A Tale of Two Orcas: Granny(J2) and Tilikum

In January 2017, two notable orcas died – Granny (also known as J2) and Tilikum. Both lived tragic lives in different ways. Granny, captured and released because of her age, saw the gradual extinction of her pod due to pollution and overfishing. Tilikum, captured as a calf, killed three people arising from his torment at being a performing killer whale. Both animals were the impetus for humans to reconsider the ethics of using animals for entertainment. The result was an ending of orca shows at major marine parks. These two orcas became deified by the Whales as Gods – Granny, the Matriarch, and Tilikum, the Resister. The Whales saw Holy Power in each of them.

Granny (J2), the Matriarch Orca

Granny, also known as J2, the oldest known orca of the world has died at 105 years old. She went missing on October 2015 and was declared dead in January 2017. As the matriarch of the J Pod of the Southern Resident Community, Granny let her pod by sharing what she learned about when and where to find food. (These orcas roam from southeast Alaska to central California and the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean.)

Granny was captured and released in 1967. Because of the destruction of her original pod and her age of 40 years old at the time, this orca became known to activists. She was the icon for keeping communities of orcas intact in the oceans.

The Whales told me that Granny joined the Holy Powers as a Deified Hero. She is called upon by other orcas to guide their pods and to advise the Matriarchs. Granny is now the Divine Matriarch.

Hail Granny (J2)
Matriarch, Crone
Teacher, Mother
Survivor, Lover

May we honor your life
May we protect your kind
May we learn from you.

Hail Divine Matriarch
Guide for the Orcas
Leading Them Home

Tilikum, the Captive Bull Orca Who Resisted

The largest bull orca in captivity, Tilikum sired 21 calves. He became the first successful grandfather of orcas in captivity. Tilikum died at 35 years old from an ongoing incurable disease of his lungs.

Tilikum’s notoriety came from killing three people at Sea World (accounting for the three of the four deaths by captive orcas). In 2010 after drowning Dawn Brancheau, he became the focual point of why orcas should not be kept captive. The movie “Blackfish” detailed his tragic life from being captured as a calf, through his being bullied by other orcas, to his isolation, rage and depression. Why Tilikum killed became the intense focus of trainers, marine biologists and others. The result was the impetus for ending the performing orca shows at Sea World.

The Whales raised Tilikum to be one of the Heroic Dead. He is the Resister, who leads their kind in their battles against being be assimilated by humans. They honor Him for the Hero that He is.

Don Mclean’s “Vincent (Starry, starry night)” is a fitting elegy for Tilikum.
…….

For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left inside
On that starry, starry night
You took your life as lovers often do
But I could have told you Vincent
This world was never meant for one as
beautiful as you

……..

The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow
Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
How you suffered for your sanity
How you tried to set them free
They did not listen they’re not listening still
Perhaps they never will

Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group

KILLER WHALE (ORCA): Unbroken Traditions and Culture

(Repost. I wrote and posted this a few years back. Reviewed it, and it is still true.)

Called Orca (“Sea Devil”) by the Romans, Killer Whale is the only member of the Whale Family (Cetacea) to hunt other Mammals. The largest Dolphin of the sea, Killer Whales uses stealth and trickery in hunting. Her original scientific name, Dephinus orca, meant “demon dolphin.” In recognition of her size and complex social life, Killer Whale’s current scientific name is Orcinus orca, after the Ancient Roman God of the Netherworld.

Ruled by an old Matriarch, Killer Whale’s Pod travels throughout the oceans in search of food. (Some pods may reside in one area, while others travel about.) Like Wolves on land, She hunts with her “wolf pack”. Because of this, Killer Whale is called the “Wolf of the Seas”. Her tightly knit pod hunts and drives Blue Whale into areas where He cannot escape. Killer Whale works with her Pod Mates biting and harassing Blue While until He dies. Then They share in their meal.

In Killer Whale’s Pod, They assist each other in raising Calves. Killer Whale and her mates learn their dialect of Orca language from their Mothers. In addition, Mother Killer Whale also teaches her Calf proper pod behavior. Meanwhile, the ancient Matriarch ensures that All learn their pod’s history and culture.

