Fish as a Sacred Gift in the Cultures of the World Water is the primary chaos from which life is born. And fish is its first living word. This word is encrypted with something greater than just a biological species. In most cultures, fish was not perceived as a food product or an object of fishing, but as a gift from above, a sign, a bridge between the world of people and the world of gods. It was treated with reverence, treaties were concluded with it, sacrifices were offered to it, and it was worshipped. Why did fish become sacred to so many peoples, separated by oceans and centuries? The answer lies in the very nature of fish: it is silent, elusive, living where man cannot penetrate. It comes and goes at its own will, making it the ideal messenger of higher powers. Fish as the First Ancestor: Cosmogonic Myths Let's start from the beginning — the creation of the world. In Indian mythology, Vishnu, one of the supreme gods, in his first manifestation took the form of the fish Matsya. He saved the ancestor Manu and the sacred Vedas from the flood and then helped restore order in the universe. This episode secured the status of the savior of humanity for fish. In Mesopotamia, fish was associated with Ea, the god of fresh water and wisdom, who lived in Abzu — an underground ocean. Fish were kept in ponds as sacred animals in his temples. And in some Siberian shamanic traditions, the earth is held by three huge fish swimming in an underground ocean; if one of them moves, an earthquake begins. In all these myths, fish appears not just as a dweller in water, but as the architect of the creation of the world. It existed before man and will exist after him. Its gift is not food, but the very possibility of being. Therefore, it is not surprising that in many cultures, fish was not eaten, but revered, or eaten only in strictly defined sacred cases. Christianity: Fish as a Hidden Sign and Manifest Grace For early Christians, fish was not just a symbol — it was a code fo ... Read more