Fish and chits: the Synodontis schall

Abstract

The Synodontis schall, one of the commonest Nile fish, is known by a range of names. Here the rare Coptic term ωXλλ, and its Greek equivalent, Xoiρoσ are connected with Egyptian sil, demotic sdyl, and Arabic?. Textual sources and archaeological evidence for the Synodontis schall are reviewed, and ancient and modern uses of this fish, culinary and otherwise, are discussed. In conclusion, the question of the role of fish in the monastic diet in Late Antique Egypt is briefly raised, contrasting the textual and archaeological evidence for fish consumption in some Egyptian monasteries with the literary sources which suggest that it was a largely restricted food. Contrary to earlier scholarly opinion, it is argued that the term taricheion may be interpreted as pickled fish even when encountered in monastic sources.