Other milestones such as crossing the Antarctic Circle and deep sea diving have also been adopted in this tradition. It is a ceremony which has its roots centuries ago when the first adventurous discoverers started their quest for the unknown seas in all four corners of our planet, taking untraveled routes and praying for Gods to bring fair winds, good captures to take back home and pirate free waters. Following this aspect of the grand event, the sailors are tied together and marched forward to the anchor with the sound of a drum to coordinate movement. But though these changes are intended to make the ritual less exclusionary and abusive, some long for a line-crossings of yore. Source: 731|+pvwX` They are being summoned into Neptunes Court for crimes theyve committed against the god. A Neptune party to celebrate crossing the equator, 1923. FitzRoy quoted Otto von Kotzebue's 1830 description in his 1839 Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle between the Years 1826 and 1836. WebEquator crossing certificate. During the ceremony, the Pollywogs undergo a number of increasingly embarrassing ordeals (wearing clothing inside out and backwards; crawling on hands and knees on nonskid-coated decks; being swatted with short lengths of firehose; being locked in stocks & pillories and pelted with mushy fruit; being locked in a water coffin of salt-water and bright green sea dye [fluorescent sodium salt]; crawling through chutes or large tubs of rotting garbage; kissing the Royal Baby's belly coated with axle grease, hair chopping, etc. most of the others were treated much worse, dirty mixtures being put in their mouths & rubbed on their faces. NH 106226. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2010 - 2023 Marine Insight All Rights Reserved. [10], U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt described his crossing-the-line ceremony aboard the "Happy Ship" USSIndianapolis with his "Jolly Companions" in a letter to his wife Eleanor Roosevelt on 26 November 1936. The crew was in the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. crossing the equator, Commanding Officer Captain J. Scott Jones, for instance, publicly announced that the USS Bonhomme Richard had a great celebration of this important passage. For instance, the ship's captain might play the part of King Neptune himself. (Photo:Lou Sander/WikiCommons CC BY-SA 4.0). And there are no two thoughts on that. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite that commemorates a sailors first crossing of the Equator. This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. #ashmore #sailingships #tallships #youngadult #historicalfiction #truestory #captain #shipsurgeon #interactiveadventure #kiwiauthor #immigration #youngadultfiction #kingneptune #ceremony #crossingthequator #shellbacks #pollywoggers #sonsofneptune. [citation needed]. The Wogs then ascended a ladder to the boat deck to slide down a makeshift chute into the baptism of messdeck leavings in sea water in an inflated liferaft back on the superstructure deck. The scepter is laid forth to mark this moment of truth. This ceremony is still practised onboard numerous ships today. The Equator Crossing Ceremony is an age-old tradition to commemorate a seafarer crossing the equator for the first time. endobj It was my second voyage at sea and I was still a little uncomfortable on board, still a little shy in the middle of a 23-member crew (totally male). As this scientist put it, everyone on the ship was fine with someone not participating; No one egged her in her sleep., Neptune and his entourage during a Polish line-crossing ceremony. (Photo: Public domain/WikiCommons). Many cases of unbelievable cruelty were reported especially in the years after the II World War and some maritime companies even banned these ceremonies on board their vessels. This is a usually light-hearted event that allows the ships crew to take some time out from their hectic schedules and have fun with the rest of the crewmates. According to old tradition, all those crossing the equator for the first time, must be baptized and thus made an able-bodied seaman. 