Captain Ahab: A Faustian Archetype 

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In 170 years we've gone from hunting real whales with harpoons and rowboats to hunting land whales using Tinder. What a decline.

I feel there is an element of wanderlust to Captain Ahab. It’s this drive to adventure, to explore and conquer the unconquerable, the will of god or the gods so to speak. It’s this eternal Indo-European spirit that drove the Yamnaya across the Eurasian steppes, the Angles across the North Sea, the Pilgrims to Plymouth Rock, and Collins, Aldrin, and Armstrong to the moon.

Wrote my dissertation on Moby-Dick - all four advisors insisted that Ahab was a proto-fascist figure and Ishmael was a democrat figure and we should side with Ishmael & disavow Ahab. But I kept telling them I love Ahab, he’s incredible! It sort of came out a stalemate, but I think I made a good enough case that Ishmael’s POV is our only point of knowledge of Ahab, and Ishmael might not have the same full measure of wisdom as Ahab had. Remember that line about Pip? Pip saw God’s foot upon the treadle of the loom, *and spoke it* and therefore his (again: less wise) shipmates called him mad. And Ishmael calls Ahab mad all the time. But that doesn’t mean Ahab is mad - it might only mean that Ishmael hasn’t imagined all that Ahab has imagined. Great vid. Cheers

What struck me is how many chances Ahab is given to "come back" to humanity. Even before we meet him his two old employers are defending his name, and state plainly that there is no relation between Ahab and his biblical counterpart. Starbuck tries his damnedest to bring Ahab back, and Ahab himself seems to view his hatred and obsession as potentially outside of himself. Then we have his brief bonding period with Pip, which ends abruptly once Ahab realises that if he cares for the boy, he may not be able to kill the whale. It is a force of nature, higher than any man. It reminds me of Savitri Devi, Ahab would be a man in time, a force of destruction who even after death urges on others to follow him into the depths with a wave.

I'm astounded at how consistently you hit it out the park.

Imagine Morgoth in the Pub... "A faustian archetype" Oh aye, do you design houses?

Chapter 37 Sunset "I LEAVE a white and turbid wake; pale waters, paler cheeks, where’er I sail. The envious billows sidelong swell to whelm my track; let them; but first I pass." It's a short chapter of the full Ahab monologue but it's so good. Ahab is MAD.

An interesting counterpoint to Moby Dick is The Count of Monte Cristo. Another great revenge story with a man of will who bends the world around him. Edmond Dantes is motivated by hatred and revenge (even righteously, unlike Ahab who is sore over losing a fight he started). I completely agree that mere hatred and revenge are not enough to define what drives Ahab.

The flawed characteristics of Ahab might yet save us all, but the cost will be brutal.

Just picked up a hardback copy from a charity shop not too long ago, probably 60 or 70 years old. The copy I have lists it along with other books on the back as 'Books For Boys'. This was considered an entry level read for children/teenagers at one point.

With the year that's gone this channel's been filling the void of the wise, salt of the earth character you'd meet in a bar who'd tell old stories in a new way and drop insightful pearls of knowledge about life with

Thanks Morgoth, it's one of a very few books which are enjoyable many times in many ways. Which I have. Melville spent 3 yrs as a deckhand on a whaler, and you can tell.

Fun fact: Melville's works fell out favor in his own lifetime. They weren't revived in America until the 1920s.

this video sets my European methylated bio-sprit stove ablaze. Thank you 🙏

The complexity and expressiveness of older literature is really something to marvel at. It's depressing how far we've fallen culturally.

Whence Morgoth came, in truth, none could speak to. His watchful yet soulful eye none could glance at sake being judged. But his target was not them, this they knew, lest they ignored his words. His hatred was of hatred itself and this they knew was an enemy worthy of the hunt. But still, most turned away in fear, not of him but of the fight itself. "Gan canny bonny lad 'am behind yi."

This ocean is going to be the most unforgiving. It's gonna take someone of tremendous will to want to take this one on.

Holy crap, Christmas came early. You have no idea home much I've wanted to hear your comments on classic literature.

The Wyrd and the White Whale. Never actually read Moby Dick but I still feel an affinity for the themes.

A brilliant video, Morgoth, with superb images. It's very telling that Ahab, as a living lightning rod, bears the scars of heaven's fire as he was struck and its burning mark crosses his face. As though he had been charged by God to fulfill his horrible destiny as a timeless moral legend.

Ahab walking the creaky deck! What a great intro!

Love all the artwork.

