ChristStory Bestiary

WHALE

THE GRAVE

The significance of the whale in Christian symbolism is strongly linked to the biblical story of Jonah. This prophet balked at being sent by the Lord to warn the wicked gentile city of Nineveh about the judgments soon to come upon them. Jonah boarded a ship hoping to escape the Lord's command by sea. Then a storm arose and the sailors cast lots to determine who's sins were the cause of their misfortune. The lot fell to Jonah who was promptly thrown overboard to appease the gods. Immediately, the sea was calmed. God sent a "great fish," commonly believed to be a whale, to swallow Jonah lest His prophet drown. After three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, Jonah repented of his disobedience and agreed to prophesy to the city of Nineveh. He was then vomited on to a shore not far from his destination (Jonah 1-2). This, of course, may have seemed rather undignified to Jonah at the time, but he was in good company; many countries such as Vietnam and Japan have legends about heroes and gods being cast ashore by whales and other creatures or vehicles of the sea.

Throughout most of history, paintings of Jonah's whale have suffered from the artist's unfamiliarity with the sea creature. In pictures it often looks rather like a dolphin, a dragon, or a large scraggly fish and may even have plants growing on it. Since Jonah described his experience as being in the "Belly of Sheol" and the "pit," the whale has been associated with Hell, Hades, death, and the grave (Jonah 2:2-6). Its jaws, are symbolic of the gates of Hell.

Since a living man was believed to be able to come forth from it, the belly of a whale became symbolic of the womb, the body, and rebirth. Jesus made the whale a symbol of His Resurrection when he told the scribes and Pharisees, that the only sign their wicked generation would receive was that of Jonah; "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Mt 12:40).

The whale also became associated with the biblical Leviathan and hence with the Devil, chaos, and the enemies of Israel. Some believe that Jonah's fish was Leviathan; others that it was attacked by Leviathan who was driven off by Jonah. The destruction of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea is described as God's breaking of the heads of Leviathan and throwing their bodies as food to the people of the wilderness (Ps 74:14). However, some people take this same passage literally, believing that the flesh of Leviathan was thrown into the desert for wandering Arabs to feast upon. Jewish legend says that there is only one Leviathan, the female having been killed to create clothing for Adam and Eve. In the Day of the Lord, either Gabriel, Jonah, or Behemoth will kill Leviathan and serve him to the righteous at the Messianic banquet. When Job curses the day of his birth, he mentions "those who are ready to arouse Leviathan," or the forces of chaos (Job 3:8). The Lord demonstrates His superiority over humans to Job by pointing out that He alone can subdue the mighty Leviathan (Job 41). Although He created and feeds Leviathan, He will, on the Day of Judgment, slay him (Ps 104:26-27; Is 27:1).

Ancient sea legends and Medieval bestiaries claimed that the whale was as big as an island and grew bushes on its backside. It was said that mariners, mistaking the creature for land, would anchor their ships to its side, come ashore, and light fires. The beast, feeling the heat of the fires would plunge into the sea taking hapless crews and ships to their watery deaths. These whale legends became a warning against the wiles, cunning, and traps of the Devil who drags unsuspecting sinners down to Hell. In other traditions, the beneficent whale or whale-spirit guided lost fishermen and sailors to familiar waters, prevented shipwrecks, and conducted souls to their final abodes.

Early people also believed that the whale lured fish into its mouth with its fragrant breath. This made the whale an image of Satan who gently lures sinners into his jaws with sweet-smelling temptations and innocent looking desires and then suddenly engulfs them. On the other hand, Jewish legend states that Leviathan has such bad breath that if its odor ever reaches the Garden of Eden all the earth's creatures will die.

In Arab and Slavic countries, the whale is the supporter of the universe. Islamic tradition says that the earth is held up by an angel who is supported by a green rock which is set upon a bull which stands upon a whale floating in the cosmic waters above the air and darkness. Earthquakes occur when this whale, tempted by the Devil to throw off his burden, starts wriggling about. The whale's egg-like shape is used to symbolize heaven and earth.

When Cassiopeia angered Poseidon by boasting that her beauty was greater than that of the Nereids, he sent a whale to ravage her sea coast. To appease the beast, Cassiopeia was forced to sacrifice her daughter to him. Therefore, Andromeda was tied to a rock by the sea and left to be eaten by Cetus, the whale. Fortunately, Perseus, on his way home from killing Medusa, rescued Andromeda, killed Cetus, and married the lucky maiden.

Whale-hunting cults exist along the Alaskan coast and in Siberia. Among the Inuits, the whale is considered a trickster and its soul is thought to be embodied in a beautiful young maiden who lives in furnished rooms inside the whale's belly where she occasionally entertains hunters. Other things thought to be contained inside the whale's belly include the world, and various treasures or disasters.

All scripture quotes are from the NKJV Bible unless otherwise indicated.