WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite that commemorates a sailors first crossing of the Equator. The Pollywogs are accused of various atrocities and crimes against humanity, including pushing in at the buffet, singing karaoke out of tune and dancing without rhythm. hbbd```b``"ZA$Sd&0,4 ,FHXL*H(H2 2 No one is really sure when or how the Line Crossing Ceremony, "Order of Neptune", came about. [citation needed] The Wogs are made very aware that it will be much harder on them if they do anything like this. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Hersh mentioned how the ceremony morphed as more people entered the Navy. I wouldnt call it hazing per se, the researcher said. Why? Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. It was designed to test the novices in the crew to see whether they could endure their first cruise at sea, senior chief aviation boatswains mate Bernard Dizontold the Navys press office. 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. Behind the Strange and Controversial Ritual When You Cross the Equator At Sea. I am one of the disappointed. 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. 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. SUNY Maritime occasionally holds a Blue Nose ceremony for its cadets after crossing the Arctic Circle. 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. 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. Anything else the Shellbacks could think of. 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. 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. We still laugh about it to this day. All Rights Reserved. Officers rebelled and did it anyway, which ultimately led to court martials. This power asymmetry played a role in the ritual, showcasing innate naval biases. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser. I remember going back to my cabin at 1200 hrs after completing some important deck work. Captains were known to plot a course to cross those meridians if they were sailing close enough, so all the sailors could be rewarded with the title. The Pollywogs are put through some physical tests to be initiated into the ancient mysteries of the deep! The Navy has spent decades trying to rein in on hazing; the line-crossing ceremony represents a great deal of this. There, they crawled down a gauntlet of Shellbacks on both sides of a long, heavy canvas runner, about 1012 meters. There are still cases in which seafarers are put to difficult and embarrassing tests sometimes humiliating and even painful experiences in order to receive the blessing of a very unkind and unfair God.The ones who received the same harsh treatment years before are more likely to perform the same unkind ceremony on the new comers and the more humiliating the situation is the happier they are. They then lathered my face & mouth with pitch and paint, & scraped some of it off with a piece of roughened iron hoop. 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. )\gXpj 4_M\ ot%H8#,}u{ XXej4nM+#I 0 Crawling through long containers filled withrotten garbage. The scepter is laid forth to mark this moment of truth. The new disability compensation rates took effect on December 1, 2022. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness. She is a symbol of strength, love, patience, responsibility, beauty, happiness and honesty. Then my phone battery died, Eight destinations that films and TV shows changed forever, From borders to tunnels, here are 10 of the world's astonishingly long things, Get free shore excursions, beverages and shipboard credit with Oceania Cruises, Get $1500 in bonus value on Fiji island escape, Get $450 in bonus value on Fraser Island holiday, See Vivid Sydney and get a $600 bonus on your stay. 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. 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. 2023 Atlas Obscura. endobj 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. and Because I know with a smile and a handshake [], A Queen is no ordinary woman. Shellback certificate awarded to Charles Cameron, aboard USS Utah (BB-31), commemorating his first crossing of the equator, December 1, 1928. 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. "?HF]y@O?&jL _ From Wog to Shellback. U.S. Navy website: http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=75241. 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. He thought it was beneficial to morale. Those who were not favored fared worse. The ceremony is a long-standing tradition of initiation that commemorates a sailors first time crossing of the equator. King Neptune Ceremony This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. at last, glad enough, I escaped. This is how I mostly startmy ship visit. WebThe ritual dates back at least 400 years in Western seafaring. hVYoH+=#E Mclu"m*~Ks4/ mF[S,N8Z tpX#?H8Aao5Fh7FAc1!)o5Sq. 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. This is likely because of the bad rap the ceremony has accrued over the years. For a while, said Hersh, some boats tried to stop the ceremonies from even happening. My fellow Pollywogs and I put on various grossed-out faces as we pucker up for a piscatorial pash. <> They were expected to endure hardships or initiations ordered by King Neptune, the Captain for their sins. [citation needed]. Source: 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. A Queen represents confidence and unconditional dedication towards her task. [6], Captain Robert FitzRoy of HMSBeagle suggested the practice had developed from earlier ceremonies in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian vessels passing notable headlands. This line-crossing lunacy was sanctioned to boost sailors spirits. Equator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are also sometimes carried out for passengers' entertainment on civilian ocean liners and Lastly, the Pollywogs take a royal bath in a pool of sea water before being declared Shellbacks, after which they receive their certificates, which they can proudly hang on their wall at home. 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. Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System & Directory The older and more experienced sailors were always so happy to perform the most outrageous tricks and games on the new comers that they sometimes crossed the limits of entertainment and brought the game to a dangerous and even deadly point. It starts at night. Your email address will not be published. After we drank our glasses with that awful tasting liquid, we received our certificates together with everybodys congratulations and enjoyed a wonderful party thrown in our honor. 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. The luxury cruise ship that doubles as a science vessel, instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser, Hotel brand's first Australian property restores historic Sydney building, Like hotel rooms in the sky: Qantas unveils new first-class cabins, Bangkok hotel chain's stunning French Riviera debut, I wasn't meeting any new people in Bali. endobj USMC Golden shellback here, aboard the USS Denver, 1981 much more fun pitching than catching on Wog Day!!! The event often lasted two days and normally followed a standard transition. <> 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. When the ceremonies were first conducted, they were physically challenging and could even be painful or embarrassing to the Sailors. She recalled the innovative costumes and how almost everyone on the ship was involved. The rarest Shellback status is that of the Emerald Shellback (US), or Royal Diamond Shellback (Commonwealth), which is received after crossing the Equator at the prime meridian,[16] near the Null Island weather buoy. 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. 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)! This line-crossing lunacy was sanctioned to boost sailors spirits. The chant goes up: "KISS THE FISH! The Schooner Bar pianist and crooner comes in for some particularly harsh treatment, possibly for playing Living Next Door to Alice too often. Even commercial cruise lines have been known to host some parts of the ritual. It looks like a trout, but the bloke who goes in for the full tongue action is definitely a groper. 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. Those who have not crossed are nicknamed Pollywogs, or Slimy Pollywogs, or sometimes simply Slimy Wogs. 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. Beatings were often still common, usually with wet firehoses, and several World War II Navy deck logs speak of sailors visiting sick bay after crossing the line. 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. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. 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 fun has just begun, and its going to continue for another 24 hours. This is how #EQUATOR_CROSSING_CEREMONY is celebrated onboard. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, DC; collection of Rear Admiral Harold M. Bemis; U.S. 18, The whole ship was a shower bath: & water was flying about in every direction: of course not one person, even the Captain, got clear of being wet through." 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. WebThe modern ceremony follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. It was also called crossing the line. 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. However, the essence of it will remain the same. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. Maine 's commanding officer greets King Neptune and Royal Party at beginning of equator crossing ceremonies. Pollywogs or Slimy Pollywogs were those who have not yet crossed the line. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. 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. It is very seldom to find an age-old tradition that is carried out with such gusto at shore. Cracking it open at once pertains to long luck and safe seas. 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. 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. Line-crossing Ceremony: Homophobic or Homoerotic? Help using this website - Accessibility statement, Luxury cruise offers a taste of the Succession lifestyle. The most common joke played on younger members of the crew on the day of their first voyage ceremonyis the task of throwing a bucket full of water on the windward. VA disability pay for 2023 increased by 8.7%. 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". #marinersgalaxy, A post shared by marinersgalaxy.com (@mariners_galaxy) on May 2, 2020 at 9:10am PDT, google.com, pub-5737237464543751, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0, My name is Oana and I come from Romania. WebThis is a continuation of EQUATOR CROSSING CEREMONY PART 1. 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. WebThis is a continuation of EQUATOR CROSSING CEREMONY PART 1. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line an old seafaring tradition. Though ceremonies differ, theres a general form and a common cast of characters. Perhaps the most famous scientist to be initiated was Charles Darwin, who wrote about it in his diary. "We have the same sort of ceremony in my country," said Lt. j.g. From that moment on, they are no longer seen as outsiders, but they fully deserved to be included in the seafarers family. It was also an initiation rite commemorated the first time a sailor crossed over. 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. Thanks for reading and watching my BLINK. The Star Spangled Shellbacks was used for those crossing the equator on July 4th, 1966. After the show, Pollywogs receive a subpoena from Davy Jones to stand before the court the next day and answer to charges brought against them by the Shellbacks. 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. Why fly home from Bali when you can cruise in style? 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. Follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event often lasted two days and normally followed a standard.... That ensures the event often lasted two days and normally followed a standard transition the! 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