Whales

Whales in Folklore

Whale folklore and facts about whales can be found all over the internet, and with good reason. Whales have evoked a sense of mystery and fascination for as long as man has travelled the watery deeps. Their sheer size seems to completely contradict their serene lifestyle and gentle nature. But more interesting than whale facts is whale folklore. Folklore forms a significant part of the ancient oral tradition and gives us a glimpse as to how our ancestors saw and understood these gentle beasts.

One popular whale folklore tale is that of the war between the whale and the sandpiper. This tale is an integral part of the oral tradition of the Marshall Islands, a cluster of small islands in the Central Pacific. It tells of an unidentified whale's journey into a secluded lagoon. Upon arriving near the shore, he sees a sandpiper running onto the water grabbing minnows (little fish) for his meal. He surges toward the little bird, scaring all of the fish away. The incensed whale commands the little bird to keep out of his territory, saying that the water is for whales. The sandpiper, utterly disgusted, retorts that the sea does not, in fact, belong to whales, but to sandpipers.

Flabbergasted, the whale challenges the bird by claiming that the population of whales far exceeds that of sandpipers and for that reason, ownership should belong to the giant sea creatures, rather than to the avian species. The bird stands her ground and proposes that they each call all of their relatives so that they may compare numbers. The whale accepts the challenge and calls out to all of the other whales. From all corners of the earth, whales began to gather. The sandpiper whistles her tune and summons the sandpipers from the extremities of the globe. Soon, the waters are jam-packed with whales and the shore is bustling with sandpipers. They are still unable to compare numbers though. They decide to bring in whales and birds of other species to reinforce their argument. Dolphins, orcas and porpoises challenge gulls, herons and terns. Still, it is not possible to compare numbers.

The whale decides that, rather than comparing numbers, they should prove their ownership by eating up the shore, leaving the birds with no room to feed and live. The birds retaliate by drinking the sea water, so that the whales will have no place to live. The whales start to munch away at the shore and the birds gulp the water, flock by flock. Suddenly, the sandpiper stops to see the effects and notices that almost all of the water is gone and the whales are starting to die. He realises that, without water, there would be no more whales, but also no more fish and crabs for the birds to eat. He urges his fellow friends to spit their water back. They obey and the water slowly begins to rise, refreshing the parched whales and reviving the ocean bed.

The futility of the argument becomes evident and the sandpiper and whale decide never to worry about territory again. They realise that they can live quite happily with one another, with no dire consequences. Together, they make the decision never to raise the issue again. Since then, the two have lived together in perfect harmony. Would you like to know more about whales and whale folklore? Then do read on.