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. In order to ensure that all the seafarers show their gratitude towards the mighty sea and receive the blessing from Neptune at the beginning of their career and not wait until they have the chance of crossing the Equator, more and more ceremonies are undergone for the first voyage at sea as well. King Neptune Ceremony This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. Equator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are also sometimes carried out for passengers' entertainment on civilian ocean liners and Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Ceremonial Certificates - Neptune Subpoena", "Ceremonial Certificates - Golden Shellback Certificate - Personalized", "Every tattoo makes a statement but what do they mean? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. At the end of it, the Captain, Chief Engineer and the rest, as a mark of welcoming and respect, congratulate the initiates. 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. As they approached the equator on the evening of 16 February 1832, a pseudo-Neptune hailed the ship. In a different iteration in Voyager's galley these ingredients could comprise a tasty fishcake recipe, but not today. endobj The fun has just begun, and its going to continue for another 24 hours. hb```>VB eaX;f8L/```b^22jtsVP 6z k$}`+9Vxyo Nk1TO4# }/$ 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. 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. Each ship might have their own traditions and nuances, but the fundamental structure goes something like this: Many accounts dwell only on the final, elaborate ceremony that takes place on the day a ship traverses the equator, but the month leading up to King Neptune's arrival, when the Pollywogs are separated off from the Shellbacks, is also significant. Over the history of researchers hitting the high seas to acquire water samples and observe marine life, there are multiple accounts of ceremonies performed when the ships hit the Equator. This line-crossing lunacy was sanctioned to boost sailors spirits. most of the others were treated much worse, dirty mixtures being put in their mouths & rubbed on their faces. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Cracking it open at once pertains to long luck and safe seas. Source: He actually told me that he had never agreed to humiliating or painful trials for the new comers because the strength of a real seafarer stays in his heart, his wisdom and his kindness and these qualities can not be tested through silly, humiliating or painful ordeals. 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. Lastly, the Pollywogs take a royal bath in a pool of sea water before being declared Shellbacks, after which they receive their certificates, which they can proudly hang on their wall at home. Heinous as the accusations are, no one seems too concerned until the royal handmaidens bring out the fish. 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 For instance, the ship's captain might play the part of King Neptune himself. Afterwards, some may be "interrogated" by King Neptune and his entourage, and the use of "truth serum" (hot sauce + after shave) and whole uncooked eggs put in the mouth. Department of Veterans Affairs Lender Statistics. Your email address will not be published. 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. Myriad approaches to conducting the ceremony will yield myriad accounts. I remember the shock I had as soon as I discovered that half of the Filipinos on board were gathered there, some of them dressed up like pirates with funny dresses, tattoos, wigs made up from cleaning mops and a whole arsenal of wooden weapons. Pollywogs entertain the royal court with a talent show. In more than one instance, sailors were reported to have been killed while participating in a line-crossing ceremony. NMLS ID #1907 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org), #1 VA Lender: 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. 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. Even commercial cruise lines have been known to host some parts of the ritual. It starts at night. The memory of the event sticks with people. WebThe ritual dates back at least 400 years in Western seafaring. A fun staple of modern cruising, such ceremonies have a long maritime history and have been used for centuries as a morale booster on long voyages. %%EOF [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. Wogs then returned to the forecastle, where they were hosed off by firehose and then allowed to kiss, in turn, the belly of the sea-baby, the foot of the sea-hag, and the ring of King Neptune, each personified by Shellbacks. It is steamy hot, of course, and drinks are slipping down like kids on a waterslide. 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. 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. There are other similar ceremonies for different locales including the Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the International Date Line, and others. t a terrible thing it would be if a Navy man became gay. endobj Maine 's commanding officer greets King Neptune and Royal Party at beginning of equator crossing ceremonies. endstream endobj 188 0 obj <>/Metadata 16 0 R/PageLayout/OneColumn/Pages 185 0 R/StructTreeRoot 25 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 189 0 obj <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Type/Page>> endobj 190 0 obj <>stream His interests primarily lie in the energy sector, books and travelling. NH 106226. They were always followed by a barbecue party with good food and music and the hundreds of photos taken during the event were always shared with families and friends as a proof of being recognized as a true seafarer. The ship's artist, Augustus Earle, made a sketch of the scene.[5]. Those credulous enough to run forward to see Neptune "were received with the watery honours which it is customary to bestow". (Photo: Public domain/WikiCommons). 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. It was also an initiation rite commemorated the first time a sailor crossed over. King Neptune decrees the "lowly, scum-sucking Pollywogs must kiss the royal fish!". They are being summoned into Neptunes Court for crimes theyve committed against the god. When a ship crosses the equator, King Neptune comes aboard to exercise authority over his domain and to judge charges brought against Pollywogs that they are only posing as sailors and haven't paid proper homage to the god of the sea. The Pollywogs are accused of various atrocities and crimes against humanity, including pushing in at the buffet, singing karaoke out of tune and dancing without rhythm. 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. "We have the same sort of ceremony in my country," said Lt. j.g. 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. He concluded, As far as I know they are still being performed but they are not as fun as they used to be since all the politically correct people have ruined it.. Most prominently, ocean scientists are known to perform similar ceremonies. When the ceremony is organized and supervised by intelligent and kind persons regardless of age, rank or nationality the event takes the form of a happy celebration in which all the crew has a great time. Normally, it is at dinner that the highly esteemed Equator Crossing Certificate is handed out to seal the rituals authenticity forever. 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. It was also an initiation rite commemoratedthe first time a sailor crossed over. Your email address will not be published. [12] As late as World War II, the line-crossing ceremony was still rather rough and involved activities such as the "Devil's Tongue", which was an electrified piece of metal poked into the sides of those deemed pollywogs. This is the beginning of a line-crossing ceremony, a centuries-old ritual to inaugurate Equator-crossing virgins. 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. privacy policy. Equator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are also sometimes carried out for passengers' entertainment on civilian ocean liners and [citation needed] The Wogs are made very aware that it will be much harder on them if they do anything like this. The article or images cannot be reproduced, copied, shared or used in any form without the permission of the author and Marine Insight. ), largely for the entertainment of the Shellbacks. By submitting your email you are agreeing to Nine Publishing's terms and conditions 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. 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. The ceremony is a long-standing tradition of initiation that commemorates a sailors first time crossing of the equator. of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. This ceremony is still practised onboard numerous ships today. WebWelcome to Equator CrossingThe line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. Were treated much worse, dirty mixtures being put in their mouths & rubbed on their.! Ships today least 400 years in Western seafaring known to host some parts of the.! 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