#ishmael and queequeg have been described as being married/in love THREE TIMES now

[cheriboms]

i do not remember moby dick being this gay

[minipliny]

Research notes on “or, the complete lack of Whale”, aka my thanks and apologies to the people whose research I lifted to write Moby Dick fanfiction

New-Yorkish speech – “Compounding the confusion was the Nantucketers' accent. It wasn't just "ile" for "oil"; there was a host of peculiar pronunciations, many of which varied markedly from what was found even as nearby as Cape Cod and the island of Martha's Vineyard. A Nantucket whaleman kept his clothing in a "chist." His harpoons were kept "shurp," especially when "atteking" a "lirge" whale. A "keppin" had his own "kebbin" and was more often than not a "merrid" man, while a "met" kept the ship's log for the entire "viege." Then there were all these strange phrases that a Nantucketer used. If he bungled a job, it was a "foopaw," an apparent corruption of the French faux pas that dated back to the days after the Revolution when Nantucketers established a whaling operation in Dunkirk, France. A Nantucketer didn't just go for a walk on a Sunday afternoon, he went on a "rantum scoot," which meant an excursion with no definite destination. Fancy victuals were known as "manavelins." If someone was cross-eyed, he was "born in the middle of the week and looking both ways for Sunday."” (source) 

Queequeg's own language – within the text of Moby Dick, Ishmael translates Queequeg at one point “'Rarmai' (it will do; it is easy)”. I have only found one academic source try to actually work out what if anything Melville was trying for here and they suggest ‘towards the sacred thing’ as a translation. It could possibly be (from me, an uneducated author of fanfiction), ‘Noho ora mai’, which is variously translated as:  farewell (I leave you in good health) or farewell, take care, or a farewell said by someone leaving to someone staying. An account of some bilingual whalers can be found in the 1835 ship’s log of the James Stewart:

“I must not omit here Some mention of what are called tonguers. They are here 2 or 3 white people who have a boat and some natives. On a ship arriving they repair on board to solicit the fob for the ship. The terms are that they occasion­ally furnish a crew to help tow whales, they furnish a boats crew to help cut the whale in and do any talking for the Captain whose ignorance of the language requires their aid in any matters with the natives. When the whale is cut in they are entitled to the carcass & the tongue which in plentiful Whaling is always left on the carcass and they contrive to get from 6 to 8 barrels of oil from each carcass but they are in general Blackguards and no dependence can be put in them­ Runaways from Ships Mostly.”  (source )

that someone ought to fetch the camels and float us away - “The camels were a sort of floating dry dock devised to lift heavily laden whaleships up and over the sandbar at the mouth of Nantucket Harbor. The first trial of the camels was made in September 1842, when the Phebe was brought into the camels. Unfortunately, the trial was a failure. It took three more attempts before the Constitution was finally successfully cameled.”  (source )

For after a decent interval had been observed, and he might again venture upon the waters which had furnished the tragic scene - Tapu could be placed on particular places or things to limit people’s access to them. This was called a rāhui. Rāhui might be placed where a person had died. For example if someone drowned, a stretch of water might have a rāhui placed on it by a rangatira or tohunga to prevent it being used for a period. “ (source) 

“A rāhui was a device for separating people from contaminated land, water and the products thereof. After an agreed lapse of time (several years formerly and now about three months for drowning) people become free once more to exploit the resources of land and water”  (source) 

Mr Ishmael Kanaka – ‘kanaka’ is a Hawaiian word, but was used generically by Americans from the 1820s onwards to refer to Pacific Islander sailors, who were often put down in crew lists as “John” or “Joe Kanaka”.  The shanty “John Kanaka” has quasi-Hawaiian lyrics which may or may not translate to “Stand your ground” and “Calm anchoring” (source) 

an ivory pendant of singular beauty and design – “There are many versions of how whales came into being. The most common is that Tangaroa, atua of the oceans, created them as one of his children. Others say that Te Puwhakahara, Takaaho or Tinirau are the progenitors of whales and another links whales to the ancestor Te Hapuku, who is also the creator of tree ferns, which is why ferns are referred to as ‘ngā ika ō te ngahere’ the fish of the forest. Through these whakapapa links Māori are bound to whales, giving whales the status of tupuna (ancestor) and a connection to the supernatural

Because of the spiritual importance of whales, the tapu and noa principles and the care needed in harvesting resources from beached whales strict protocols needed to be observed. This process usually involves mihi and karakia to give thanks to the whale and make it safe to use. It was common for a tohunga to be involved to determine if the whale brought any messages with it, as whales were believed to carry messages from atua or tupuna

A stranded whale could provide up to 10,000 kg of meat.

The most prized bone came from sperm whales because of the dense bone, particularly the jaw bone. Ramari Stewert […] described the bone extraction process as “bathing in the blood of our ancestors”.” (source) 

'coofs' – “,a term of disparagement originally reserved for Cape Codders but broadened to include all of those unlucky enough to have been born on the mainland.” (source) 

Were an Avicenna to say to his cetacean patient  - “By checking his pulse rate after naming various quarters of Baghdad, he was able to recognize the street where the patient's loved one was residing. After convincing the family, the young man married the girl he was in love with, and he quickly regained his health”  (source) 

Marine Insurance Company – the New England Marine Insurance company, founded in the 18th century by Peleg Coffin Jr, son of Peleg Coffin and Elizabeth Hussey Coffin

many not of that denomination who attended out of interest - “One visitor claimed that almost half the people who attended a typical Quaker meeting were not members of the Society of Friends" (source) 

the dissenting movement of Elias Hicks being a horrendous leviathan – “Hicksism,” wrote one Orthodox minister, was “the great leviathan, the monster of human reason and human wisdom, who is endeavouring to lay waste the atoning blood of Jesus Christ….It is a dark delusive spirit;….in the mystery of iniquity it lives”  (source)