When She is not busy learning or hunting, Killer Whale likes to play. She pops out of the water (spy hopping) or spouts loudly to surprise her Friends. She likes to ride the wakes formed by boats and whales. Sometimes, Killer Whale forcefully slaps her flukes against the water while remaining partly underwater (lob tailing). She plays for the sheer joy of it.

Even in her flamboyant black and white colors, Killer Whale blends into the ocean. Every pod member has a different pattern on their bodies to identify each other and stranger Killer Whales. Her Mate has a high dorsal fin to tell Him apart from Female Killer Whale. Together in the pod, They roam the seas in search of adventure.

Killer Whale raises her Calf to know their language and culture. She passes on their pod’s history to Him. Because Killer Whale lives a long life, the pod reflects the culture and traditions of many generations. Pay attention to your cultural traditions says Killer Whale.

BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN: On Becoming Human

Of all the Dolphins known to man, the friendliest and best known is Bottlenose Dolphin. His scientific name, Tursiops truncates, is derived from his “porpoise face”. His common name, Bottlenose Dolphin, comes from his pronounced beak, which looks like a bottle. Since He is curious, Bottlenose Dolphin likes to come to shallow water and watch people.

Bottlenose Dolphin’s famous “smile” reveals twenty pairs of small even teeth. He uses his teeth to communicate with. When Bottlenose Dolphin is angry at other Dolphins, He uses his teeth to nip and harass them. (Instead of chewing food, Bottlenose Dolphin swallows his food whole.)
Living in loose social groups, Bottlenose Dolphin forms close friendships with his Male Friends. In their travels across the oceans, He converses with his long-time friends by using whistles and clicks. Meanwhile, in his pod, Bottlenose Dolphin forms alliances to move up in the complex social hierarchy. In his pod, Bottlenose Dolphin strokes and caresses His Friends, but whistles to annoy other Dolphins. However, Everyone comes together to save a struggling Pod Member or to herd Fish.

Unfortunately for many people, Bottlenose Dolphin has a very dark side that they cannot cope with. Male Bottlenose Dolphin is a bully, when He wants to be. He and His Friends gang up on Female Bottlenose Dolphins, biting and pushing Them. He also harasses and kills Porpoises. This is difficult for people to understand since they only see the friendly sociable side of Bottlenose Dolphin.

Bottlenose Dolphins teaches about being human. He holds a mirror to people to see themselves. Friendly and sociable, He forms lasting relationships. Like people, He is prone to anger and bullies other Dolphins. In his affairs, Bottlenose Dolphin freely expresses Himself, and demonstrates to people the full extent of their humanity.

DOLPHIN FAMILY (DELPHINIDAE): Conscious Living

(One of my readers requested postings on the metaphysics of whales and dolphins. The next three postings will be on dolphins.)

Throughout recorded history, people have endowed Dolphins with symbolic potency. Various Dolphins were the intermediaries between the Worlds of the Living and the Dead. Seeing an inquisitive Dolphin frolicking in a ship’s wake, people thought that He was a messenger from the water gods. Dolphin frescoes from the Palace of Knossos in Crete (1600 BC) show Dolphins in all their mythic glory. In Christianity, Dolphins symbolize Christ. Meanwhile, New Age people see Dolphins as emissaries from the stars.

Who are the Delphinidae? They form the largest family of Cetaceans (Whales) ranging from Hector’s Dolphin to Killer Whale (Orca). Delphinidae have bulgy heads and distinctive beaks. That bulge under their foreheads is the “melon” which helps Them focus sound waves when They echo-locate. Delphinidae whistle and click to navigate and “see” in the ocean.

Highly intelligent, Delphinidae adapt quickly to any situation, They find Themselves in. Scientists have determined that these animals have a sense of self. Dolphins recognize Themselves and others. Not only that, They have a language, complete with dialects based on where They live and the pods They travel in. Communicating by whistles, clicks, tail-slapping, Dolphins speak to each other. Mothers whistle to their Calves teaching them the language of their pod.

