WebThis is a continuation of EQUATOR CROSSING CEREMONY PART 1. The Equator Crossing Ceremony is an age-old tradition to commemorate a seafarer crossing the equator for the first time. for more information. "We have the same sort of ceremony in my country," said Lt. j.g. However, the essence of it will remain the same. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line an old seafaring tradition. The coverage provoked widespread criticism, especially when the videotape showed some of the submarine's officers watching the entire proceedings from the conning tower. Most modern navies have instituted regulations that prohibit physical attacks on sailors undergoing the line-crossing ceremony. The seamen who have already crossed the equator are referred to as Shellbacks (or, Sons Of Neptune) and those who havent are called Pollywogs. Youwill see old military footage from an actual King Neptune Ceremony. In her experience, people were given the chance to opt out if they didnt want to participate in the ritual. [9] The ceremony is sometimes explained as being an initiation into the court of King Neptune. Crossing the Lineor Equator Crossing ceremony (Baptism ceremony) commemorates a seafarers first crossing of the Equator and it is a very important event in any seamens career, regardless the type of vessel he/she is working on.Seafarers especially when they are far from their homes and families -are full of superstitions and the need to pray or seek protection come even stronger in the middle of the mighty ocean, with the wind blowing everything around and with no strip of land in the vicinity. Honorable Shellbacks or Sons of Neptune was the namegiven to a sailor who has already crossed the equator. 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. 12 0 obj 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. 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. Source: It is steamy hot, of course, and drinks are slipping down like kids on a waterslide. It was also called crossing the line. Other milestones such as crossing the Antarctic Circle and deep sea diving have also been adopted in this tradition. Download image. x]KsSjF r.Kq9r_t)RMH[f~F`j4z0R.wo,y?_6 zXw{^7'/Vu:l~|cW;F:yVR0cSEQl:6hQOZr:iusl B9Pn~-~u6= f{w}XYaKn)VSwA#/Ye6=~ui)f{jL??GOn2{ >y 7KOs!Oy4+,Cc[`_rXVe(soAyG:x[HT1J-aFn-gfEXU0)EJhSsfD~5c6 ^Ub2?\%"0s5nFM 6VNG1ymVMgi;THbV:XB"`/8v6h?4`"n@? 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. 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. The charges brought against him: In 2010, a Line Crossing Ceremony was an international affair. 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. (July 14): NNS130704-01. Equator-crossing ritual on cruise ships Mal Chenu Puckering up to kiss the fish. Then, they are offered a glass of red liquid a combination of sea water and spices which must be drunk thoroughly. The memory of the event sticks with people. After breakfast, which is made too spicy for the Pollywogs to eat, the accused appear before King Neptune, who sits in judgment. The Navy has spent decades trying to rein in on hazing; the line-crossing ceremony represents a great deal of this. Following this aspect of the grand event, the sailors are tied together and marched forward to the anchor with the sound of a drum to coordinate movement. 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. They are also performed in the merchant navy and aboard sail training ships. In 1995, a notorious line-crossing ceremony took place on the Royal Australian Navy submarine HMASOnslow. I wouldnt call it hazing per se, the researcher said. 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. We still laugh about it to this day. p}FEDKS'G,MVLz3+\S:zQoendstream WebEquator crossing certificate. 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. And yes, mostly I am welcomed on board. Maine 's commanding officer greets King Neptune and Royal Party at beginning of equator crossing ceremonies. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). 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. "?HF]y@O?&jL _ Shellback certificate awarded to Charles Cameron, aboard USS Utah (BB-31), commemorating his first crossing of the equator, December 1, 1928. Prior to writing for Veterans United Network, David served in the United States Air Force and spent 7 months in Afghanistan as a Logistics Officer and Brigade Engineering Officer with the Army National Guard. 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. There, they crawled down a gauntlet of Shellbacks on both sides of a long, heavy canvas runner, about 1012 meters. Cracking it open at once pertains to long luck and safe seas. But it was also authorised by Captains to entertain the passengers on merchant ships like the. 2023 Atlas Obscura. They are also performed in the merchant navy and aboard sail training ships. 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. From that moment on, they are no longer seen as outsiders, but they fully deserved to be included in the seafarers family. % While now its as much a spectacle as it is a test, the line-crossing ceremony reportedly has its roots in practicality. But their businessis for me no problem. 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. 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. It is therefore no wonder that the shore folk are appalled and excited at the same time when the ceremony is told to them in detail. 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? From their ships berth, floating in the middle of the ocean, they are ushered into a room to begin the trial. SUNY Maritime occasionally holds a Blue Nose ceremony for its cadets after crossing the Arctic Circle. 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. According to old tradition, all those crossing the equator for the first time, must be baptized and thus made an able-bodied seaman. King Neptune Ceremony This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. 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. Crossing the Line is nearly as old as seafaring itself; even in antiquity sailors engaged in rituals when crossing certain parallels. 187 0 obj <> endobj 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. According to Banks, some of those ducked were "grinning and exulting in their hardiness", but others "were almost suffocated". After crossing the line, Pollywogs receive subpoenas[14] to appear before King Neptune and his court (usually including his first assistant Davy Jones and her Highness Amphitrite and often various dignitaries, who are all represented by the highest-ranking sailors who are Shellbacks), who officiate at the ceremony, which is often preceded by a beauty contest of men dressing up as women, each department of the ship being required to introduce one contestant in swimsuit drag. Anything else the Shellbacks could think of. Thanks for reading and watching my BLINK. In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, too, received a summons to appear before the sea god and pay his respects. WebThe modern ceremony follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. 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. Pollywogs participated voluntarily, though female midshipmen observed that they were under social pressure to do the ceremony but were targets of harder abuse. I love the sea and all the beauties it brings along, I love travelling, nature and taking photos.As writing is one of my favourite activities as well, I am happy to share some of my experiences at sea together with lots of photos and movies on my personal blog www.travellingoncontainervessels.com. [citation needed]. #ashmore #sailingships #tallships #youngadult #historicalfiction #truestory #captain #shipsurgeon #interactiveadventure #kiwiauthor #immigration #youngadultfiction #kingneptune #ceremony #crossingthequator #shellbacks #pollywoggers #sonsofneptune. [13] Depending on the Ocean or Fleet AOR, there can be variations in the rite. at last, glad enough, I escaped. This amounted to over 70% of the world's total number of military ships measuring 1,000 tons or greater. It was also called crossing the line. 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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