Ichthys

Ichthys (Greek: ; also transliterated and latinized as ichthys, icthus, ichthus or ikhthus), is the Greek word for "fish." In English it refers to a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs resembling the profile of a fish, used by early Christians as a secret symbol and is now known colloquially as the "Jesus fish."

Origins

Pagan

Ichthys was the lover-son of the ancient Babylonian sea goddess Atargatis, and was known in various mythic systems as Tirgata, Aphrodite, Pelagia or Delphine. The word also meant "womb" and "dolphin" in some tongues, and representations of this appeared in the depiction of mermaids. The fish is also a central element in other stories, including the Goddess of Ephesus (who has a fish amulet covering her genital region), as well as the tale of the fish that swallowed the penis of Osiris, and was also considered a symbol of the vulva of Isis.

Along with being a generative and reproductive spirit in some religious systems, the fish also has been identified in certain cultures with reincarnation and the life force. Sir James George Frazer noted in his work, "Adonis, Attis, Osiris: Studies in the History of Oriental Religion" (Part Four of his larger work, "The Golden Bough") that among one group in India, the fish was believed to house a deceased soul, and that as part of a fertility ritual a specific fish is eaten in the belief that it will be reincarnated in a newborn child.

The fish symbol may have also been known as "the Great Mother," a pointed oval sign, referred to as the Vesica Piscis. Also, in ancient Greek, "fish" and "womb" were denoted by the same word ("delphos"). Its link to fertility, birth, feminine sexuality and the natural force of women was acknowledged also by the Celts, as well as pagan cultures throughout northern Europe. Eleanor Gaddon traces a "Cult of the Fish Mother" as far back as the hunting and fishing people of the Danube River Basin in the sixth millennium B.C.E. Over fifty shrines have been found throughout the region which depict a fishlike deity, a female creature who "incorporates aspects of an egg, a fish and a woman which could have been a primeval creator or a mythical ancestress. . ." The "Great Goddess" was portrayed elsewhere with pendulous breasts, accentuated buttocks and a conspicuous vaginal orifice, resembling an upright Vesica Piscis.

Christian

It is believed that societies of Christians in the early Roman Empire, prior to the Edict of Milan, protected their congregations by keeping their meetings secret. In order to point the way to ever-changing meeting places, they developed a symbol which adherents would readily recognize, and which they could scratch on rocks, walls and the like, in advance of a meeting. Another story suggests that the ichthys was used as a sort of secret handshake: one person would draw with a staff a single curve, (half of the ichthys) in the sand, and another person could confirm their identity as a Christian by completing the symbol. Alternatively, one would draw the symbol, and another person would confirm their faith by drawing an eye on it.

Ichthus (ΙΧΘΥΣ, Greek for fish) Is a acronym, which is a word formed from the initial letters of the several words in the name. It compiles to the following: "Jesus Christ Gods Son is Saviour"

I is the first letter of the word Jesus in Greek: Ιησους

CH are the first letters of the word Christ (Χριστος)

TH are the first letters of the word THeou (Θεου), Greek for God

Y is the first letter for Uios (Υιος), Greek for son.

S is the first letter for Soter (Σωτηρ), Greek for saviour.

Besides the Acronym, that states "Jesus Christ Gods Son is Saviour", there are several hypotheses as to why the fish was chosen. A probable explanation is that it is a reference to the scripture in which Jesus miraculously feeds 5000 people with fish and bread (Matthew 14:15-21, Luke 9:12-17, and John 6:4-13). The ichthys may also relate to Jesus or his disciples as "fishers of men" (e.g., Mark 1:17). Tertullian, in his treatise On Baptism, makes a pun on the word, writing that "we, little fishes, after the example of our Icqus Jesus Christ, are born in water" ([http://ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-03/anf03-49.htm#P11466_3245563 §1).

