Fish Tail Ring in 925 Silver and Zircons

It is not easy to frame the symbolism of fish in an unambiguous way: in fact, they take on a particular meaning and symbolic tradition from culture to culture, from religion to religion.

The Fish in Christianity

Fish in Greek is called IXTHYC (ichtùs). Arranged vertically, the letters of this word form an acrostic: Iesùs Christòs Theòu Uiòs Sotèr = Jesus Christ Son of God Savior . the fish, being an animal that lives underwater without drowning, symbolized Christ, who can enter death while remaining alive.

When threatened by the Romans in the early centuries AD, Christians marked meeting places and graves with the classic sign of the fish and also used it to distinguish friend from foe. According to an ancient story, when a Christian met a stranger in the street, the Christian drew an arc on the ground and if the stranger completed the drawing with an opposite arc, he also identified himself as a Christian.

Even before Christians, Greeks, Romans and other pagans used the fish symbol, so this symbol attracted little suspicion, making the fish sign a perfect secret symbol for persecuted believers. So the first Christians made use of it mainly for convenience. However, fish also had many theological overtones, because Jesus fed 5,000 people with 2 fish and 5 loaves. Jesus also called his disciples “fishers of men” .

A further interpretation derives from the astrological determinations of the Pisces era. The conjunction between the planet Jupiter and the planet Saturn took place in the year 7 BC (probably the true year of Christ's birth) 3 times in the zodiacal sign of Pisces; moreover, the vernal equinox also falls in this sign.

It was therefore wanted to see in Jesus the first incarnation of the age of the world placed under the sign of Pisces.

With reference to the Ichtys , people who had recently converted to Christianity were called " pesciculi" and the fish itself was considered, together with the bread, as the symbol of the divine meal. Christian speculation called attention to the fact that, just as during the Great Flood fish were not affected by God's curse, so Christians through baptism would become like fish.

The fish among the eight Tibetan auspicious symbols

The Eight Auspicious Symbols, also called Eight Precious Symbols , are one of the oldest and best known groups of symbols in Tibetan culture. They are already present starting from the canonical texts of Indian Buddhism, that is, in the texts written in Pali and Sanskrit. These are objects, animals or plants that served as ritual objects or that in any case were identified as signs of prestige. Always used in traditional ceremonies and on special occasions, they have assumed ever greater importance over the centuries.

The eight auspicious symbols are often found repeated on the kate (the Tibetan scarf for good luck and blessing), banners, tapestries, tangkas, flags, bracelets, necklaces and engraved on the most disparate objects. They can also decorate walls and beams, the sides of thrones and many other objects of both religious and profane use. They are also traced on the ground with white powder when the passage of some important religious or civil personality is expected.

Golden fish (Sanskrit suvarnamatsya , Tibetan gser-nya ) are a religious symbol used since ancient times. Originally in India the sacred rivers of the Ganges and Yamuna were represented with fish. The two fish are parallel and face each other vertically or slightly cross each other.

The fish represent the overcoming of all obstacles, the victory over all suffering and the attainment of liberation, free in having gained awareness of ultimate nature, just as fish swim free in water by their very nature.

Other cultures

The fish is a symbol of fertility and abundance due to the large number of eggs it produces, but not only that: it is also a symbol of sexuality, coldness and indifference.

This species is placed at the foot of the world tree, and is opposed to birds. In many traditions it represents cosmic forces; for example, according to Japanese mythology , the earth is a giant fish that inhabits the waters of the sea.
In other traditions the fish carries the sun at night and makes its way through the sea. On the other hand, water is a symbol of degradation, of the destruction of forms; and in this environment, the fish is the hero and represents a chthonic character, an image of whoever lives in the underworld.

In China and India it is the symbol of a new birth, and was also used during funeral rites.

In Jewish tradition, the fish is a symbol of the Messiah (denoted by the same word). It also symbolizes faith, purity, and the Virgin Mary.

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