeks healed the headache and gout with the help of electric strokes from slopes (det. Torpediniformes) and electric soms. From ancient times, the Slavs used the Tinca Tinca, applying fresh fish to the head to get rid of the fever. Pliny senior (23-79) in “Natural History”, which mentions more than 300 recipes for making drugs from various types of fish, testifies to the widespread use of fish in the treatment of various diseases. In the VI century BC. e. There was a legend in the Ecbatan in the Ecbatan, that the liver, bile and the heart of the fish caught in the tiger have magic. With the help of smoking dried these organs, many diseases were expelled. It was read. That bile heals sick eyes. Of great importance was attached to the myths of Babylon and Transcaucasia to the gods-fish, healing the sick. The fish -shaped god EA was installed at the bed of a sick child in order to drive out demons. Figures of fish, their images were often given magical values for healing patients. The trout in Georgia and Armenia is the necessary attribute in the treatment of infertility and various diseases, for this it was enough to swallow a living fry. This was also stated in the Slavic hospital “Book of Kolyada”, which gives the following recommendation: “Whoever eats the sorceress pike will immediately become pregnant from it: for it is not an ordinary pike - then the family itself comes through stormy waters.” He caught the pike with a chin. They caught it, then prepared. Lada - the wife of Svarog ate a pike, she threw her bones to the ground, and the heavenly cow of Zemun and the goat born of a kind - Sedun, they licked the bones, and Lada, Mother of God, mother of the gods, the mother of the cheese earth, and Zemun with Seduna, became pregnant from that pike. . Then the Lada-Mother of Three daughters gave birth: Lelia-Joy and Love are golden-haired, Kiva is the spring Virgin Fiery, the goddess of life, the cold marine-the queen of death. And three more sons: Perun - a great thunderer, Tula - a blacksmith, the god of the Terrible, and the water Ilm - the king of the seas, the patron sifte of sailors and fishermen.
Images
Fish were depicted by the first Christians in the catacombs, in churches, on utensils (for example, on lamps), seals, clothes, and in letters. Today it is an element of church decor. On the walls of the catacombs you can see an image of a fish with a basket located on its back. It contains bread and a bottle of red wine. This symbolizes the image of Christ in the Eucharist, that is, in the rite of communion.
In some drawings, the fish is carrying a ship. This is an association with the Christian Church. Three fish, having one common head, symbolically depicted the Holy Trinity, emphasizing its non-fusion and at the same time inseparability. Just as modern Christian believers wear crosses, early representatives of this religion wore fish, which were made of various materials, such as metal, stone, mother-of-pearl, glass.
In his work “On the City of God,” St. Augustine wrote that the symbol of the fish in Christianity is a mysterious sign of Christ, indicating that in the abyss of mortality, as if in the depths of water, he remained alive and sinless.
Gospel symbolism
The New Testament uses this symbol on many occasions. So, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus asks if among his interlocutors there is a person who will give his son a stone instead of bread when he asks for bread? Or will she give him a snake when he asks for a fish? According to interpreters of Scripture, here the fish is a symbol of Christ as the true Bread of Life, while the snake is a symbol of the devil.
Matthew also speaks of feeding a large mass of people with seven loaves of bread and a small number of fish. Jesus took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God, broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples, who gave them to the people. All the people ate and were full. There were more than 4 thousand of them. During another miracle of feeding, there were two fish and five loaves.
All of these episodes testify to the Eucharistic understanding of saturation and are symbolically reflected in the image of a swimming fish with a wicker basket on its back containing bread and wine. This is available, for example, in one of the catacombs of St. Callistus in Rome.
History of the sign
According to the canon, the symbol in the shape of a fish should contain “ihtis” inside - the abbreviation “Isus Hristos Teu Ius Soter” (“Jesus Christ the Son of God the Savior”). This is a religious sign that is still used by some Christian denominations (Baptists, Adventists, etc.). Subsequently, the sign was simplified - people began to use a simple outline of a fish without the “ichthys” inside.
The symbol came into use during the persecution of Christians in the 2nd century AD. Religious people could not wear the cross, since it was well known and people were arrested for it. Few people knew about the meaning of the sign of the fish, and religious people began to use it so that like-minded people in faith could recognize each other as “brothers” without the threat of punishment.
The theologian Tertullian, who lived at the beginning of the 3rd century, wrote that the sign of the fish is similar to the cross. The scientist explained his greatness this way: “We are little fish, led by our ocean called God.”
