(Photo: Public domain/WikiCommons). This power asymmetry played a role in the ritual, showcasing innate naval biases. Webthe equator, this ceremony has a rich and varied history. most of the others were treated much worse, dirty mixtures being put in their mouths & rubbed on their faces. Slimy (the traditional adjective) Pollywogs are led out for their hazing in front of King Neptune, and his assistant reads the charges. Did mine in 1978 in the Indian Ocean on the SS Lepeta. The first-time participants are known as pollywogs. 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! %%EOF stream She recalled the innovative costumes and how almost everyone on the ship was involved. WebWelcome to Equator CrossingThe line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendation on any course of action to be followed by the reader. The Greenwich Meridian didn't become the International standard until 1884, two years after the Ashmore crossed the equator. Read about: Joining Ship? 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. Made to kissan axle-greased Royal Babys Belly. From their ships berth, floating in the middle of the ocean, they are ushered into a room to begin the trial. WebThe ritual dates back at least 400 years in Western seafaring. King Neptune is a prominent figure, as is his representative Davy Jones. %PDF-1.5 % However, most lenders have similar criteria. Even commercial cruise lines have been known to host some parts of the ritual. 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 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. King Neptune Ceremony on board the Polish shipChrzest Rwnikowy. stream Anyone inducted is quick to say they are part of this Order, but resistant to go into more detail. [6], Captain Robert FitzRoy of HMSBeagle suggested the practice had developed from earlier ceremonies in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian vessels passing notable headlands. The Navy has many histories of line-crossing, and a Google search turns up numerous pictures of sailors being initiated. According to old tradition, all those crossing the equator for the first time, must be baptized and thus made an able-bodied seaman. They are also performed in the merchant navy and aboard sail training ships. The ceremony is a long-standing tradition of initiation that commemorates a sailors first time crossing of the equator. People hear a knock on their door and they know it has begun. 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. DhD!D4n4I8P5>U`_FC.i`p8~xz_ep;MtBgCrf"FB:&t#W>V98}&I75(*^bqYe[A_xJ4k) Bx^c;.vT{c,kv8J>U_ 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. Their most recent ceremony was during the summer of 2019, on the TSES VI, held shortly after departing Reykjavik. Crossing the Equator is a great opportunity for seafarers to receive blessings and show respect towards the Gods of Sea and Earth. NH 106226. I contacted many people while researching this vessel, who would quickly and proudly mention the various lines they crossed but then shut down further questioning. This is typical of certificates awarded in the pre-WWII period. When the ceremonies were first conducted, they were physically challenging and could even be painful or embarrassing to the Sailors. 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. Our modern practice is believed to have evolved from Viking rituals, executed upon crossing the 30th parallel, a tradition 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 chant goes up: "KISS THE FISH! What you should not forget. The shellbacks had prepared 3-foot lengths of canvas/rubber firehose, which they swung hard at the posterior of each Wog. Newbies are called Pollywogs, Slimy Pollywogs or Slimy Wogs. 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. Today, the event is voluntary and is conducted more for entertainment purposes and morale boosting than anything else. Photo: Getty Images A Pollywog makes the transition to Shellback. Learn how your comment data is processed. Interrogations were held by King Neptune and his entourage who used truth serum (aftershave and hot sauce), or whole uncooked eggs in the Pollywoggers mouth. "It is interesting to see how similar our maritime cultures are to one another. 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. The ceremony is a long-standing tradition of initiation that commemorates a sailors first time crossing of the equator. [2] The officer on watch reported a boat ahead, and Captain FitzRoy ordered "hands up, shorten sail". Those who have not crossed are nicknamed Pollywogs, or Slimy Pollywogs, or sometimes simply Slimy Wogs. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite that commemorates a sailors first crossing of the Equator. %PDF-1.3 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. 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 Check out this weeks video at the bottom. The Golden Shellback was awarded to those who also crossed the equator and the International Date Line or 180th meridian, (where the world is divided between Eastern and Western Hemispheres) at the same time. King Neptune Ceremony This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. The crew was in the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. 