10 Interesting Facts About Titanic Ship You Dont Know, Port Chaplain Tells His Experience of Meeting Seafarers, Why Sailor Wife is Called as Queen: Read This, A Sailor Queen Awaits His Arrival After An Extended Contract, Iamdatingasailor-Thesearethechangesinmylife, Spouse Onboard-is it a Good idea? 0 The Equator Crossing Ceremony is an age-old tradition to commemorate a seafarer crossing the equator for the first time. endobj For instance, as Naval backlash increased due to allegations of oppressive line-crossing practices, many officers dug in their heels and vehemently defended the ceremony, despite consequences to their own careers. Once at the anchor, the newly initiated are made to crack open a can of beer on the anchor itself at the first go. Webthe equator, this ceremony has a rich and varied history. In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, too, received a summons to appear before the sea god and pay his respects. Shilavadra Bhattacharjee is a shipbroker with a background in commercial operations after having sailed onboard as a Third Officer. In a different iteration in Voyager's galley these ingredients could comprise a tasty fishcake recipe, but not today. The two-day event (evening and day) is a ritual in which previously inducted crew members (Trusty Shellbacks) are organized into a "Court of Neptune" and induct the Slimy Pollywogs into "the mysteries of the Deep". 2023 New Year, New Home $75K Veteran Homebuyer Giveaway, the Sirens and Sea Monsters of the Odyssey, Check if you meet the official VA loan requirements, Department of Veterans Affairs Lender Statistics, Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System & Directory. They are also performed in the merchant navy and aboard sail training ships. The Iron Shellback are those on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USS San Jacinto who crossed the equator after a 200+ day voyage during the 2020 pandemic. The controlled order often turned to chaos if a Pollywog revolt began. The custom of crossing the line was immediately adopted following the formation of the Royal Australian Navy, as seen here onboard HMAS Australia (I) in 1913. It is very seldom to find an age-old tradition that is carried out with such gusto at shore. Taking liberties with the piscatorial subjects of His Majesty Neptunus Rex. (Photo: The Rise and Fall of Cruisingforsex.com, a Digital Atlas of Casual Encounters, AO Video Investigation: Movie Worms Ranked By Size, Morlocks, CHUDS and Graboids: A Bestiary of Fictional Subterranea. Sailors undergoing the ceremony were physically and verbally abused before being subjected to an act called "sump on the rump", where a dark liquid was daubed over each sailor's anus and genitalia. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. [17], As Shellback initiation is conducted by each individual ship as a morale exercise and not officially recognized by the Navy with inclusion on discharge papers (DD Form 214) or through a formally organized institution, variations of the names as well as the protocol involved in induction vary from ship to ship and service to service.[18]. USMC Golden shellback here, aboard the USS Denver, 1981 much more fun pitching than catching on Wog Day!!! Help using this website - Accessibility statement, Luxury cruise offers a taste of the Succession lifestyle. The Greenwich Meridian didn't become the International standard until 1884, two years after the Ashmore crossed the equator. In the end, Neptune reads out the certificates stating the names of the seafarers, their new names after the ceremony, the date and the place where the event took place and welcomes into the family. Crossing The Equator - King Neptune Ceremony, This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. One sailor was then sexually assaulted with a long stick before all sailors undergoing the ceremony were forced to jump overboard and tread water until permitted to climb back aboard the submarine. Webthe equator, this ceremony has a rich and varied history. The Golden Shellback was awarded to those who also crossed the equator and the International Date Line or 180th meridian, (where the world is divided between Eastern and Western Hemispheres) at the same time. From their ships berth, floating in the middle of the ocean, they are ushered into a room to begin the trial. "?HF]y@O?&jL _ By submitting your email you are agreeing to Nine Publishing's It took quite a journey to make that change; early accounts of the ritual were brutal. My wife did hers on SS Acavus in 1980 when she sailed with me. The Navy has spent decades trying to rein in on hazing; the line-crossing ceremony represents a great deal of this. This is how #EQUATOR_CROSSING_CEREMONY is celebrated onboard. hbbd```b``"ZA$Sd&0,4 ,FHXL*H(H2 2 The tradition began with the Navy over 400 years ago, says anthropology and sociology professor Carie Little Hersh in her 2002 paper Crossing the Line: Sex, Power, Justice, and the U.S. Navy at the Equator. Given its long history, the ritual has changed over the years, but it remains a well-knownalbeit sometimes controversiallinchpin of Naval culture. This is how I mostly startmy ship visit. The Star Spangled Shellbacks was used for those crossing the equator on July 4th, 1966. Did mine in 1978 in the Indian Ocean on the SS Lepeta. Myriad approaches to conducting the ceremony will yield myriad accounts. Their most recent ceremony was during the summer of 2019, on the TSES VI, held shortly after departing Reykjavik. Some rites have discussed a role reversal as follows, but this is not always a normal feature, and may be dependent on whether a small number of Shellbacks exist to conduct the initiation. King Neptune's First Mate was called Davy Jones and the Second Mate was called Her Highness Amphitrite. x]KsSjF r.Kq9r_t)RMH[f~F`j4z0R.wo,y?