Fantastic as usual 🐳

This is the best description of Faustian ideas I've found.

Another great video Morgoth, as always, I had a whale of a time.

Insightful as ever.

this wont end well

One for the algorithm.

Another terrific video. I imagine morgoth dressed in oilskins at tynemouth circa 1890.Viewed from inside ,like the whale all our dreams are unobtainable.

Once again, Geordie Evola nails it

Symbolic of a multicultural ship, captained by a crazed European man,, chasing down whiteness itself.

Extremely comfy video

Virgin ship captain vs the Chad whale.

Fantastic!! loved every second of this

Brilliant storytelling

Faust in my eyes personnifies man's refusal to be limited by the natural order, the arrogance that makes him believe he's capable of self-determination but makes him willfuly blind to the boundaries of his essence, and ultimately just like Lucifer always leads to his fall.

"All that most maddens and torments; all that stirs up the lees of things; all truth with malice in it; all that cracks the sinews and cakes the brain; all the subtle demonisms of life and thought; all evil, to crazy Ahab, were visibly personified, and made practically assailable in Moby Dick. He piled upon the whale’s white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart’s shell upon it." ~Moby Dick, Chapter 41

Captain Ahab is one of those truly larger than life characters befitting the epic journey the Reader/Audience is taken on. I’ve always struggled to get invested in various Novels, however Moby Dick struck a chord with me from a young age.

This is truly a great video. I'm glad to have checked out your channel.

I must say this captures Ahab’s character perfectly, his vibe reminds me of a quote from doctor sleep, “a man takes a drink, the drink takes a drink, and then the drink takes a man”, only in this case it’s “a man hunts a whale, the whale takes his leg, and then hate takes a man”

As a long-time fan of Moby-Dick, this is greatly appreciated. Nicely done, sir.

Brilliant presentation, I appreciate this sort of content quite a lot 👌

What a true gem of a video. Really knocked it out of the park with this one mate. Kudos.

"Two weeks to flatten the curve, c'mon Lads, we'll be back before Christmas..."

One of your best.

Brilliant. Divvent stop bonny lad.

Very well done. Impressively good. Thank you for your work

Fantastic stuff, very atmospheric

So I know this video is a couple years old at this point, but I wanted to share a realisation I had a while back about this story. It's surprisingly Lovecraftian when you look at it. Moby Dick is to Ahab like the outer entities are in Lovecraft's stories; unnatural, alien and maddening to behold. Like many Lovecraftian characters Ahab realizes the smallness and insignificance of himself when faced with the insurmountable entity before him and has an existential crisis. His way of coping is to dedicate himself fully to vanquishing the whale, to affirm to himself that he holds power after all and isn't merely a flickering flame that can be blown out at the whim of some greater thing. Quite fitting that the story is about the sea, athing that Lovecraft feared (among many things).

Brilliant, Morgoth. Yet another job well done. You're helping to preserve our ethnos by celebrating its culture.

More of a spiritual connection to the sea, eh? Sure your not an Innsmouth man?

I was compelled to find out who captain Ahab was after reading the preface of my book "Pathology of Domestic Animals " it reads, "our reasons for writing the pathology of domestic animals are as insubstantial but as compelling as those which committed captain Ahab to the pursuit of Moby Dick, and we offer no excuses " it got me fascinated to find out who captain Ahab was

As a retired Commercial Fisherman this resonates to me...To make a long comment short, I feel a connection to Ahab. The "whale" in our lives may kill me/us but the whale will parish with me/us.

One of your best video's yet!

That was quite motivational 👏 Iv seen the film and know I'm gonna read the book!

Anybody who says to just let go of your anger has never been truly angry. This is why ahab is such a great character

Brilliant again Sir.I salute you

I've always wondered if God was the Whale to Modern Atheists, unable to deal with anything they couldn't quantify and explain.

I'm fascinated by Ahab. I love the book (and also the Gregory Peck's movie).

At 12:54, I think that's my edit from my page! If so, that's awesome! I'm glad someone liked it enough to use it! (I think it's mine because of how warm are the colours) Meanwhile, I have only a mere 729 subscribers (*sad face*)

Been thinking on this concept. I think Ahab is a representation of our will to survive gone wrong in an archetypal way. Some people have a 'superhuman' ability to triumph through adversity either for what they believe to be good or just to survive, always set like a magnet against the elements of death and destruction. If the psyche gets fooled into believing that it's own atomized vision is more important than the whole, the will is still left to work. Thanks again

I'm looking forward to reading it one day. I just finished Jack London's "The Sea Wolf" and it's a cracking read. Fairly heavily influenced by Moby Dick I suspect.

