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. Sailors who have already crossed the Equator are nicknamed Shellbacks, Trusty Shellbacks, Honorable Shellbacks, or Sons of Neptune. 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 ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite that commemorates a sailors first crossing of the Equator. King, Ernest J., USN. 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. Shellback certificate awarded to Charles Cameron, aboard USS Utah (BB-31), commemorating his first crossing of the equator, December 1, 1928. 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. 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). 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. 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. Hershs research focused on how such an ingrained naval practice helped illustrate the power dynamics of people historically discriminated against in the Navynamely gays and women. Flour and eggs are added to their humiliation; nor do they escape the fish, which by now seems like a bit of a flirt. Learn how your comment data is processed. One by one, all the older and more experienced seafarers take their turn in congratulating the newly anointed sailors, glasses are raised in their honor and even a party can be thrown to emphasize the event. 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. From Wog to Shellback. U.S. Navy website: http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=75241. [citation needed] The Wogs are made very aware that it will be much harder on them if they do anything like this. King Neptune's First Mate was called Davy Jones and the Second Mate was called Her Highness Amphitrite. Read about: Joining Ship? There are other similar ceremonies for different locales including the Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the International Date Line, and others. Ste. CALCULATE: Calculate your VA Loan savings. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. See the current VA disability pay charts, and calculate your monthly compensation. 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). Line-crossing Ceremony: Homophobic or Homoerotic? It was also called crossing the line. 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. Much like a wedding, one experiences the joy of it just once, thus becoming a spectator for the all the others to come! This having completed, an entire round of the shop is taken to commemorate the event altogether. hVYoH+=#E Mclu"m*~Ks4/ mF[S,N8Z tpX#?H8Aao5Fh7FAc1!)o5Sq. Beside him is seated his wife, Queen Amphitrite and theyre both surrounded by a few more (including a Davy Jones impersonator) to replicate a royal proceeding. Let's look at the minimum credit score for a VA loan and what lenders typically expect. [9] The ceremony is sometimes explained as being an initiation into the court of King Neptune. Pollywogs entertain the royal court with a talent show. 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 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. This line-crossing lunacy was sanctioned to boost sailors spirits. (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. Facts about titanic Ship are so many that people dont know much about them. 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. Naval History and Heritage Command. endobj They are also performed in the merchant navy and aboard sail training ships. 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. The Schooner Bar pianist and crooner comes in for some particularly harsh treatment, possibly for playing Living Next Door to Alice too often. 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. On the other hand, the ceremonys goal is to ensure that the new comers are capable of facing and handling rough seas and are ready to be called sailors. She is the one to whom all other woman look up to. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. xWMo0W$NHP3lK[miP2c'g=VB"=d3q3oLP\.X~bSFK When the ceremony is organized and supervised by intelligent and kind persons regardless of age, rank or nationality the event takes the form of a happy celebration in which all the crew has a great time. As this scientist put it, everyone on the ship was fine with someone not participating; No one egged her in her sleep., Neptune and his entourage during a Polish line-crossing ceremony. USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) UPDATE of 1973 CTL. The Iron Shellback are those on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USS San Jacinto who crossed the equator after a 200+ day voyage during the 2020 pandemic. As the cruise ship Voyager of the Seas nears the equator, excitement mounts and all Pollywogs those who have never crossed the line are encouraged to register for the crossing the equator It is these little gems that bind us seafarers together in work and spirit and give us the inner strength to carry forward inspire rough seas and long periods away from home. hbbd```b``"ZA$Sd&0,4 ,FHXL*H(H2 2 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. at last, glad enough, I escaped. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness. [citation needed]. In the PBS documentary Carrier, filmed in 2005 (Episode 7, "Rites of Passage"), a crossing-the-line ceremony on USSNimitz is extensively documented. DhD!D4n4I8P5>U`_FC.i`p8~xz_ep;MtBgCrf"FB:&t#W>V98}&I75(*^bqYe[A_xJ4k) Bx^c;.vT{c,kv8J>U_ As appalling as it may seem to shore folk, it is a tradition that makes a man out a fresh cadet or trainee seaman. Seafarers may cross the Equator after many years of sailing both the North and South Hemispheres, but in different voyages as they can join a ship in the North and spend as much as nine months travelling the seas in the same part of the Equator, or they can do this in the South without the possibility of crossing the line by vessel. 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 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. Initiation rite for first crossing of the equator, Honors for line crossings and other navigational events. His interests primarily lie in the energy sector, books and travelling. The ritual is the subject of a painting by Matthew Benedict named The Mariner's Baptism and of a 1961 book by Henning Henningsen named Crossing the Equator: Sailor's Baptism and Other Initiation Rites. Equator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are also sometimes carried out for passengers' entertainment on civilian ocean liners and Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Newbies are called Pollywogs, Slimy Pollywogs or Slimy Wogs. The ship's artist, Augustus Earle, made a sketch of the scene.[5]. 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? 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. A Queen represents confidence and unconditional dedication towards her task. It was also an initiation rite commemoratedthe first time a sailor crossed over. Crossing The Equator - King Neptune Ceremony, This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard have well-established line-crossing rituals. My wife did hers on SS Acavus in 1980 when she sailed with me. WebThe ritual dates back at least 400 years in Western seafaring. 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. According to old tradition, all those crossing the equator for the first time, must be baptized and thus made an able-bodied seaman. Our modern practice is believed to have evolved from Viking rituals, executed upon crossing the 30th parallel, a tradition House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, Naval Forces Europe Naval Forces Africa, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center, United States Armed Forces School of Music, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, United States battleship retirement debate, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Line-crossing_ceremony&oldid=1133712939, Wikipedia articles needing rewrite from March 2017, Articles needing additional references from July 2016, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2009, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2011, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 04:40. 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