_6 zXw{^7'/Vu:l~|cW;F:yVR0cSEQl:6hQOZr:iusl B9Pn~-~u6= f{w}XYaKn)VSwA#/Ye6=~ui)f{jL??GOn2{ >y 7KOs!Oy4+,Cc[`_rXVe(soAyG:x[HT1J-aFn-gfEXU0)EJhSsfD~5c6 ^Ub2?\%"0s5nFM 6VNG1ymVMgi;THbV:XB"`/8v6h?4`"n@? Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. This said, the party doesnt end here! This part is the beginning of the ritual wherein they are stripped down to their underwear (or nothing!) Let's look at the minimum credit score for a VA loan and what lenders typically expect. I had my baptism ceremony nine years ago, in the beautiful waters of the Indian Ocean, somewhere North of the Seychelles Islands, while heading towards the West Coast of Australia. King Neptune Ceremony on board the Polish shipChrzest Rwnikowy. Equator-crossing ritual on cruise ships Mal Chenu Puckering up to kiss the fish. It is a memory that is etched into each and every seafarer, for it is an event that ushers in a sense of belonging to ones profession. Copyright 2023 Mortgage Research Center, LLC. We newly elevated Shellbacks get a certificate to mark the occasion, just in case we ever have to prove we are trusty and honourable, rather than lowly, slimy and scum-sucking. The event often lasted two days and normally followed a standard transition. People hear a knock on their door and they know it has begun. After the ceremony, the Sailors were inducted into the "Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Order of the Deep" meaning that King Neptune had accepted them as one of his trusty shellbacks. Equator Crossing or Baptism Ceremony Showing gratitude towards the sea and its masters may come in the form of a whispering pray behind the four walls of your cabin, but it sometimes requires a loud shout and a real ceremony which must be attended by everybody else on board. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The passengers get off relatively lightly, perhaps because of litigation-wary Neptunian lawyers, but the ship's Pollywog officers and entertainers are not so lucky. Nowadays, the most common ceremonies always include at least two members of the crew willing to conduct the show, the fire hoses ready to splash, glasses of miraculous drinks, baptism certificates, a noisy and supportive crowd and a well deserved party afterwards. One person, in fact, did. Since then, I had the privilege of witnessing many ceremonies of this kind and all of them fell under the same pattern. Webthe equator, this ceremony has a rich and varied history. Ste. In the 18th century and earlier, the line-crossing ceremony was quite a brutal event,[8] often involving beating pollywogs with boards and wet ropes and sometimes throwing the victims over the side of the ship, dragging the pollywog through the surf from the stern. Line-crossing Ceremony: Homophobic or Homoerotic? The older and more experienced sailors were always so happy to perform the most outrageous tricks and games on the new comers that they sometimes crossed the limits of entertainment and brought the game to a dangerous and even deadly point. As the cruise ship Voyager of the Seas nears the equator, excitement mounts and all Pollywogs those who have never crossed the line are encouraged to register for the crossing the equator WebWelcome to Equator CrossingThe line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. Though ceremonies differ, theres a general form and a common cast of characters. Equator Crossing or Baptism Ceremony-All About it. But it was also authorised by Captains to entertain the passengers on merchant ships like the Ashmore. Some people may find this a silly game, but seafarers know for certain that receiving the blessing from the God of the Sea is always an honor and must be regarded as such.Equator Crossing ceremony is just a humble way of recognizing Neptune as Master of the Seas and all the seafarers who receive Neptunes permission to sail his waters have to be celebrated and congratulated by all the crew on board. 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