This design of a fish with the abbreviation “ichthys” (“ihtis”) is considered a canonical religious symbol
Why is the fish shape used? For starters, “Ichthys” is translated from ancient Greek as “fish.” But this creature has become very symbolic for believers. So, for example, what do we see in the Bible? In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus calls his followers “fishers and saviors of pure souls,” and compares the Kingdom of heaven to “a net thrown into the sea and capturing fish of all kinds” (Matthew 4:19, 13:47). Theologians also suggest that the sign of the fish is similar to the capital spelling of the Greek letter alpha, and the Revelation of John the Evangelist says: “I Am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
On sale you can find car stickers and emblems with fish - both canonical and modified (for example, as in the photo, where the word “faith” is used instead of the standard “ichthys”)
The meaning of a fish sign placed on a car
When placed on a car, the interpretation of the fish symbol does not change. It also means that the person who owns the marked car is a Christian. Of course, there is a possibility that the driver simply purchased a car with a badge already pasted on it or applied a drawing without delving into its interpretation. That is why, before starting conversations with the owner of the car on a religious topic, it is better to inquire whether he is aware of the meaning of “fish”.
A fish on a car means that the owner of the car is a Christian.
About 20 years ago in England I asked a friend what the fish sticker on a car meant. So, this is a difficult identification mark for Christians; it is also a sign that the driver of such a car complies with all the rules. But I suspect that this option is not being considered in Russia.
Larisa
https://www.avtovzglyad.ru/obshestvo/socium/2017–08–28-chto-oznachaet-naklejki-ryba-ili-sbitaja-babushka-na-mashine/
Is it possible to use this sign
The law does not provide any punishment for placing fish symbols. They are not offensive or extremist. The only thing is that the sticker must be of such a size and location that it does not threaten traffic safety, that is, it does not block the driver’s view.
Holy Apostles
The symbol of fish in Christianity is also associated with the disciples of Jesus Christ. Of these, eight were originally fishermen. Matthew and Mark tell us that the Teacher promised Andrew and Peter that they would become “fishers of men,” that is, they would lead people. The Savior likens the kingdom of heaven to a net that is thrown into the sea and captures fish of all kinds.
In Capernaum there is a statue of Peter, the successor of Jesus, who holds in his hands a staff and a large fish received from the Teacher. Fish is also a symbol of fertility. Each gives birth to countless offspring, which is also used as an allegory of the fact that from the sermons of a small group of apostles, a major religion was gradually formed, whose adherents today number in the billions.
Understanding what the fish symbol means in Christianity, we should also talk about its other interpretations.
Fish
Home > Vitamins for the soul > Symbols >The symbolism of fish incorporates many diverse, sometimes polar opposite, meanings. Since ancient times, fish has been associated with Teachers, world Saviors, ancestors, and wisdom. The Hindu Vishnu, the Egyptian Horus, the Chaldean Oannes, and also Christ are related to the fish symbol. Disciples and followers living in the “water of teaching” are often likened to fish.
There are legends (records of which were preserved in the temples of antiquity) according to which the human race originated from creatures resembling amphibians. Their bodies were covered with scales and they breathed through gills. In a number of myths, fish perform the function of a demiurge, i.e. participate in the creation of the world: for example, fish bring silt from the bottom of the primordial ocean, from which land is created, or serve as the support of the earth.
The symbolism of fish is closely related to the symbolism of water, the water element. In a variety of mythologies, water is the origin, the initial state of all things, the source of life. Therefore, fish that live freely in water, in the primordial ocean, are endowed with demiurgic power, and in a number of myths they also turn out to be the ancestors of people. Water is also associated with the unconscious; knowledge is hidden in the depths of the waters, which is difficult (or impossible) for a person to obtain, but which is accessible to fish. Water cleanses, ritual ablution symbolizes rebirth, a return to the beginning, so a fish living in water represents hope for a new birth. But water is a formidable element, which is reflected in numerous versions of the flood myth, and here a fish can also show its power and help a person escape, as happened in the myth of Manu.
Water is a symbol of the feminine principle, so fish becomes an attribute of many Great Goddesses (Atargatis, Ishtar, Astarte, Aphrodite). In this regard, it can symbolize not only fertility, fertility, abundance, sensual love, but also such negative aspects attributed to goddesses as vanity and greed.
In a number of mythological stories where a giant fish (or whale) swallows and then releases the hero (as, for example, in the myth of Jonah), the fish acts as a kind of equivalent of the lower world, the kingdom of the dead. These stories symbolize the process of initiation, rebirth after symbolic death.
