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The ceremony is carefully orchestrated by the ship's officers, with some sailors reporting the events to be lackluster due to the removal of the rites of initiation. 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. <> [citation needed]. 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. By submitting your email you are agreeing to Nine Publishing's 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. Newbies are called Pollywogs, Slimy Pollywogs or Slimy Wogs. Equator Crossing or Baptism Ceremony-All About it. 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. Those who were not favored fared worse. It was also an initiation rite commemoratedthe first time a sailor crossed over. On the open sea, even the leader of a great nation must answer to King Neptune. The Schooner Bar pianist and crooner comes in for some particularly harsh treatment, possibly for playing Living Next Door to Alice too often. One person, in fact, did. endstream
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(Photo: A Neptune party to celebrate crossing the equator, 1923. It was also an initiation rite commemorated the first time a sailor crossed over. USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) UPDATE of 1973 CTL. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, DC; collection of Rear Admiral Harold M. Bemis; U.S. This having completed, an entire round of the shop is taken to commemorate the event altogether. She is the one to whom all other woman look up to. privacy policy. Crossing the Line is nearly as old as seafaring itself; even in antiquity sailors engaged in rituals when crossing certain parallels. The crew was in the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. stream WebThe ritual dates back at least 400 years in Western seafaring. 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. [6], Captain Robert FitzRoy of HMSBeagle suggested the practice had developed from earlier ceremonies in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian vessels passing notable headlands. WebCrossing The Equator (The Script of the Ceremony in HMCS Stettler 1957 February 26, 1957 at 106 East Longitude) (Name of original author not recorded 1957) Note to Reader: This is a typical script for a Crossing the Line ceremony.
Use tab to navigate through the menu items. However, the essence of it will remain the same. Perhaps Neptunes approval doesnt depend on harassment. WebWelcome to Equator CrossingThe line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. Crossing The Equator - King Neptune Ceremony, This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. CALCULATE: Calculate your VA Loan savings. The 1989 crossing was fairly typical, as it was not realized to be the last one. The reason behind this is to give the beginners a truth serum in order that they speak the absolute truth when they swear their allegiance to King Neptune and the sea! [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. Even commercial cruise lines have been known to host some parts of the ritual. The 90s saw large groups of people balking at its existence. 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. The Equator Crossing Ceremony is an age-old tradition to commemorate a seafarer crossing the equator for the first time. Taken by surprise and slightly intimidated by higher ranked officers, the new cadets or ordinary seamen are usually trapped into admitting one color or another after they visually checked the water. Your email address will not be published. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness. King Neptune goes to make an earnest speech and accepts the ushering of the sailor into the sea under the auspice of Her Majesty! Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. After breakfast, which is made too spicy for the Pollywogs to eat, the accused appear before King Neptune, who sits in judgment. Taking liberties with the piscatorial subjects of His Majesty Neptunus Rex. 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". VA-approved lender. terms and conditions Customers with questions regarding our loan officers and their licensing may visit the 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. WebEquator crossing certificate. 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. And yes, mostly I am welcomed on board. [13] Depending on the Ocean or Fleet AOR, there can be variations in the rite. No purchase necessary. [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]. Source: 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. [5], By the eighteenth century, there were well-established line-crossing rituals in the British Royal Navy. 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.. Crossing the Line is nearly as old as seafaring itself; even in antiquity sailors engaged in rituals when crossing certain parallels. The crew finally converted the Wogs after the endurance tests were accomplished, ending the ceremonywith an affirmation of the new Shellbacks by way of a certificate declaring their new status. 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.". [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. Licensed in all 50 states. The ceremony is a long-standing tradition of initiation that commemorates a sailors first time crossing of the equator. This is how #EQUATOR_CROSSING_CEREMONY is celebrated onboard. The excitement and enthusiasm that prevails among fellow shipmates at the time of conducting the line-crossing ceremony is one that beams of a happy past experience of the same and that of passing on the baton of the art of sailing to newbies. The crew was in the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System & Directory This is typical of certificates awarded in the pre-WWII period. 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 This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. It was also an initiation rite commemorated the first time a sailor crossed over. They never turned into a nightmare for the new comers and they were accompanied only by laughter and happy faces. The Greenwich Meridian didn't become the International standard until 1884, two years after the Ashmore crossed the equator. But there are also times when myseafarers are busy, with bunkering, or they are doing other work. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. 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 WebThis is a continuation of EQUATOR CROSSING CEREMONY PART 1. a signal being given I was tilted head over heels into the water, where two men received me & ducked me. (July 14): NNS130704-01. Thanks for reading and watching my BLINK. She recalled the innovative costumes and how almost everyone on the ship was involved. Dancing, song, skits or poetry count among the merriment. The first "griffin" was Charles Darwin, who noted in his diary how he "was then placed on a plank, which could be easily tilted up into a large bath of water. The memory of the event sticks with people. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard have well-established line-crossing rituals. for more information. 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? 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. #ashmore #sailingships #tallships #youngadult #historicalfiction #truestory #captain #shipsurgeon #interactiveadventure #kiwiauthor #immigration #youngadultfiction #kingneptune #ceremony #crossingthequator #shellbacks #pollywoggers #sonsofneptune. Equator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are also sometimes carried out for passengers' entertainment on civilian ocean liners and At sea you are not woman or man, you are sailor. 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. 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. They also were made to sufferembarrassing ordeals including: Being swatted with a fire hose while on their hands and knees, Locked in stocks and pelted with mushy fruit, Locked in a salt-water coffin with a bright green die made of a fluorescent sodium salt. Webthe equator, this ceremony has a rich and varied history. 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. I am one of the disappointed. 211 0 obj
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Disclaimer: The views mentioned above are of the author only. Line-crossing Ceremony: Homophobic or Homoerotic? (Photo: Public domain/WikiCommons). Baptism on the line, also called equatorial baptism, is an alternative initiation ritual sometimes performed as a ship crosses the Equator, involving water baptism of passengers or crew who have never crossed the Equator before. According to old tradition, all those crossing the equator for the first time, must be baptized and thus made an able-bodied seaman. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. 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. WebWelcome to Equator CrossingThe line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. 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! Your email address will not be published. This is typical of certificates awarded in the pre-WWII period. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, DC; collection of Rear Admiral Harold M. Bemis; U.S. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. The line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. Webthe equator, this ceremony has a rich and varied history. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Other people often show up, including a surgeon, a barber, people dressed as bears, and a judge. 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. As with most healthy traditions, the small indignities are a symbolism for inclusion and frolic. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. It was also called crossing the line. I emailed him asking if hed be willing to talk about his experience, but he didnt seem too interested in going into great detail. They are also performed in the merchant navy and aboard sail training ships. This ceremony is still practised onboard numerous ships today. It was also an initiation rite commemoratedthe first time a sailor crossed over. See. Pollywogs entertain the royal court with a talent show. People hear a knock on their door and they know it has begun. Naval History and Heritage Command. 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. Our modern practice is believed to have evolved from Viking rituals, executed upon crossing the 30th parallel, a tradition Cracking it open at once pertains to long luck and safe seas. 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. endobj 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.. 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. 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! 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. 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. 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. Because I know with a smile and a handshake [], A Queen is no ordinary woman. 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. NH 106226. This amounted to over 70% of the world's total number of military ships measuring 1,000 tons or greater. (Photo:Lou Sander/WikiCommons CC BY-SA 4.0). Many naval traditions, from the Sirens and Sea Monsters of the Odyssey to the boatswain's call, date back hundreds and even thousands of years. According to old tradition, all those crossing the equator for the first time, must be baptized and thus made an able-bodied seaman. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. 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