Pilot Whaling in the Faroe Islands: History - Ethnography - Symbol

Abstract

This book is a thorough historical and ethnographical study of the traditional pilot whaling in the Faroe Islands. It is not the contaminated whale food that makes people react against the whaling, but the images shown of the hunt, are witnessing the closeness of the animals and human being at the kill. There are no distancing or mitigating barriers in the whale kill. You cannot deny or hide the blood and the death. Many urban residents group whales along with flowers and songbirds, pets loved at a distance. Pilot whales are beautiful animals, and even if they no longer are “good to eat” because of pollution, contamination and the dumping of waste in our oceans, from a whale health perspective they, just like the rest of the biosphere in the future, deserve a good, healthy life in a clean environment of their own.

Dr. Jóan Pauli Joensen, is a professor in ethnology and cultural history. He is the rector/president of The University of the Faroe Islands, who has written several books about Faroese maritime culture, fisher folk, marriage customs, folk beliefs, folk life and several other topics in Faroese culture and history.