In the Middle East, fish was an attribute of the Syrian goddess of love and fertility, Atargatis (each of her temples had a pond with sacred fish; her son’s name was Ichthys, which means “fish”). This goddess appeared under different names - Ishtar, Derketo, Astarte - and was often depicted as a woman with a fish tail. The myths said that the goddess got a fish tail when she and her son rushed into the waters of the Euphrates to escape from a monster. In Sumerian writing, the sign “fish” expressed the concept of “fertility” and “reproduction.” The Babylonian god Ea could be represented as a fish man. Ea was credited not only with power and wisdom, but also with healing abilities; There are known images of the “fish-shaped” Ea at the bedside of a sick child. Oannes, the Chaldean Savior, was depicted with the head and body of a fish and with human hands and feet. He came out of the sea and taught people writing, science, building cities and temples, agriculture, etc. Fish skin was used as clothing by the priests of Ea and Oannes.
In Egyptian mythology, the goddess of the city of Mendes was Khatme-hit. Her sacred animal is the fish, and her epithet is the First among fishes. She was depicted as a woman with a fish on her head; in the later period she was brought closer to Isis: it was believed that this goddess helped Isis collect parts of the body of Osiris killed by Set.
The Egyptian god Horus was sometimes represented as a fish. Isis, when she nursed little Horus, was also depicted with a fish on her headdress.
In Indian mythology, Vishnu, during his first incarnation as an avatar in the form of a fish, warns the progenitor of mankind, Manu, about the upcoming flood. Killing the demon Hayagriva, Vishnu returns the sacred books of knowledge, the Vedas, stolen by the demon from Brahma. In India, there is a ritual: on the twelfth day of the first month of the Indian year, a fish is placed in a vessel with water and the following appeal is addressed to it: “Just as you, O God, took the form of a fish and saved the Vedas, which were in the underworld, so save me.” !”
In Buddhism, fish symbolizes following the Buddha, liberation from desires and attachments. Buddha, like Jesus Christ, was called a fisher of men.
In Chinese mythology, fish symbolizes abundance, wealth, fertility, and harmony. One of the myths of ancient Chinese mythology speaks of a creature called Lingyu (“Fish Hill”), with the body of a fish; His arms, legs and head are human.
For the Greeks and Romans, fish were sacred in connection with the cult of Aphrodite (Venus), the goddess of love and fertility. Fish as a symbol of the power of water was also an attribute of Poseidon (Neptune). In rituals dedicated to Adonis, fish was used as an offering for the dead.
Among the ancient Semites, the beneficent deity in the form of a fish bore the name Dagon. It was also called Dag, which translated means “fish”, “guardian” or “Messiah”. In Judaism, fish represent the believers of Israel in their true element, in the waters of the Torah. Fish is the food of the Sabbath, a symbol of the heavenly feast.
In early Christianity, fish was adopted as a symbol of Christ by many Church Fathers. The sign of the fish was the first monogram of Christ. Jesus' mysterious Greek name means "fish." It was the fishermen brothers who became the first disciples of Jesus, who told them that they would be “fishers of men.” Believers, disciples of Christ, like himself, were often likened to fish, safe only in the “water of teaching.” The baptismal font quite early began to be likened to a fish tank (piscina). Three intertwined fish or three fish with one head symbolize the Trinity.
The coming of Christ was associated with the onset of the astrological era of Pisces. Jesus “was born as the first fish of the era of Pisces and was doomed to die as the last lamb of the declining era of Aries” (C. G. Jung, AION).
TALE OF THE FLOOD
Manu, the son of Vivasvat, the half-brother of Yama, settled on earth in a secluded monastery near the southern mountains. One morning, when he was washing his hands, as they do to this day, he came across a small fish in the water brought for washing. She told him: “Save my life, and I will save you.” “What will you save me from?” - asked the surprised Manu. The fish said: “The flood will come and destroy all living beings. I will save you from him." “How can I keep you alive?” And she said: “We fish, while we are so small, are threatened with death from everywhere. One fish eats another. You first keep me in a jug, when I grow out of it, dig a pond and keep me there; and when I grow even larger, take me to the sea and release me into the open, for then death will no longer threaten me from anywhere.” Manu did just that. Soon she grew up and became a huge jhasha fish with a horn on her head; and this is the largest of all fish. And Manu released her into the sea. Then she said: “In such and such a year there will be a flood. Make a ship and wait for me. And when the flood comes, board the ship and I will save you.”