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. 2022 by Kin & Kingdoms Books. 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. All-Time Lows: According to interest rates published on July 31, 2020, on FreddieMac.com. 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. <> Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. In the PBS documentary Carrier, filmed in 2005 (Episode 7, "Rites of Passage"), a crossing-the-line ceremony on USSNimitz is extensively documented. Cracking it open at once pertains to long luck and safe seas. Naval History and Heritage Command. 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. 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. But line-crossing has expanded to other corners of seafaring culture, including the unlikely place of scientific research cruises. 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. I emailed him asking if hed be willing to talk about his experience, but he didnt seem too interested in going into great detail. As you can see in the photo below, when the MV Odyssey crosses the equator twice a year, it holds the King Neptune ceremony for its students of the Semester at Sea program. 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. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness. SUNY Maritime occasionally holds a Blue Nose ceremony for its cadets after crossing the Arctic Circle. [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. Pollywogs or Slimy Pollywogs were those who have not yet crossed the line. (Photo: Shellback certificate awarded to Charles Cameron, aboard USS Utah (BB-31), commemorating his first crossing of the equator, December 1, 1928. By submitting your email you are agreeing to Nine Publishing's 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. 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. 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. Source: Equator-crossing ritual on cruise ships Mal Chenu Puckering up to kiss the fish. For research trips there are both scientists and crew members hired to maintain the ship. I wouldnt call it hazing per se, the researcher said. 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. I was woken up by an AB within 30 minutes of sleeping off along with a barrage of other men who were grinning away to glory and the reason became apparent to me; I was going to have to go through the equator crossing ceremony (line-crossing ceremony)! Normally theres some separation between these groups, but during the line-crossing ceremony everyone is involved, be they scientist or crew. As appalling as it may seem to shore folk, it is a tradition that makes a man out a fresh cadet or trainee seaman. SMH! The controlled order often turned to chaos if a Pollywog revolt began. It is steamy hot, of course, and drinks are slipping down like kids on a waterslide. hbbd```b``"ZA$Sd&0,4 ,FHXL*H(H2 2 <> Normally, it is at dinner that the highly esteemed Equator Crossing Certificate is handed out to seal the rituals authenticity forever. 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. Copyright 2023 Mortgage Research Center, LLC. 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. WebThis is a continuation of EQUATOR CROSSING CEREMONY PART 1. This is likely because of the bad rap the ceremony has accrued over the years. Once at the anchor, the newly initiated are made to crack open a can of beer on the anchor itself at the first go. All Rights Reserved. Your email address will not be published. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Help using this website - Accessibility statement, Luxury cruise offers a taste of the Succession lifestyle. [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. 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. Its kind of a nice tradition, said one US-based ocean researcher when I asked her about her experience. 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. (Photo: Public domain/WikiCommons). WebThe modern ceremony follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. (Photo: An illustration of an 1816 line-crossing ceremony aboard the frigate Mduse. The transition flows from established order to the "controlled chaos" of the Pollywog Revolt, the beginnings of re-order in the initiation rite as the fewer but experienced enlisted crew converts the Wogs through physical tests, then back to, and thereby affirming, the pre-established order of officers and enlisted. Floating in the merchant Navy and aboard sail training ships hired to maintain the.... Put in their mouths & rubbed on their door and they know it has begun, including the unlikely of. Shipchrzest Rwnikowy rubbed on their faces great opportunity for seafarers to receive blessings and show towards! A long-standing tradition of initiation that commemorates a sailors first time, be... Those crossing the Line is an initiation rite that commemorates a person 's first crossing the... Ocean on the TSES VI, held shortly after departing Reykjavik goes:! Like a routine event for any modern-day naval vessel, navies have celebrated time-honored. 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