The Balena are an old people. Their routes can be traced back over 2000 years ago to a small coastal village in Alaska. They are a simple people that believe in equilibrium above all else. It is said for the Balena that nothing occurs without equal consequence. This rings true for every aspect of their existence. The Balena also view life as circular, coming back onto itself again and again.

The Balena live off of whaling alone. Whales are their sole source of food, the Blue Whale particularly. Though the Blue Whale is their only source of sustenance, it is also sacred to the Balena. In ancient Balena mythology, it is told that an elderly fisherman first encountered the great Blue Whale. He was astounded by the sheer size of the whale and immediately decided that if he could kill it, it would satisfy his villages hunger for months. So he did. A week later he returned to the ocean with his son. Another great Blue Whale, twice the size of the one he had successfully hunted, appeared before them. The whale asked for a sacrifice insisting that if the Balena were to rely on them for sustenance, then the whales would reciprocate this relationship. The elderly fisherman, being the oldest of the village, volunteered and stepped from his boat into the giant mouth of the whale. His son returned to land and informed the rest of the village of what had occurred. Since that day, the Balena have viewed the Blue Whale with great respect and have incorporated it into their new found religion, Baleonology. From then on, for every one Blue Whale that the Balena hunted, they sacrificed the current village elder, thereby living in a somewhat symbiotic relationship with those they hold sacred and rely upon. It is seen as an honorable death in the eyes of their culture and everyone hopes to one day feed the whales that have fed them for their lifetime.

Baleonology is not only the Balenas religion, it's also the Balena way of life. Baleonology is not just the worship of the Blue Whale, it is also understanding that one cannot simply take, but have to give back, eventually all that one has to offer.

The Baleonology symbol.
The symbol is circular in design, a common theme for the Balena, insinuating life as a cycle. The movement is also moving clockwise showing the Balenas passing through time.  It also represents the symbiotic relationship that the Balena have with the Blue Whale, coming back around on each other. The Balena always represent the Blue Whale with the color blue as it is associated with the whale. 

The Balena are a communal people and the idea of kinship extends well beyond blood. Each member of their society depends on one and other for everything. Each child is reared both by its parents, and the community as a whole.

The Balena symbol for kinship and family.
The symbol is that of four Balena people embracing each other. It signifies the strong bond that they have with each other. It symbolizes that they have each other to depend on and also that they are stronger together than apart. The variation in color shows differences in bloodline, but even though they may not be blood related they are still kin. Blue is used once again in reference to the Blue Whale.

The educational system of the Balena is not a formal one. Young children, both boys and girls, begin learning the ways of the hunt when they are 12. Learning the physical side of hunting is only one part of it. The underlying side of hunting is learning not only to respect the Blue Whales but also to understand the Balenas place in their relationship with the whales. That they are equals and depend on each other and therefore must repay the Blue Whales for what they take from them.

The Balena symbol for their educational system.
Again this symbol is circular in design representing the full cycle of what it is to be Balena. The movement is also again moving clockwise showing the Balenas progression through life from learning to hunt to readying oneself for sacrifice. The Balena depicted on the top half is in black, which is the standard color used to represent the normal Balena but the one depicted on the bottom half is in blue showing that they are ready to become one with the Blue Whale through sacrifice. 

The Balena do not have a formal version of government either. Instead, the oldest member of their society is the decision maker for the Balena. It is a bittersweet position, one that is well respected, but one that does not typically last long. The elder is seen to be the most wise and the most closely related to the Blue Whale given that they will soon meet their ultimate end as a sacrifice for the whale. The village elder is also no longer allowed to hunt. He gives his harpoon to the youngest member of the village as a symbol of life repeating itself.

The Balena symbol for their social structure.
The symbol is circular in design representing life as a cycle.  The elder is depicted as the blue Balena indicating his closeness with the Blue Whale. The child Balena is depicted in black and is seen as the new beginning of this cycle. The circle encompassing the two is actually a harpoon moving clockwise through time referencing that the elders days of hunting are over and the childs days are just beginning.

Living in Alaska has helped keep the Balena peoples remain isolated from the modern world. With little to no interaction with anybody outside their small village they never developed, or had the need for that matter, a form of currency. The Balena are a communal people, sharing everything that they have. When a whale is brought in, it is divided evenly amongst the population, which is fairly small. The Balena have never grown to be more than 200 strong. This is partly because they wish to keep their needs from the Blue Whale small, and partly because of the nature of their sacrificial system. It may also be do to the harsh climate and especially harsh winters. During the long wintertime, whaling does not occur. The Balena have to live off of that they have saved for the winter. Being the minimalist that they are, their supplies can often dwindle during the winter months and it is not unusual for some to succumb to starvation.