Jonah and the Whale: constellation Cetus

Today is Menkar’s Heliacal Rising day where I reside! To celebrate, here’s a very nerdy article.

Constellation Cetus is commonly known as “the Whale”. However, “Cetus”, as I already wrote about in another article dedicated to Menkar (alpha Ceti), had different meanings in the ancient world. Here’s a refresher—

Here’s what Theoi says about Cetus (emphasis mine):

THE KETEA (Cetea) were the monsters of the sea, the two greatest of which were the Ketos (Cetus) slain by Perseus in Aithiopia (Ethiopia) and the Ketos slain by Herakles at Troy. Ketea were usually depicted as serpentine fish with long rows of sharp teeth. Nereides often appear riding side-saddle on the backs of these creatures. Ketos was also a generic word for any large sea-creature and included mundane whales and sharks.

An alternate name for Cetus is Θηρ Θαλασσιος, Thêr Thalassios, which is latinised as Belua Ponti and means “Monster of the Deep”. So it’s definitely not just a whale! While whales are included, sharks and other more fantastical creatures are also comprised in the category implied with “Cetus”.

While reading on ancient sea-monsters, I nevertheless encountered references to the whale that swallowed Jonah, and it got me thinking about this tale and a potential tie to constellation Cetus. At first, I wondered whether people named Jonah or a variation thereof would have natal Cetus emphasis. So I looked it up, and then other people who are known for something related to Jonah’s tale. Here are the results of these searches!

Join me in this niche blue hole peppered with seamonster paintings 🐳