Moby Dick; Or, The Whale

Oath Sworn on the Holy Evangelists

To prove the veracity of his story, the narrator requests a copy of the Holy Evangelists. When a priest brings the text, the narrator swears an oath on the holy book that his account of the Town-Ho’s events is true in substance, stating he was present on the ship, knew the crew, and had spoken with Steelkilt after Radney’s death.

第五十五章 Of the Monstrous Pictures of Whales.

The narrator announces his intention to paint an accurate portrait of the whale as seen by whalemen alongside their ships, but first critiques the many imaginary portraits that have deceived landsmen. He proposes to “set the world right” by demonstrating that existing pictures of whales are all wrong. The chapter explores various historical and artistic depictions of whales, revealing consistent anatomical and representational errors.

Introduction to Whale Portraiture

Moby-Dick introduces this chapter by announcing that the narrator will paint an accurate picture of the whale from firsthand experience aboard a whale-ship. However, he first feels compelled to address the “curious imaginary portraits” that have fooled the public. The chapter systematically critiques whale depictions across ancient sculptures, Renaissance paintings, scientific illustrations, and popular culture, exposing how even supposedly authoritative sources have produced monstrous inaccuracies.

Ancient Sculptural Origins

The narrator traces the “primal source of all pictorial delusions” to ancient Hindoo, Egyptian, and Grecian sculptures. He notes that these civilizations drew dolphins with chain-armor scales and helmeted heads—a great deal of artistic license. This pattern of creative embellishment has continued in popular whale pictures and scientific presentations alike, establishing a tradition of creative interpretation over accuracy that persists to the present day.