And in the year that the fish indicated to him, Manu built a ship. When the flood came, he boarded the ship and the fish swam to him. Obeying her command, Manu took with him the seeds of various plants. Then he tied a rope to the horn of the fish, and it quickly pulled his ship along the raging waves. The earth was no longer visible, the countries of the world disappeared from the eyes; there was only water around them. Manu and the fish were the only living creatures in this watery chaos. Fierce winds rocked the ship from side to side. But the fish swam and swam forward through the watery desert and finally brought Manu’s ship to the highest mountain of the Himalaya. Then she told Manu: “I saved you. Tie the ship to a tree. But be careful, the water may wash you away. Descend gradually, following the decline of the water.” Manu followed the advice of the fish. Since then, this place in the northern mountains has been called “Descent of Manu”.
And the flood washed away all living creatures. Only Manu remained to continue the human race on earth.
Source: E. N. Temkin, V. G. Erman. "Myths of Ancient India"
coral reef
Under the waves of dawn, a flowing current of metal flows between the algae on the warm bottom. The living flora there, in the lagoon silence, mixed its breath with the blooming fauna. And rusty iodine and salt lay a shade of lalla On the anemone and moss that lie in the depths, In the condensed purple flickering fire, The wormy trunks of the star coral. Glistening with scales like liquid enamel, There a heavy fish through blue crystal, Dozing, swims - a sparkling miracle - And suddenly, suddenly raising its fiery fin, Dives. And in the gloomy water at this moment the trembling of gold, fire and emerald runs. J. M. Heredia (translated from French by G. Shengeli)
Other characters
It should be noted that the Church Fathers compared the Christians themselves to fish, saying that they followed Jesus “the water of eternal life.” Thus, Tertullian, an outstanding Christian writer of the 2nd-3rd centuries, believed that the sacrament of water is life-giving, since by washing away the sins of yesterday's blindness with it, people are freed for eternal life.
Writing about baptism, he emphasized that we are the same fish that, following the “fish” Jesus, are born in water and preserve life by remaining in it. Thus, the fish is also a symbol of baptism. The font in which it takes place is called piscina in Latin (in Russian - “piscina”), which literally translates as “fish tank”. And the converts are called pisciculi, that is, “fish.”
Christ also sees fishing as an analogy to conversion. The wearing of the so-called fisherman's ring by the Pope is also connected with this.
As mentioned above, the image of three fish with one head is a symbol of the Holy Trinity. Just like three woven together. For Christians, fish also symbolizes selflessness.
Pisces in Chinese tradition. Riddles of symbols.
Spring!
It's time to draw goldfish! And that's why.
Nowadays, elegant fish with bushy tails and big eyes can be seen in any pet supply store. Aquarists readily breed them as beautiful and at the same time unpretentious fish. Scientists have now established that these beauties were bred from one of the subspecies of crucian carp. But it was not always so…
Europeans saw images of these beautiful fish on luxury goods brought by merchants from the East along the Great Silk Road, and, perhaps, they hardly believed that such strange creatures existed in reality, and not the fruit of the artist’s rich imagination!
However, the Eastern tradition of depicting fish, both large and small, has ancient roots.
Firstly, China is a country with rich water resources. Fish, like rice, occupied an impressive place in the daily diet of ordinary people. Fishing in China was practiced all year round.
At the same time, fish was also valued from an aesthetic point of view.
Beautiful, unusual fish of various shapes were grown in ponds and aquariums.
In China, the image of a fish is considered an auspicious symbol, promising happiness, prosperity, wealth and harmony, as well as liberation from all restrictions.
The latter meaning is believed to be related to the Buddhist tradition of freeing living beings such as birds and turtles, which were purchased deliberately during religious holidays in order to be released into the wild.
In Chinese, the word for fish, yu, is similar to the word for abundance. On the one hand, there is an abundance of fish in the rivers, and on the other, the fish itself gives abundant offspring.
There is a tradition when young men present a fishing net to the bride's family due to its good meaning.
Therefore, the image of two fish is a symbol of a happy marriage, especially in the most romantic senses...
It is believed that the image of two fish is especially good to place in the marital bedroom.
Carp occupies a special place among fish.
This attitude towards carp has developed due to the fact that the life of a carp is spent in a constant struggle for existence. In search of food or a place to spawn, these fish have to travel vast distances, fighting the current. The longevity of carp is also valued. For this reason, carp is called the king of fish.
Carp is also called dragon fish.
It was believed that every carp that could climb up the Yellow River through all the rapids during the third moon would turn into a dragon.
Thus, the carp is perceived as an exclusively masculine symbol: a symbol of perseverance, power, ambition, military valor, as well as literary talent.
And now some photos for inspiration!
And now some paintings depicting fish in the Chinese tradition.
© Kalina Tatyana, 03/16/2016.
