Devil Whale

DemonNew Zealand · OceaniaLegendFear 8/10

Description

A demon from the folklore of New Zealand. The Devil Whale is a legendary demonic whale-like sea-monster (or a sea-turtle in some legends).

Origin & Background

The legend of the Devil Whale originates from ancient texts and stories of explorers. The incident of the whale island in 'The Voyages of Sinbad' can be compared to the accounts of whales found in the writings of Pliny the Elder and Solinus from ancient Rome. These accounts each contain stories of a sea monster measuring 200 cubits in length, and Al-Kazwini recounts a similar tale about a giant turtle. These Eastern stories are likely the prototype of the whale island found in the Irish tale of Saint Brendan's voyage. The early explorer, Saint Brendan, is said to have landed on the back of a giant whale on Easter Sunday during his travels, mistaking it for an island. When his monks lit a fire to cook food, the 'island' began to swim, and the sailors hurriedly returned to their ship.

The Legend

The Devil Whale is a legendary sea monster described as a devil-like whale or, in some legends, a sea turtle. This whale boasts a gigantic size and has the ability to swallow entire ships. It can appear like an island while sleeping, and it is said that if sailors inadvertently land on it and light a fire, the Devil Whale awakens, attacks the ship, and drags it deep into the sea. For this reason, Christianity began to associate this whale with demons. This story can be found in 'The Voyages of Sinbad.'

Variants

The name Devil Whale was used by Japanese whalers to describe the California gray whale. In 1908, a Japanese whaler referred to the gray whale as 'Kukekua Kugira' (Devil Whale) in a story about hunting it, reflecting the difficulties and dangers of the hunt.

In Popular Culture

In Walt Disney's 'Pinocchio' from 1940, the giant sperm whale Monstro possesses many characteristics of the Devil Whale. Herman Melville's novel 'Moby-Dick' (1851) unfolds a story about whaling and includes allusions to the Devil Whale and the biblical Leviathan. The Devil Whale is also mentioned in the final part of 'Ruby Gilman, Teenage Kraken.'

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Devil Whale" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia