belly of the whale

noun

A story element which represents the final separation from a hero's known world and self.

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Meanings

belly of the whale1

noun
  1. Alternative letter-case form of Belly of the Whale.

Belly of the Whale2

noun

alternative belly of the whale

  1. A story element which represents the final separation from a hero's known world and self.

Origin

Coined by Joseph Campbell in 1949. Probably an allusion to the book of Jonah in the Bible, in which Jonah was swallowed by a great fish.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

belly of the whale. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/belly%20of%20the%20whale

MLA

“belly of the whale.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/belly%20of%20the%20whale. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “belly of the whale,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/belly%20of%20the%20whale.

Source: belly of the whale on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.