2022 by Kin & Kingdoms Books. One former Navy man posted videos of the ritual to YouTube. 7 0 obj (Photo: Public domain/WikiCommons). 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 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. King Neptune and his royal court: his queen, Davy Jones, the royal baby, and other dignitaries, arrive to the ship the evening prior to the equator crossing. The controlled order often turned to chaos if a Pollywog revolt began. In more than one instance, sailors were reported to have been killed while participating in a line-crossing ceremony. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. In this case, the whole ceremony can turn into a complete nightmare for the young seamen who would rather forget about the event than recording it in hundreds of photos and movies. 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. 2023 Atlas Obscura. Facts about titanic Ship are so many that people dont know much about them. Read about: Joining Ship? Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. 6 0 obj Anyone inducted is quick to say they are part of this Order, but resistant to go into more detail. 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. Sailors who have already crossed the Equator are nicknamed Shellbacks, Trusty Shellbacks, Honorable Shellbacks, or Sons of Neptune. 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! ), largely for the entertainment of the Shellbacks. But line-crossing has expanded to other corners of seafaring culture, including the unlikely place of scientific research cruises. 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. There were pageants where wogs were forced to crossdress in front of their superiors, and then spend the rest of their day performing often degrading tasks. So we though lets compile one of those facts about titanic ship that probably you are unaware of. (Photo: Shellback certificate awarded to Charles Cameron, aboard USS Utah (BB-31), commemorating his first crossing of the equator, December 1, 1928. WebThis is a continuation of EQUATOR CROSSING CEREMONY PART 1. His interests primarily lie in the energy sector, books and travelling. Learn how your comment data is processed. WebAlthough crossing the equator may seem like a routine event for any modern-day naval vessel, navies have celebrated the time-honored tradition for centuries. Required fields are marked *. Crawling through long containers filled withrotten garbage. Download image. The writer was a guest of Royal Caribbean Cruises. The event often lasted two days and normally followed a standard transition. But there are also times when myseafarers are busy, with bunkering, or they are doing other work. The luxury cruise ship that doubles as a science vessel, instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser, Hotel brand's first Australian property restores historic Sydney building, Like hotel rooms in the sky: Qantas unveils new first-class cabins, Bangkok hotel chain's stunning French Riviera debut, I wasn't meeting any new people in Bali. t a terrible thing it would be if a Navy man became gay. Cracking it open at once pertains to long luck and safe seas. 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. It is not at all easy to hold the position of a Queen in [], Sir..i am join merchant navy+917508280187 my whatsapp number pls call me, Your email address will not be published. Hersh writes: Pollywogs who are disliked, or who are suspected of being gay, receive especially harsh treatment, while favored wogs or high-ranking wogs are often pulled out of the ritual early, or are permitted to go through it without too much harassment.. 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. Obviously enough, my urge to sleep took the better of me and I dozed off for I would have to go and assist the Chief Mate in is watch in a few hours. Download image. The article or images cannot be reproduced, copied, shared or used in any form without the permission of the author and Marine Insight. 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. Equator Crossing or Baptism Ceremony-All About it. The line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. Wogs (all of the uninitiated) are allowed to capture and interrogate any Shellbacks they can find (e.g., tying them up, cracking eggs or pouring aftershave lotion on their heads). As we approach the middle of the world, quite a few passengers rush to the rails for a look, as though there might be an actual line drawn on the ocean. This is how #EQUATOR_CROSSING_CEREMONY is celebrated onboard. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. Pollywogs entertain the royal court with a talent show. 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. 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. This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. WebWelcome to Equator CrossingThe line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. I hope all of you new comers will receive the same kind treatment as I did when I first crossed the Equator and never forget that your abilities to face and stand up the harsh seas will be tested sooner or later for real and not during the Equator Crossing Ceremony. [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. Then the heads are shaved in the most uneven manner possible (no historical reasoning for it, but personally judging, it is most likely to do with a purging process) and paint is applied at random all over the body (privates aside!). Credit score requirements vary by lender. The glimmer in the eyes of those that have already experienced it, telling you to live every moment of it, for it is never to happen again, is priceless. Licensed in all 50 states. About 9 am the next day, the novices or "griffins" were assembled in the darkness and heat of the lower deck, then one at a time were blindfolded and led up on deck by "four of Neptunes constables", as "buckets of water were thundered all around". Myriad approaches to conducting the ceremony will yield myriad accounts. An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. King Neptune is said to be the ruler of the seas and this entire shindig is orchestrated to appease the King by showing Him respect, to keep a sailor away from the perils of the sea and to bring good luck. See. 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. It was also called crossing the line. KISS THE FISH!" 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. Fortunately no head shaving but the foul mixture was foul in the extreme. 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. 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. Back in the days of wooden ships, Crossing the Line ceremonies were designed to test young Sailors on their first cruise out in the open sea. WebThis is a continuation of EQUATOR CROSSING CEREMONY PART 1. 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. The Equator Crossing Ceremony is an age-old tradition to commemorate a seafarer crossing the equator for the first time. The crew was in the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. King Neptune Ceremony This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. 767 It starts at night. This power asymmetry played a role in the ritual, showcasing innate naval biases. 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. Officers rebelled and did it anyway, which ultimately led to court martials. First, the new comers are cleansed with brushes and washed with sea water. 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? The ceremony is a long-standing tradition of initiation that commemorates a sailors first time crossing of the equator. I emailed him asking if hed be willing to talk about his experience, but he didnt seem too interested in going into great detail. Get the latest news and updates emailed straight to your inbox. WebEquator crossing certificate. %%EOF Lets know your experience in the comments below or mail us at [email protected]. King Neptune Ceremony on board the Polish shipChrzest Rwnikowy. The ceremony could include funny and nave games like moving on hands and knees on slippery decks but more humiliating, difficult and dangerous tasks as well like crawling through barrels of garbage or oil, jumping overboard from high decks or climbing on top of the mast and being forced to spend hours in the same position. "?HF]y@O?&jL _ It was also an initiation rite commemoratedthe first time a sailor crossed over. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Newbies are called Pollywogs, Slimy Pollywogs or Slimy Wogs. '03aE,#M5fr0|\fs9_'_-Qrzm"\~+?NUzUwx_|],Lf,[~]lly_e)ETJJ Gz#. Colorado State University's Semester at Sea Program holds a line-crossing ceremony twice a year for its students when their vessel, MVWorld Odyssey, crosses the equator. 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. 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. Other people often show up, including a surgeon, a barber, people dressed as bears, and a judge. Little did I know what was to happen! (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. Thanks for reading and watching my BLINK. 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