NH 106226. 211 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<9CAE41BC77A23D4684E864BC01895996>]/Index[187 41]/Info 186 0 R/Length 110/Prev 455655/Root 188 0 R/Size 228/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream According to old tradition, all those crossing the equator for the first time, must be baptized and thus made an able-bodied seaman. I was very lucky to be a part of that beautiful ceremony and thanks to that captain I didnt have to witness any humiliating test. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Following almost the same steps as the Equator Crossingceremony, the first voyage ceremonymay include other tests and trials which are more appropriate for very young sailors. Honorable Shellbacks or Sons of Neptune was the namegiven to a sailor who has already crossed the equator. 731|+pvwX` <> endstream endobj startxref Using a speaking trumpet he questioned Neptune, who would visit them the next morning. This ceremony is still practised onboard numerous ships today. Newbies are called Pollywogs, Slimy Pollywogs or Slimy Wogs. According to old tradition, all those crossing the equator for the first time, must be baptized and thus made an able-bodied seaman. p}FEDKS'G,MVLz3+\S:zQoendstream Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. Our modern practice is believed to have evolved from Viking rituals, executed upon crossing the 30th parallel, a tradition Shellback certificate awarded to Charles Cameron, aboard USS Utah (BB-31), commemorating his first crossing of the equator, December 1, 1928. There are still cases in which seafarers are put to difficult and embarrassing tests sometimes humiliating and even painful experiences in order to receive the blessing of a very unkind and unfair God.The ones who received the same harsh treatment years before are more likely to perform the same unkind ceremony on the new comers and the more humiliating the situation is the happier they are. Our modern practice is believed to have evolved from Viking rituals, executed upon crossing the 30th parallel, a tradition The ceremony observes a mariner's transformation from slimy Pollywog, a seaman who hasn't crossed the equator, to trusty Shellback, also called a Son or Daughter of Neptune. WebThe modern ceremony follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. WebEquator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are common in the Navy and are also sometimes carried out for passengers' entertainment on civilian ocean liners and cruise ships. In more than one instance, sailors were reported to have been killed while participating in a line-crossing ceremony. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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). They never turned into a nightmare for the new comers and they were accompanied only by laughter and happy faces. At that time, the ceremony was regarded as an initiation rite and, like all initiation rituals which are still performed among different tribes around the world,it sure made the adrenaline pumping harder especially for those in question. Ship passengers who have never traversed the nautical line are forced to prove they are worthy to make the transition. WebWelcome to Equator CrossingThe line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. The memory of the event sticks with people. stream Sailors who have already crossed the Equator are nicknamed Shellbacks, Trusty Shellbacks, Honorable Shellbacks, or Sons of Neptune. For instance, the ship's captain might play the part of King Neptune himself. Cadets crawled through a tunnel with lo mein, or "Eel Spawn", and then had food put in their hair before crawling through the fantail while being sprayed by fire hoses. Top VA Purchase Lender each Fiscal Year between 2016-2022. This line-crossing lunacy was sanctioned to boost sailors spirits. 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. After we drank our glasses with that awful tasting liquid, we received our certificates together with everybodys congratulations and enjoyed a wonderful party thrown in our honor. and normally, dipped in the water gathered in the save-all tray! King Neptune Ceremony This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. When a ship must cross the Equator reasonably close to one of these meridians, the ship's captain might plot a course across the Golden X so that the ship's crew can be initiated as Golden or Emerald/Royal Diamond Shellbacks. Fortunately no head shaving but the foul mixture was foul in the extreme. most of the others were treated much worse, dirty mixtures being put in their mouths & rubbed on their faces. 12 0 obj Normally theres some separation between these groups, but during the line-crossing ceremony everyone is involved, be they scientist or crew. [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]. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. Captains were known to plot a course to cross those meridians if they were sailing close enough, so all the sailors could be rewarded with the title. Those who were not favored fared worse. [citation needed] The Wogs are made very aware that it will be much harder on them if they do anything like this. Download image. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, DC; collection of Rear Admiral Harold M. Bemis; U.S. %PDF-1.5 % King Neptune is a prominent figure, as is his representative Davy Jones. endobj The crew was in the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. The ceremony was conducted by our steward who took his role as Neptune very seriously and appointed some of the pirates to cleanse us right with soap and water. [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 event often lasted two days and normally followed a standard transition. The crew was in the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. [citation needed]. 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). 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. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser. This is how I mostly startmy ship visit. Unique Shellback designations have been given to special circumstances which include: Variations to the Shellback designation include: Consequently, similar "fraternities" commemorating other significant milestones in one's career include:[19], California Maritime Academy observed the line-crossing ceremony until 1989, after which the ceremony was deemed to be hazing and was forbidden. #ashmore #sailingships #tallships #youngadult #historicalfiction #truestory #captain #shipsurgeon #interactiveadventure #kiwiauthor #immigration #youngadultfiction #kingneptune #ceremony #crossingthequator #shellbacks #pollywoggers #sonsofneptune. "?HF]y@O?&jL _ Line-crossing originated as a hazing process to transform the pollywogs into bona fide shellbacks. 10 Ways to Ensure WellBeing Of Seafarers At Sea, 10 Simple Things That Make Seafarers Happy On Board Ships, 13 Things Sailors Must Keep in Mind About Their Sea Job Contract, 7 Important Points A Seafarers Wife Must Consider When On Board Ship. She is a symbol of strength, love, patience, responsibility, beauty, happiness and honesty. This part is the beginning of the ritual wherein they are stripped down to their underwear (or nothing!) Veterans United Home Loans provided more VA Home Loans by volume than any other lender as of Oct. 2022. endobj One of the men onboard are made to dress up as King Neptune, with the Trident scepter in hand and a crown for the glorious head! What is Maritime English and Why It Is Important? 