When the Whales Leave

The composition is inspired by a short story of the same name by Chukchi writer Yuri Sergeevich Rythhae, who, in turn, reinterprets an ancient Chukchi myth about the kinship between whales and humans. In his book, he tells the story of a whale named Raeu, who fell in love with a terrestrial maiden, Nau, and transformed into a human. Some of their descendants became people living on land, while others became whales living in the sea. Centuries passed; Raeu died, and Nau became an eternal old woman, a living reminder that humans and whales are brothers. This continued until the younger generation lost respect for ancient customs and decided to kill the whale for easy prey. As the hunters butcher the whale on land, the heart of primordial mother Nau stops beating, and the whales permanently leave the coastal waters.