Obligatory bump

Ever since being a young boy and seeing the film, I was struck by the power of the story. When I did finally read the novel , some 30 years ago now, I was struck by its literary merits. A really interesting take from Morgoth's Review, has me thinking I want to read the book again.

Forty years since he first went to sea. Only 3 years spent on land. He left behind a young wife with but one dent in his marriage pillow, and a child he will never know. The will to subjugate the unknown.

This video really captures the European bio spirit, great work.

Great commentary with the tinge of the Scottish accent makes for great listening.

EXCELLENT REVIEW. I AGREE WITH. EVERY WORD.

“All men’s lives are enveloped in whale lines.”

The Faustian sprit maybe dying but Prometheus still lives. Time to take the fire from the gods

Check out Jed McKenna's 2nd book. He basically states that Moby Dick is a book about enlightenment. Where Moby represents illusion. Ishmael is actually Ahab. He states in the first sentence of the book, "Call me Ishmael." Ahab is the breakout archetype. Like Arjuna in the baghvad Gita. Jeds books are definitely worth the read.

Awesome video, really makes me want to listen to 'Leviathan' by Mastodon. Stirring stuff.

Superb

Mr. Starbuck Come about Sir, Starbuck knew the ship was doomed soon as he heard Ahabs speech.

Beautiful and tragic. Thank you. On my reading list.

Great video. I'm buying a copy because of this.

Thar she blows! 🐳

Top notch as always 😎

I'm pretty sure Faust was forgiven and saved by the Angels at the end of his story, if I remember properly

Thanks a lot for the video

I've been meaning to view this in one sitting after Morgoth's take on Paradise lost. It's interesting to view the parallels between Satan's degeneracy from a rebellious idealist into outright monstrous tyrant and the descent from a Faustian man from a desire to overcome all obstacles to knowledge and progress to an obsessive maniac who has to bend all actions of those under and around him towards the object of his obsession, with said object invariably occupying that position usually because it's something he can't control

Classic stuff. Thanks, Morgoth. Cheers!

This Faustian spirit, I have noticed, seems to appear in many films. The Lighthouse (2019) would be an obvious example, but also the Germans in Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Russians in the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (both Indiana Jones movies), I'd say you have Bowman in 2001, to some extent Tom Cruise in EWS, maybe even the copper in the Wicker Man played by Edward Woodward. Those narratives all have men driven to do anything to uncover the mystery that lies beyond their reach, only to grasp it at their own expense (maybe excepting Tom Cruise from that, although you could also say he paid with something other than his life, depending on how you read that film's conclusion). Two twists on the Faustian type would be Pat Bateman, who realises after his descent into depravity that "there is no catharsis", and so is left at the edge of emotional climax for his actions, and also the Tarkosvky film Stalker, which I imagine many haven't seen, and so I won't spoil, however in that too is a drive for the unlocking of the ultimate mystery, but I'd have to rewatch that one to make up my mind on the end of the film. Fantastic video as always, this one was spot on.

@Godward Podcast is the most based academic on Moby Dick. He lost his teaching job due to being doxxed and smeared by a tribe member of our greatest ally.

Caging of the western spirit…very apt. Enjoyable listen 👍

Absolutely perfect analysis Morgoth

Even Hemingway’s “Old man and the sea” holds many of these themes and he was considered a socialist by certain folk on the left. Yet one of his best friends was Ezra Pound. I think it’s permanents in certain individuals of the west/indo European.

Fantastic video. It'd be great to hear your insights on what could be considered Moby Dick's literary successor, Blood Meridian

Tankyo mogoth take the frute. Shine lite of truth to unedukate tong.

I wonder what you'd do with "Young Men and Fire"... Another first class production my man!

great video. thx

good video

Nice to hear a fellow geordie speak on such a lethal book

You can't fool me with your foley Morgoth.

Morgoth, have you watched the recent adaptation of “Poldark”? It’s a great show and not even very pozzed, it’s more like Whig propaganda. I think you might enjoy the program and would enjoy seeing your take.

In away no movie can capture the size and power of Moby Dick .He is creature that exists better in our imagination .I think Moby Dick represents nature and how nature was tamed by the European man in those days of empire

Brilliant

We do and we will .

Watched Gregory Peck movie for first time at start of lockdown, worth checking out if you can’t be arsed reading.