Fish People.wmv

"OANNES. -- According to Berosus, there appeared in the Erythraean Sea -- the modern Persian Gulf -- bordering on Babylonia, an animal endowed with reason, whose name was Oannes or John, perhaps the Anu of the Assyrian inscriptions. By various writers, this creature was differently represented; but the usual appearance in which it was visible was in that of a fish, having beneath its fish's head a human head, and feet beneath like those of a man -- strongly reminding archaologists of the Mexican priests, who covered themselves with skins of wild beasts, and wore masks representing hideous forms. Alexander Polyhistor, from whom we derive a knowledge of this mysterious personage, on the prior authority of Berosus, says, that he used in the day time to converse with man, but never ate in common with them; that he communicated a knowledge of letters, sciences, and arts. He taught the art of building, the principles of architecture and geometry; he was also the first instructor in botany and agriculture. In fact, he was the universal teacher of all human learning; and at sunset, this being again plunged into the sea, and remained concealed from the eyes of men, until light again dawned on the world. Apollodorus identifies OANNES with the Greek OINAS, and the IONAS or JONAH of the Babylonians or Chaldees. He was also called ODACON, a corruption of ö Dagon, the God DAGON or the Sun-Fish. It has been supposed, also, that OANNES was the same as the Welsh Guoydion -- the son of Don ...