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. [1] The tradition may have originated with ceremonies when passing headlands, and become a "folly" sanctioned as a boost to morale,[2] or have been created as a test for seasoned sailors to ensure their new shipmates were capable of handling long, rough voyages. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Anyhow, as people on board grow more and more connected with each other by sharing the same interests, leisure activities and hard work this kind of ceremony becomes less and less popular. At the end of it, the Captain, Chief Engineer and the rest, as a mark of welcoming and respect, congratulate the initiates. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, DC; collection of Rear Admiral Harold M. Bemis; U.S. 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. Anyone inducted is quick to say they are part of this Order, but resistant to go into more detail. Little did I know what was to happen! Read my comment again Eric. What proceeds is a day of festivities, which builds camaraderie among the seafaring crew. The Equator Crossing Ceremony is an age-old tradition to commemorate a seafarer crossing the equator for the first time. 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. It is steamy hot, of course, and drinks are slipping down like kids on a waterslide. All rights reserved. Each ship might have their own traditions and nuances, but the fundamental structure goes something like this: Many accounts dwell only on the final, elaborate ceremony that takes place on the day a ship traverses the equator, but the month leading up to King Neptune's arrival, when the Pollywogs are separated off from the Shellbacks, is also significant. 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.". King Neptune goes to make an earnest speech and accepts the ushering of the sailor into the sea under the auspice of Her Majesty! As they approached the equator on the evening of 16 February 1832, a pseudo-Neptune hailed the ship. (Photo: A Neptune party to celebrate crossing the equator, 1923. and Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). While now its as much a spectacle as it is a test, the line-crossing ceremony reportedly has its roots in practicality. 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 memory of the event sticks with people. And there are no two thoughts on that. However, most lenders have similar criteria. I remember going back to my cabin at 1200 hrs after completing some important deck work. 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. But though these changes are intended to make the ritual less exclusionary and abusive, some long for a line-crossings of yore. Ship passengers who have never traversed the nautical line are forced to prove they are worthy to make the transition. ", "List of Unofficial U.S. Navy Certificates", "The Short Snorter Project - Harry F. Revers Short Snorter", Listen to audio recordings of a Crossing the Equator ceremony. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard have well-established line-crossing rituals. It starts at night. 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 shellbacks had prepared 3-foot lengths of canvas/rubber firehose, which they swung hard at the posterior of each Wog. 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. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser. [10], U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt described his crossing-the-line ceremony aboard the "Happy Ship" USSIndianapolis with his "Jolly Companions" in a letter to his wife Eleanor Roosevelt on 26 November 1936. Equator-crossing ritual on cruise ships Mal Chenu Puckering up to kiss the fish. 227 0 obj <>stream [citation needed]. 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. This having completed, an entire round of the shop is taken to commemorate the event altogether. 1400 Forum Blvd. WebEquator crossing certificate. On the voyage of HMS Endeavour to the Pacific in 1768, captained by James Cook, Joseph Banks described how the crew drew up a list of everyone on board, including cats and dogs, and interrogated them as to whether they had crossed the equator. 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. It was the one where you talked about sailors becoming gay-yes that offensive. For instance, the ship's captain might play the part of King Neptune himself. WebThe modern ceremony follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. 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. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. 2022 by Kin & Kingdoms Books. (Photo:Lou Sander/WikiCommons CC BY-SA 4.0). The article or images cannot be reproduced, copied, shared or used in any form without the permission of the author and Marine Insight. (July 14): NNS130704-01. The two-day event (evening and day) is a ritual in which previously inducted crew members (Trusty Shellbacks) are organized into a "Court of Neptune" and induct the Slimy Pollywogs into "the mysteries of the Deep". King Neptune Ceremony This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. 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. 