Dolphins have a reputation for violence. When They are angry, They ram each other and people, and rake their teeth across each other’s bodies. In addition, They use sound to annoy each other. Killer Whales are the only Cetaceans that hunt other Whales, and are appropriately called “Wolves of the Sea”. Meanwhile, Bottlenose Dolphins kill Porpoises in their territories. Like people, Dolphins have their good and bad sides.

Delphinidae teach conscious living. Never fully sleeping, They have to remain partly awake to breathe. Using echolocation, Dolphins are more conscious of what goes on about them. With their curiosity and intelligence, Delphinidae chose to be aware of Themselves. They ask the same of you.

Note: Porpoises are smaller and have rounded instead of beak-shaped snouts. They are in their own family of Phocoenidae. River Dolphins (Platanistidae) are separate group from Ocean Dolphins (Delphinidae).

“True to the Earth” By Kadmus

“True to the Earth: Pagan Political Theology.” Gods & Radicals Press. 2018

Kadmus, a professor of philosophy, expounds on the difference between Polytheistic (Pagan) and Monotheistic metaphysics. After explaining the differences, he applies Polytheistic theology to modern Western politics. He concludes that capitalism came from Monotheism, which he considers to be nihilistic. To combat that, people need to embrace Polytheism, which is life-sustaining.

The major value of this book for me was how to think as a Polytheist. According to Kadmus, the invention of writing fundamentally changed how people think. Writing objectified words, which now exist without any anchor to reality. Therefore, abstract concepts such as “goodness” could come into being. Since writing detaches words from time and space, it allowed Monotheism to come into being.

In contrast, oral cultures are concrete and additive. They force the listener to be present with the speaker. Oral thought cements words to a particular time and place. Like verbs, oral thought follows “and also” to encourage things to accumulate more parts.

Kadmus writes, “This objectifying nature of the thought of a literate society shows up in many of our very worst modern characteristics. It also runs deeply throughout Monotheistic metaphysics. The Monotheistic God is most often an abstract goodness or perfection, a strange monster impossible to grasp in an active, concrete associative logic.” He continues, “If the One God were good, we could have this world; if it were evil, we could have this same world; if it didn’t exist at all, we could have this same world again. Thus, ‘goodness’ here is clearly a word without concrete content.”

Meanwhile, Polytheist metaphysics is committed to a complex plurality. This can be seen in the many names for the various Gods. For example, Marduk of Babylon has fifty names; each as important as the others. He is the Commander of the Legions of Wind Demons, Wielder of the Flaming Sword, Knower of the Secrets of the Earth, the Bringer of Rain, and more. Marduk can be all of these parts without being a totality

Monotheist thinking is reductive while Polytheistic thinking is productive. Monotheism reduces everything to One, while Polytheism promotes an abundant plurality. Kadmus writes “Reality within Pagan metaphysics is defined in terms of multiplicity and complexity, while Monotheism instead posits an ultimate oneness arrived at through reduction and simplification. For most versions of Monotheism, the oneness of the universe will derive from the power and oneness of its creator. If God is One, then so too are Truth and Reality. On the other hand, if the Gods are many, then so too are the truths of reality.”

Kadmus continues “When your metaphysics is based upon unity, reduction, totalizing, and Oneness, your approach to the world be shaped by it. Your approach to the world will focus on perfection, purity (Note 1), and the one narrow path to the only acceptable goal. In such a view, each thing has an essence that it either fulfills or betrays. Likewise, each thing has a purpose that it either serves or neglects. Oneness is purity, multiplicity is sin.”

As we try to re-establish Polytheistic metaphysics, these ideas are worth pondering. There is no One Truth but as many truths as there are Divine Beings. Polytheistic thinking celebrates fertility in all its forms, multiplying instead of reducing.

Notes:
Note 1. Purity in Polytheism can be seen in context such as dirty dishes that need to be washed. Christian purity involves purpose and order. In Monotheism, to be pure means to consist of only one thing.