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. They then lathered my face & mouth with pitch and paint, & scraped some of it off with a piece of roughened iron hoop. Cast of characters during a Crossing the Line ceremony, DANFS - Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Permitting Policy and Resource Management, The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks: 20 Years Later, "Ex Scientia Tridens": The U.S. I think that being able to participate in the rite of passage with another friendly navy is always an honor and it allows us to know each other better.". The shellbacks had prepared 3-foot lengths of canvas/rubber firehose, which they swung hard at the posterior of each Wog. 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. For the coming days, it is very easy to spot the sailors that have recently been through the ordeal, for their hair is either absolutely absent or styled as if rats had a feeding frenzy on them! Behind the pomp and grandeur of the event is a lot of history. 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. [13] Physical hardship, in keeping with the spirit of the initiation, is tolerated, and each Pollywog is expected to endure a standard initiation rite in order to become a Shellback. xWMo0W$NHP3lK[miP2c'g=VB"=d3q3oLP\.X~bSFK Those credulous enough to run forward to see Neptune "were received with the watery honours which it is customary to bestow". Those who have not crossed are nicknamed Pollywogs, or Slimy Pollywogs, or sometimes simply Slimy Wogs. I remember the serious yet joyous voice of the captain when he used the public announcer to assemble us all on the starboard side wing. The US Navy holds a massive, two-day line crossing ceremony wherein experienced sailors (those who have been across the equator) are called Shellbacks, Trusty Shellbacks and Honorable Shellbacks, the Sons of Neptune. King Neptune Ceremony on board the Polish shipChrzest Rwnikowy. There, they crawled down a gauntlet of Shellbacks on both sides of a long, heavy canvas runner, about 1012 meters. '03aE,#M5fr0|\fs9_'_-Qrzm"\~+?NUzUwx_|],Lf,[~]lly_e)ETJJ Gz#. The controlled order often turned to chaos if a Pollywog revolt began. It was also an initiation rite commemoratedthe first time a sailor crossed over. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line an old seafaring tradition. A VA approved lender; Not endorsed or sponsored by the Dept. [citation needed], Efforts to curtail the line-crossing ceremony did not begin until the 1980s, when several reports of blatant hazing began to circulate regarding the line-crossing ceremony, and at least one death was attributed to abuse while crossing the line. But their businessis for me no problem. I remember going back to my cabin at 1200 hrs after completing some important deck work. [citation needed]. [11] Later, during World War II, the frequency of the ceremony increased dramatically, especially in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific, where the service's fleet operations grew enormously to counter widely dispersed Japanese forces. )\gXpj 4_M\ ot%H8#,}u{ XXej4nM+#I 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. The Pollywogs are put through some physical tests to be initiated into the ancient mysteries of the deep! Hersh mentioned how the ceremony morphed as more people entered the Navy. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. 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. 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 ceremony. 767 On the open sea, even the leader of a great nation must answer to King Neptune. Your email address will not be published. They were all there waiting for me and for two other cadets who were lucky enough to cross the line during their first voyage at sea. Credit score requirements vary by lender. Crossing the Lineor Equator Crossing ceremony (Baptism ceremony) commemorates a seafarers first crossing of the Equator and it is a very important event in any seamens career, regardless the type of vessel he/she is working on.Seafarers especially when they are far from their homes and families -are full of superstitions and the need to pray or seek protection come even stronger in the middle of the mighty ocean, with the wind blowing everything around and with no strip of land in the vicinity. Youwill see old military footage from an actual King Neptune Ceremony. WebEquator crossing certificate. The rich tradition of the Crossing the Line ceremonies often involved varied events throughout which pollywogs, the term given to those who have not crossed the equator before, were put through a series of initiation rites involving harrowing and often embarrassing tasks, gags, obstacles, physical hardships, and generally good-humored mischief. Pollywogs entertain the royal court with a talent show. The rarest Shellback status is that of the Emerald Shellback (US), or Royal Diamond Shellback (Commonwealth), which is received after crossing the Equator at the prime meridian,[16] near the Null Island weather buoy. Why fly home from Bali when you can cruise in style? Nevertheless, the ceremony is a hoot, despite the dodgy production values and a few hilarious script issues. I was very lucky to be a part of that beautiful ceremony and thanks to that captain I didnt have to witness any humiliating test. All rights reserved. "It is interesting to see how similar our maritime cultures are to one another. Little did I know what was to happen! The eve of the equatorial crossing is called Wog Day and, as with many other night-before rituals, is a mild type of reversal of the day to come. Maine 's commanding officer greets King Neptune and Royal Party at beginning of equator crossing ceremonies. The US Navy holds a massive, two-day line crossing ceremony wherein experienced sailors (those who have been across the equator) are called Shellbacks, Trusty Shellbacks and Honorable Shellbacks, the Sons of Neptune. 0 The US Navy holds a massive, two-day line crossing ceremony wherein experienced sailors (those who have been across the equator) are called Shellbacks, Trusty Shellbacks and Honorable Shellbacks, the Sons of Neptune. The coverage provoked widespread criticism, especially when the videotape showed some of the submarine's officers watching the entire proceedings from the conning tower. As is with all cadets, sleep is the all-engulfing element that overpowers the necessity to change ones boiler suit and go in for a shower! Video of 1957 Coast Guard crossing ritual. 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. It looks like a trout, but the bloke who goes in for the full tongue action is definitely a groper. WebWelcome to Equator CrossingThe line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. WebThe modern ceremony follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. 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