Moby Dick; Or, The Whale

Whale common names and core distinguishing traits

The sperm whale has been known by various names across different languages and periods. In old English it was vaguely known as the Trumpa whale, the Physeter whale, and the Anvil Headed whale. In French it is called the Cachalot, in German the Pottsfich, and in formal scientific nomenclature it is the Macrocephalus. These varied appellations reflect the whale’s prominence across different maritime traditions.

Etymology of the sperm whale and spermaceti appellations

Philologically considered, the name “Sperm Whale” is absurd. Several centuries ago, when the sperm whale was almost wholly unknown in its own proper individuality, its oil was only accidentally obtained from stranded fish. During this period, spermaceti was popularly supposed to be derived from the Greenland or Right Whale, with the first syllable of the word literally expressing this “quickening humor.” Spermaceti was then exceedingly scarce, used only as an ointment and medicament, available from druggists like one might nowadays buy an ounce of rhubarb. When the true nature of spermaceti became known, its original name was retained by dealers, no doubt to enhance its value by a notion so strangely significant of its scarcity. Thus the appellation came to be bestowed upon the whale from which this spermaceti was really derived.

LIVRE I. (Folio), CHAPTER II. (Right Whale).—In one respect this is

Moby-Dick identifies the right whale as the most venerable of leviathans, being the first whale species regularly hunted by humans. It yields two primary commercial products: whalebone (also called baleen) and whale oil, which the text notes is considered an inferior article in commerce. The right whale goes by numerous names among fishermen, including The Whale, Greenland Whale, Black Whale, Great Whale, True Whale, and Right Whale. Naturalists and whalemen across different nations and languages have designated it variously: the Great Mysticetus (English naturalists), the Greenland Whale (English whalemen), the Baleine Ordinaire (French whalemen), and the Growlands Walfish (Swedes). The historical hunting grounds for this species span multiple regions—the Dutch and English pursued it in Arctic seas for over two centuries, while American fishermen hunted it in the Indian Ocean, on the Brazil Banks, along the Nor’ West Coast, and other locations known as Right Whale Cruising Grounds.

Right Whale Status as the First Regularly Hunted Leviathan, Nomenclature, and Historical Hunting Grounds

The chapter establishes the right whale’s preeminence as the first leviathan regularly hunted by humanity. This status is reinforced through its commercial yields of whalebone and the inferior whale oil. The extensive nomenclature surrounding the species reflects its long history of exploitation and the varied cultural perspectives of different whaling nations. The geographical range of hunting grounds demonstrates the species’ importance to international whaling operations over centuries.

Absence of Valid Distinction Between Regional Right Whale Populations and Planned Subsequent Treatment Context

The text addresses claims that the Greenland whale of the English differs from the right whale of the Americans, dismissing such distinctions as unfounded. The two varieties precisely agree in all grand features, and no single determinate fact exists to support a radical distinction between them. Melville critiques the tendency of some natural history departments to create repellingly intricate classifications through endless subdivisions based on inconclusive differences. The chapter concludes by noting that the right whale will receive fuller treatment elsewhere in connection with the sperm whale.

LIVRE I. (Folio), CHAPTER III. (Fin-Back).—Under this head I reckon

Chapter III introduces the Fin-Back whale and examines the challenges of whale classification, ultimately proposing a “Bibliographical system” that categorizes whales by their complete physical form rather than isolated anatomical features.

Fin-Back

The Fin-Back (also known as Tall-Spout and Long-John) is encountered across nearly every ocean, frequently recognized by travelers on Atlantic crossings through its distinctive distant jet. While similar in length and baleen to the right whale, it displays a slimmer build and olive-tinged coloration. Its most notable feature is a prominent fin measuring three to four feet, rising vertically from the rear of its back in an angular, pointed shape—this fin often remains visible even when the rest of the whale is submerged, resembling a gnomon casting shadows across the water’s surface like a sundial. The Fin-Back exhibits solitary, reclusive behavior, avoiding the company of other whales and surfacing unexpectedly in remote, quiet waters with a single lofty jet resembling “a tall misanthropic spear.” Its remarkable speed and power render it nearly impossible to pursue, earning it comparison to Cain, marked and exiled from its kind.