The Sacred Cod in the Massachusetts State House

The Sacred Cod is a wooden carving of a codfish that hangs in the House of Representatives chamber of the Massachusetts State House as a symbol of the state's historical reliance on the cod fishing industry. The carving is an established emblem of Massachusetts government and civic identity. It was stolen as a prank by Harvard students in 1933 and subsequently recovered and returned. The Sacred Cod's presence is often cited in popular accounts as emblematic of New England's maritime economy rather than as a religious or literal talisman.