The
history of the Christian fish symbol:
The
pre-Christian history of the fish symbol: The fish symbol has been used for
millennia worldwide as a religious symbol associated with the Pagan Great Mother
Goddess. It is the outline of her vulva. The fish symbol was often drawn by
overlapping two very thin crescent moons. One represented the crescent shortly
before the new moon; the other shortly after, when the moon is just visible. The
Moon is the heavenly body that has long been associated with the Goddess, just
as the sun is a symbol of the God. The link between the Goddess and fish was
found in various areas of the ancient world: In China, Great Mother Kwan-yin
often portrayed in the shape of a fish, In India, the Goddess Kali was called
the "fish-eyed one", In Egypt, Isis was called the Great Fish of the Abyss, In
Greece the Greek word "delphos" meant both fish and womb.
The word is derived from the location of the
ancient Oracle at Delphi who worshipped the original fish goddess, Themis. The
later fish Goddess, Aphrodite Salacia, was worshipped by her followers on her
sacred day, Friday. They ate fish and engaging in orgies. From her name comes
the English word "salacious" which means lustful or obscene. Also from her name
comes the name of our fourth month, April. In later centuries, the Christian
church adsorbed this tradition by requiring the faithful to eat fish on Friday -
a tradition that was only recently abandoned. In ancient Rome Friday is called
"dies veneris" or Day of Venus, the Pagan Goddess of Love. Throughout the
Mediterranean, mystery religions used fish, wine and bread for their sacramental
meal. In Scandinavia, the Great Goddess was named Freya; fish were eaten in her
honor. The 6th day of the week was named "Friday" after her. In the Middle East,
the Great Goddess of Ephesus was portrayed as a woman with a fish amulet over
her genitals. The fish symbol "was so revered throughout the Roman empire that
Christian authorities insisted on taking it over, with extensive revision of
myths to deny its earlier female-genital meanings...
Reference
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