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. They never turned into a nightmare for the new comers and they were accompanied only by laughter and happy faces. Retrieved June 7, 2017. We still laugh about it to this day. The Wogs then ascended a ladder to the boat deck to slide down a makeshift chute into the baptism of messdeck leavings in sea water in an inflated liferaft back on the superstructure deck. Mind you, no harm or hurt is involved, however the minor embarrassments must be taken in the right spirit. Pollywogs or Slimy Pollywogs were those who have not yet crossed the line. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line an old seafaring tradition. Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System & Directory WebThis is a continuation of EQUATOR CROSSING CEREMONY PART 1. endobj 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. 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. Not affiliated with any government agency. 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. 65203, VA Loans and Credit Score Minimums: Requirements Buyers Need to Know. After breakfast, which is made too spicy for the Pollywogs to eat, the accused appear before King Neptune, who sits in judgment. 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. Crossing the Line is nearly as old as seafaring itself; even in antiquity sailors engaged in rituals when crossing certain parallels. 14 0 obj 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. Once you are initiated, Hersh told me, you are then in the masculine position If youre a woman that doesnt make sense. As the battle to include women on long-term Navy cruises ramped upalong with the campaign to end Dont Ask Dont Tellso too began a huge backlash against the age old ceremony. 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. Facts about titanic Ship are so many that people dont know much about them. 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. High ranking members of the crew and those who have been Shellbacks the longest dress up in elaborate costume and each play the part of King Neptune's court. The writer was a guest of Royal Caribbean Cruises. Photo: Getty Images A Pollywog makes the transition to Shellback. By the end of WW II, the United States Navy had added nearly 1,200 major combatant vessels to its combined fleet. The Pollywogs are put through some physical tests to be initiated into the ancient mysteries of the deep! Video of 1957 Coast Guard crossing ritual. MO (Photo:The Field Museum Library/flickr). The 90s saw large groups of people balking at its existence. Sailors and Marines from the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Peru and Uruguay crossed the equator together aboard the USS New Orleans. This is how #EQUATOR_CROSSING_CEREMONY is celebrated onboard. Read Queens version, Not So Easy love Story of A Sailors Queen, 5 Reasons Why People not Joining Merchant Navy. 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. May you always sail in safe seas and always find your way back home! [citation needed]. WebThis is a continuation of EQUATOR CROSSING CEREMONY PART 1. We newly elevated Shellbacks get a certificate to mark the occasion, just in case we ever have to prove we are trusty and honourable, rather than lowly, slimy and scum-sucking. The crew was in the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. On Navy cruises everyone is considered a crew member, maintaining the ship in all ways needed. Naval History and Heritage Command. WebWelcome to Equator CrossingThe line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. 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. Your email address will not be published. From that moment on, they are no longer seen as outsiders, but they fully deserved to be included in the seafarers family. They are being summoned into Neptunes Court for crimes theyve committed against the god. Crossing The Equator - King Neptune Ceremony, This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. 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. Sailors undergoing the ceremony were physically and verbally abused before being subjected to an act called "sump on the rump", where a dark liquid was daubed over each sailor's anus and genitalia. 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. Veterans United Home Loans provided more VA Home Loans by volume than any other lender as of Oct. 2022. This is how #EQUATOR_CROSSING_CEREMONY is celebrated onboard. She recalled the innovative costumes and how almost everyone on the ship was involved. 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. A Queen represents confidence and unconditional dedication towards her task. Another rare status is the Golden Shellback, a person who has crossed the Equator at the 180th meridian. 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. The Royal Canadian Navy named them Tadpoles or Griffins. During the ceremony, the Pollywogs undergo a number of increasingly embarrassing ordeals (wearing clothing inside out and backwards; crawling on hands and knees on nonskid-coated decks; being swatted with short lengths of firehose; being locked in stocks & pillories and pelted with mushy fruit; being locked in a water coffin of salt-water and bright green sea dye [fluorescent sodium salt]; crawling through chutes or large tubs of rotting garbage; kissing the Royal Baby's belly coated with axle grease, hair chopping, etc. Loans provided more VA Home Loans provided more VA Home Loans provided more VA Home Loans by volume any! 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