User:Popefish

Dagon, the “Fish-God” Pagan priests who worshipped him are depicted sprinkling holy water and wearing a sunfish as vestiments. The head of the sunfish, with its mouth open, was worn as a miter and the rest of the fish formed the cloak. The fish-head miter worn by ranking clergy of the Catholic Church is directly derived from this ancient tradition.

Ea, the “Fish of Heaven” He is said to have drained the marshes by the Persian Gulf and to have replaced them with fertile agricultural land. Ea supervised the construction of dams and dikes. The chief God of the Sumerian city of Eridu, the “fish of heaven” was said to be half man, half fish and that he taught mankind writing and math.

Cybele, the “Magna Mater” She was worshipped in Rome and was called the “Magna Mater”, or the great queen mother goddess, which evolved into Catholic Mariology. The priesthood of Cybele was composed of castrated males, which parallels the celibate priesthood of Catholicism. The basilica of Saint Peter’s, according to some, stands upon the former site of Cybele’s main temple in Rome.

Oannes, the “Fish-Man” He appeared from the Erythraean sea and gave those who inhabited Chaldaea insight into art and science. He taught them to construct cities, to found temples, to compile laws, and explained to them the principles of geometric knowledge. When the sun set, Oannes would retire to the sea, and pass the night in the deep.

Peter, the Patron Saint of Fishermen His name was Simon bar Jonah but Jesus called him Kephas, which in Latin is “Petrus,” or roughly translated, “Rocky.” His faith allowed him to walk on water, but his doubt caused him to sink. He is known as the rock upon which the Catholic Church was founded. Roman Catholics believe him to be the first pope.

Ruffe, aka Eurasian Ruffe, River Ruffe or Pope The pope is a small but aggressive fish native to Eurasia. It was introduced into Lake Superior by the ballast water of a trans-Atlantic ship. Because the pope grows very fast and adapts to a wide variety of environments, it is considered a serious threat to commercial fishing. Under state laws, it is illegal to possess one, dead or alive, in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ontario.