Whales - Folklore

Whales in Dreams

Whales have always held a distinct fascination for human beings. Research and folklore meet on a platform of this intense interest in these magnificent animals, as has been confirmed by ageless tales that have survived the last few decades and even centuries. Whales have been used to signify love, grace and intelligence in culture and folk tales. However, whales also have significance in our unconscious dreams.

One of the symbols with which whales are associated in dreams is that of maternity. Because of the care and concern a cow has for her calf, this energy translates into some sense of maternity within the life of the dreamer. This can be a literal pregnancy, or a sense of being pregnant with ideas, bursting or full.

Because whales dwell within the dark depths of a world so different to ours, dreams of them may also represent deep emotions or the dreamer’s intuition. In terms of emotion, these dreams will usually represent emotions such as love, kindness and a sense of protectiveness. The may also indicate the dreamer is getting more and more in touch with their own intuition.

If the dream has a beached whale as its subject, the dreamer may have concerns about something that is very precious, but in danger of being lost. This is usually accompanied by a sense of helplessness or being out of one’s depth. This is evoked by the fact that beached whales are a sickening sight and teams of rescuers will work for hours at a time to save them.

Some have reported dreams of being swallowed by a whale. This bears a strong resemblance to the biblical story of Jonah, who disobeyed God’s instructions to preach to the people of Nineveh. He ran in the opposite direction and boarded a boat to escape the task. Unfortunately, he was thrown overboard during an awful storm and swallowed by a whale. So, a dream of this nature can imply that the dreamer is trying to escape a necessary task.

You may also dream of the hunting of whales, which often indicates feelings of victimisation or exploitation. This is especially manifest because of the vicious nature of whale hunters rounding innocent and relatively harmless animals up for mass slaughter.

There are expressions in the English language that liken overweight people to whales in terms of their physical appearance. So, a dream about a whale may also indicate that the dreamer is experiencing issues regarding his or her physical appearance. It is vital that the dreamer realises that the dream indicates his or her own perceptions, not those of the outside (waking) world.

These beautiful creatures are set apart by their sheer scale, as well as a unique intuition that is made evident by their habits, as well as by their relationship with one another. It is no wonder that humans feel an affinity towards them, and such a sense of mutual understanding creates an ideal base from which to explore the unconscious human psyche.