Belly of the Whale

The idea that the passage of the magical threshold is a transit into a sphere of rebirth is symbolized in the worldwide womb image of the belly of the whale. The hero, instead of conquering or conciliating the power of the threshold, is swallowed into the unknown, and would appear to have died. -- Campbell, page 90

In the previous installments of this series, we have looked at the first stages of the hero path as described by Joseph Campbell. These symbols often indicate who the hero is, and the events prepare him (or her) for the world-redeeming task to come.

We have explored how these symbols manifest in Xena: Warrior Princess, and determined that both Xena and Gabrielle are walking the hero path. We also discovered that in many cases the women are reflections of each other -- each acts as the other's mentor and guide (see Supernatural Aid). In addition, the way each woman deals with the challenges they face show they walk the path from opposite directions.

Joseph Campbell split the overall arc of the hero path into three parts. The departure, the initiation, and the return. Starting with this article we look at the final stage in the separation, The Belly of the Whale.

Perhaps the most recognizable occurrence of this symbol in the tapestry of world myth is the biblical account of Jonah. Indeed, the name of this stage is taken from this very account.

God asked Jonah to travel to Nineveh, in order to notify the people of that city of their sins against the Almighty. Instead of obeying God's command, Jonah fled, booking passage on a ship to Tarshish.

(Astute observers may recognize the first two stages of the hero path in the opening paragraph of Jonah's tale, The Call to Adventure and Refusal of the Call.)

God sent a storm to plague the ship, and the sailors asked Jonah how they could appease God. He told them to throw him over the side. They obliged. God sent a fish to swallow Jonah, who stayed there for three days and three nights. A change came over Jonah during this trial, and he prayed to God for forgiveness. God forgave him, and the fish spit him out on shore. Jonah went on to Nineveh and did as God had commanded him.

As we learned back in part two of this series, just because the hero refuses the call doesn't mean his journey is ended. A miracle can redeem the hero, restoring him to the path. So in a sense, this stage is a specific symbol surrounding the miracle of the hero's rebirth.

So getting back to the point of this column -- how does this symbol manifest in the lives of Xena and Gabrielle?

Well, there are several examples of this stage. One of the most obvious would be the episode Tsunami where Xena and Gab are trapped in a ship that has been overturned by a large wave. Another example is Gabrielle's plunge into Dahak's chasm and subsequent return in Sacrifice II and A Family Affair.

But neither of these events really fits the mold perfectly. I would like to take a look at two events that fit the pattern of this symbol more effectively.

Much of the fourth season was taken up with Gabrielle's spiritual quest, and her attempts to follow a path of non-violence. This philosophy ran counter to the development of the character up to that point, and so it can be seen as a refusal of Gabrielle's adventure. (An in-depth examination of why I believe this is the case will have to wait for another day, I'm afraid.)

In The Ides of March, Gabrielle is imprisoned by the Romans. The cell can be seen as the belly of the whale. In certain ways, it acts as the catalyst for Gabrielle's return to her hero's path. Without Xena's attempt to rescue her, the so-called "Gabspaz" would never have happened, and their travels together would have come to an end.

There is a case of this in Xena's life as well. When she meets one of her threshold guardians (see the previous installment) she gets swallowed by the whale for ten long, blood-soaked years. We saw that Xena turned away from the hero path after Cortese's assault on Amphipolis. When she encountered Caesar, his betrayal changed the young warrior intent on protecting her home to an angel of death bent on getting revenge on the world itself. We've already seen how she is saved from that destructive path.

This brings our examination of the first part of the hero journey to a close. Our heroes have departed on the journey that will lead them to the world-redeeming boon. In the next installment of this series, we'll examine the first stage of the hero's initiation, The Road of Trials.

Back to Top