The Myth of Pisces

Originated from the Babylonian word Šinunutu, meaning 'The Great Swallow', (the west fish) and Anunitum, 'Lady of the Heavens' (the north fish). Anunitum was the patron goddess of the city of Akkad. She was closely affiliated to Inanna-Ishtar, who as the ‘Syrian Goddess’ was envisioned holding her sacred fish and dove. As a seasonal symbol the fish of Anunitum represents the spring floods when river carp swim upstream in swollen rivers to their spawning grounds. As a mythic symbol the fish guides the sun on its ascending path from the darkness of winter towards the spring. The Swallow or ‘Exalted bird’ may be identified with the dove that appears in Greek myths surrounding the Syrian goddess. Her characteristic myth recounts how a dove brooded an enormous egg that two fish found floating in the Euphrates, and that the Syrian goddess herself was born from this egg.

From this inspiration, I decided to experiment with how to use the symbolisim. I started off with positioning the two figures like yin-yang type of situation: chasing each other in opposite directions. I thought, that to demonstrate this, I'd streak the backgrounds behind the two figures different colours.