fish symbol meaning

[rsh]

I'm interested in adding a fish carving with the understanding that a fish carving or inlay was believed to result in an accurate rifle.  I understand the fish symbol represents Christianity, however does it have another meaning. I would appreciate any comments.

[rich pierce]

Sometimes a fish is just a fish.

[omark]

i understood it to mean the owner of the rifle is a "fisher of men",,, or, as rich says, its a fish...mark   

[KennyC]

In the times of the Roman empire it was used to identify your self to other Christians .. It was used to avoid being feed to the lions. If your a Christion use it to show the world your faith. Or tell them it shows your a fly fisherman when not shooting.                                          just my 02

[54ball]

  What must be remembered is that the Pennsylvania Dutch, Moravians and Quakers were deeply religious people.  Some like the Pennsylvania Dutch were more than a little superstitious.  

  While some theorize that these decorations were just that, decoration, the frequency and amount found prove otherwise.  Some of these decorations were even hidden.  An examples of this is the INRI and DEO found on the bottom flat just behind the muzzle on some J.P. Beck rifles.  In this same area you may find a cross or more commonly an X below the front sight.  This is said to ward off a demon who would ride the ball causing an inaccurate rifle.

 In case you are wondering, INRI and DEO are both Latin abbreviations.  INRI was tacked on the cross by the Romans meaning " Jesus Christ King of the Jews".  DEO means, " With the help of God".  On Beck rifles some times this is found....... "J Deo Beck".

 Concerning the fish.  Inlays are more common on post 1800 rifles.  As the 19th Century progresses inlays tend to replace carving as a decoration on longrifles.  The fish symbol goes way back to the early Christian times when Christians had to meet in secret.  Legend says that these meeting places in the catacombs of Rome were marked with a fish or the ichthus.  One fish means Christ where three means the Trinity.   Conestoga Wagons from the same region had a fish shaped axe holders.

 Frontier lore does say that a rifle marked with a fish does shoot better.  Also legend says that if a new barrel was inaccurate it was removed from the rifle and unbreached.  It was then placed in a stream muzzle facing upstream , the same way a fish faces.  It would remain here for a few days to wash the evil spirits out of it.

  Think about this for a moment.  This may very well have some merit.  If there were burrs or areas of the barrel too sharp, a few days in fast moving stream where silt and corrosion worked on these areas.  That and the vigorous cleaning the bore got after the barrel was removed from the stream, I'm sure it would shoot better.  This could be just another method to lap the bore.

  Here are some more Christian symbols..

Eight pointed or Hunters Star... Star of Bethlehem

Distlefink or thistle finch a small bird that makes it's nest in thistle... the thorny crown of Christ

Bleeding heart... the fifth wound of Christ

Acorn... strength, character, Christ or Mary

Serpent ... warning against the Devil or the healing serpent of Moses.  If it is a rattle snake it takes a totally different meaning... Don't tread on me.

Daisy, Tradition calls it a Daisy but it bears a closer resemblance to the wild rose... Innocence

from 1970 edition Gun Digest      

[Don Getz]

You will find fish on Upper Susquehanna guns, probably more than any other section of the state.........why?  Don't know.
Joe Long used them as inlays out along the forend of the stock....occassionally.   He had a variety of inlays that he used
but they were normally placed out along the forend, covering the underlug pins...............Don

[Stophel]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthys

An ancient symbol.
It seems to have not been used (at least in our context) prior to the 19th century.

[sammy]

The fish was a symbol of Christ used by the early Christians as a secret sign so as to avoid persecution. It is actually a play on words in that fish, in Greek, is IXTHUS. They used each letter to reference a word:

I (J) JESUS --------- JESUS 
X     CHRISTOS----  CHRIST
TH   THEOU--------- GOD
U     UIOS----------- SON (OF)
S     SALTOREM-----SAVIOR

I don't know if this is what the early rifle makers were referencing but that is the history of the symbolism.

[sammy]

Forgot about the INRI. The writ of condemnation was typically nailed onto the cross. In Jesus case Pilate had written

                     Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews


Crucifixes thereafter usually had INRI on the top as an abbreviation of what Pilate wrote.

I (J)  JESUS------------- JESUS
N      NAZARENUS-----  of NAZARETH
R      REX---------------- KING
I (J)  IUDEORUM------- of the JEWS

However, the chief priests complained to Pilate that it should read "he claimed" he was the king of the Jews, to which Pilate responded "quod scripsi, scripsi"  "what I have written, I have written" and sent them on their way.

[T*O*F]

If you use a fish with piercings in it, then it probably belonged to a sea captain.......Holy Mackerel.

[dannybb55]

Did any of this correspond to the furniture building tradition of the same era/ region?

[Artificer]

INRI is found on some 18th century wood planes.  Can't get a better Patron Saint for carpernters than Jesus Himself.
Gus