I saw your question on the humor board, but didn't have time to respond. I should respond there as well...

There is a chunck of truth, a ton of 'logic' and a lot of speculation. Which is which I don't know, but do not dismiss it out of hand and do not believe all of it either.

Anything telling us ancient people's reasoning is suspect--- no professional would do more than 'guess'. So the 'primitive people thought women's genetalia smelt like fish' is pure bunk. (Show me where a prehistoric man wrote that!). But some of it is true.

But, even a blind squirrel can find a nut.

Ulrich

Quite right Jess, I don't think the anti-tract or Ish have it completely right, probably a bit of give and take. There is one thing I noticed about the tract that is wrong, however. At one point they claim that the way one holds their hands during prayer is a throwback to the fish symbolism, and that is untrue.

The act of holding ones hands together and kneeling while praying comes from the old fuedal tradition of swearing fealty to your lord. The serf would bow before his lord with his hands held together, sometimes tied with a cord, in order to show his supplication to his fuedal master. The Lord in turn would either remove the cord and place his hands around the serf's hands or, if no cord was present, simply place his hands around the supplicant's hands. The Lord did this while promising to protect his serf, and the act itself symbolized protection.

Christians pray in this manner to show that God is their Lord and Master, and will offer them protection.

Ulrich, you are entitled to think I don't have it correct, but if you look up some scholars you'll see that what I said is correct (even from that website's point of view).

Ish

Thanks for all the replies so far. In case anyone was wondering, I posted the topic here because I didn't want to weigh the humour forum down with weighty subject matter.

But anyway...

I did manage to dig this up, from 'Greek Mythology', by Katerina Servi.
There are two myths surrounding Aphrodite's birth. One states that she was the daughter of Zeus and Dione, while the other claims that she was born from the white foam formed by Cronos throwing the genitals of Uranus into the sea. That's about the only connection I can see with fish, when it comes to Aphrodite, so I don't really buy the tract's claim that Aphrodite was a 'fish' goddess.

I think marduck is right (quick, marduck - put it in your diary that I agreed with you for once!) that the Christian fish symbol probably originated independently of any other fishies.

However, I think that the ankh more likely represents the female reproductive system (the two ovaries at 9 and 3 o'clock, the womb at 12 o'clock and the birth passage at 6 o'clock) rather than one of our pescatarian friends.

The track struck me as at best lacking any evidence to back up its assertions, and at worst complete claptrap. To be honest, the tract's style is so similar to the infamous Chick, it seems a pity that it originated from atheists presumably dedicated to reason.

I actually found it kinda funny. You are right that it perfectly mimics the Chick tracks.

"I think that the ankh more likely represents the female reproductive system (the two ovaries at 9 and 3 o'clock, the womb at 12 o'clock"

well it didn't last long the ankh is the umbilical cord!


Mendeh you like Egyptian history, what's your take on the long delay here?:
http://www.infidels.org/electronic/f...ML/000276.html

[This message has been edited by marduck (edited May 17, 2001).]

This tract is clearly the work of the Reverend Bob Dobbs. Do a google on “Church of the Sub Genius” or just sub genius and you’ll find more of this stuff.

Okay, mister, I'll bow to you on this one as well. The ankh isn't the female reproductive system - it's the umbilical cord. **sniff** I knew that.

Really? I always thought it was a stylized version of a penis in a vagina.....learn somethin' new every day.

Michael

I thought it was a primitive rorscach test...