Some theories about the Historicity of Jesus suggest that Christianity adopted certain beliefs and practices as a syncretism of certain mystery religions such as Mithraism, and that this may be the origin of the icthys in Christian circles. However, this theory is controversial and scholars are split on the probability (or even possibility) of such influence."and geographically any influence by Mithraism on the origins of Christianity seems excluded." (Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity [Eerdmans, 1993, 2nd edt., p. 271). A minority posit that the Babylonian myth of Ichthys, or other similar pagan myths, were adopted by Christianity, and with them the icthys sign.

In Greek it is sometimes speculated that the fish symbol actually comes from the interpretation of the word ichthys as an acronym: ΙΧΘΥΣ - "Ιησούς Χριστός Θεού Υιός Σωτήρ" (Iēsous Christos Theou Huios Sōtēr), meaning "Jesus Christ God's Son Savior". This is probably a backronym. A slight variation of the Greek translation of the above was mentioned in The Word, a bestselling novel by Irving Wallace, as follows. "To His pioneer disciples, the Messiah was known as 'Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour', which, translated into Greek, the language used by Roman occupation forces, was Iesous Christos, Theou, Uios, Soter. The initials of those five Greek words which used to be spelled I-CH-TH-U-S, we now spell out ICHTHYS- the word for fish in Greek."

Mystery Religion

The name ichthys was also associated with Adonis, the central character in one of the 1st-century mystery religions (specifically, the version used in Syria). Like many other mystery religions, the religion of Adonis adopted certain mystic aspects of Greek philosophy, which may have included the Vesica Piscis.

Adaptations of the symbol

The ichthys symbol has been re-adopted by modern Christians as a badge, often with the word "JESUS" in the center of the symbol. Applied to the rear bumper of a car, the symbol is used to indicate to the world that the owner is a Christian. Historically, this adaptation was based on an earlier symbol which included a fish with the Greek letters "" or a small cross for an eye. These letters are sometimes confused for the Latin letters "IXOYE".

Local businesses in some areas will incorporate the symbol into their logo.

It is important to note that not all cars displaying this symbol do so for Christian reasons. Certain car manufacturers (for example some in the UK), use this symbol on certain brands of car (for example, the Alfa Romeo).

This badge may also be seen in email signatures with the symbols "<><".

Another adaptation of ichthys is a wheel which contains the letters superimposed in such a way such that the final collection looks like a common wagon-wheel.

Parodies of the ichthys symbol

The ichthys symbol has been subject to considerable parody in the late 20th century, especially on bumper stickers, and usually used to imply a contrast with creationism. The most famous is the Darwin fish, an ichthys symbol with feet attached and often the word "DARWIN" in the middle. This variation of the ichthys symbol is meant to represent evolution as an apparent contrast with creationism (Christians are of course not necessarily Creationists, nor are all Creationists Christians) and it has been criticized by some for mocking Christianity. It has even been suggested by some Creationists that the "ichthys-with-legs" symbol expresses hatred toward Christians, and that it is therefore comparable to anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim symbols.

Other symbolism associated with the fish

The constellation Pisces comprises a set of dim and scattered stars that trace the images of two widely separated fish joined by a knotted cord. One fish, swimming upward, faces east toward Aries, while the other fish swims westward toward Aquarius along the plane of the ecliptic. The directions of motion of the two fish form a cross, the symbol of the Christian religion — the upright line of the cross representing spirit and the horizontal line signifying matter.

Notes

External links

PRINCIPAL CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS: THE FISH (ICHTHUS), CROSS & CRUCIFIX Extensive explanations on several popular Christian symbols, including the ichtys
Ichthus Music Festival The longest running Christian music festival in the nation having been started in 1970 as a Christian response to Woodstock.
What do the symbols hide?, by sociologist Ieva Cepulkauskaite. A site giving brief descriptions of the origins and histories of various symbols, including the ichthys.
Ichtus Christian Fellowship A large christian organisation in the UK led by Roger Forster
Symbolism of the Fish - Catholic Encyclopedia article
Darwin fish symbols on cars are an act of ‘ritual aggression’

Christian symbols | Fictional fish

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