Your email address will not be published. Learn how your comment data is processed. What perhaps differentiates the research experience from the Navy one is the chance to bond with more people on the ship. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, DC; collection of Rear Admiral Harold M. Bemis; U.S. What is Maritime English and Why It Is Important? WebThe modern ceremony follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. This is how #EQUATOR_CROSSING_CEREMONY is celebrated onboard. 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. Dancing, song, skits or poetry count among the merriment. Let's look at the minimum credit score for a VA loan and what lenders typically expect. 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. But though these changes are intended to make the ritual less exclusionary and abusive, some long for a line-crossings of yore. 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. for more information. This line-crossing lunacy was sanctioned to boost sailors spirits. It was also an initiation rite commemorated the first time a sailor crossed over. 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. 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. Once at the anchor, the newly initiated are made to crack open a can of beer on the anchor itself at the first go. It was also called crossing the line. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite that commemorates a sailors first crossing of the Equator. And yes, mostly I am welcomed on board. At sea you are not woman or man, you are sailor. 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. [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. 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. 731|+pvwX` Required fields are marked *. Equator-crossing ritual on cruise ships Mal Chenu Puckering up to kiss the fish. [2] The officer on watch reported a boat ahead, and Captain FitzRoy ordered "hands up, shorten sail". Disclaimer: The views mentioned above are of the author only. SMH! WebEquator crossing certificate. Its kind of a nice tradition, said one US-based ocean researcher when I asked her about her experience. This power asymmetry played a role in the ritual, showcasing innate naval biases. Help using this website - Accessibility statement, Luxury cruise offers a taste of the Succession lifestyle. 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. hb```>VB eaX;f8L/```b^22jtsVP 6z
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of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. Download image. Sailors and Marines from the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Peru and Uruguay crossed the equator together aboard the USS New Orleans. According to old tradition, all those crossing the equator for the first time, must be baptized and thus made an able-bodied seaman. 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. 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. 11 0 obj Credit score requirements vary by lender. <> 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. The crew was in the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. The ceremony is a long-standing tradition of initiation that commemorates a sailors first time crossing of the equator. Shilavadra Bhattacharjee is a shipbroker with a background in commercial operations after having sailed onboard as a Third Officer. This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. I am one of the disappointed. For a while, said Hersh, some boats tried to stop the ceremonies from even happening. Naval History and Heritage Command. WebThe modern ceremony follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. Get the latest news and updates emailed straight to your inbox. Reflecting the popularity of tattoos among sailors, some people choose to get tattoos to mark that they have participated in a ceremony, such as an image of a shellback turtle or King Neptune. and We still laugh about it to this day. Video of 1957 Coast Guard crossing ritual. 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. This line-crossing lunacy was sanctioned to boost sailors spirits. King Neptune's First Mate was called Davy Jones and the Second Mate was called Her Highness Amphitrite. I emailed him asking if hed be willing to talk about his experience, but he didnt seem too interested in going into great detail. 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). WebThe ritual dates back at least 400 years in Western seafaring. What proceeds is a day of festivities, which builds camaraderie among the seafaring crew. The Star Spangled Shellbacks was used for those crossing the equator on July 4th, 1966. And there are no two thoughts on that. Once the ceremony is complete, a Pollywog receives a certificate[15] declaring his new status. WebEquator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are common in the Navy and are also sometimes carried out for passengers' entertainment on civilian ocean liners and cruise ships. WebThis is a continuation of EQUATOR CROSSING CEREMONY PART 1. According to Banks, some of those ducked were "grinning and exulting in their hardiness", but others "were almost suffocated". When a ship must cross the Equator reasonably close to one of these meridians, the ship's captain might plot a course across the Golden X so that the ship's crew can be initiated as Golden or Emerald/Royal Diamond Shellbacks. Because I know with a smile and a handshake [], A Queen is no ordinary woman. WebThe ritual dates back at least 400 years in Western seafaring. endobj The excitement and enthusiasm that prevails among fellow shipmates at the time of conducting the line-crossing ceremony is one that beams of a happy past experience of the same and that of passing on the baton of the art of sailing to newbies. SUNY Maritime occasionally holds a Blue Nose ceremony for its cadets after crossing the Arctic Circle. Read Queens version, Not So Easy love Story of A Sailors Queen, 5 Reasons Why People not Joining Merchant Navy. 6 0 obj Photo: Getty Images A Pollywog makes the transition to Shellback. The crew was in the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. A Queen represents confidence and unconditional dedication towards her task. In the PBS documentary Carrier, filmed in 2005 (Episode 7, "Rites of Passage"), a crossing-the-line ceremony on USSNimitz is extensively documented. All Rights Reserved. Anything else the Shellbacks could think of. The shellbacks had prepared 3-foot lengths of canvas/rubber firehose, which they swung hard at the posterior of each Wog. The Navy is chock full of myth and tradition, and what happens at sea even affects our language. 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. The charges brought against him: In 2010, a Line Crossing Ceremony was an international affair. MORE: Check if you meet the official VA loan requirements. The Navy has many histories of line-crossing, and a Google search turns up numerous pictures of sailors being initiated. Perhaps the most famous scientist to be initiated was Charles Darwin, who wrote about it in his diary. Naval History and Heritage Command. 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. The first-time participants are known as pollywogs. In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, too, received a summons to appear before the sea god and pay his respects. stream document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Equator-crossing ritual on cruise ships Mal Chenu Puckering up to kiss the fish. NMLS ID #1907 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org), #1 VA Lender: Check out this weeks video at the bottom. Anyone inducted is quick to say they are part of this Order, but resistant to go into more detail. The reason behind this is to give the beginners a truth serum in order that they speak the absolute truth when they swear their allegiance to King Neptune and the sea! 1400 Forum Blvd. 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. 2022 by Kin & Kingdoms Books. The Equator Crossing Ceremony is an age-old tradition to commemorate a seafarer crossing the equator for the first time. They perform a variety of activities which might involve wearing their clothes inside out or backwards and crawling across the deck through objectionable debris, often the uneatable breakfast that was served to the Pollywogs. This is typical of certificates awarded in the pre-WWII period. Most modern navies have instituted regulations that prohibit physical attacks on sailors undergoing the line-crossing ceremony. As they approached the equator on the evening of 16 February 1832, a pseudo-Neptune hailed the ship. 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 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. [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. Not affiliated with any government agency. [2][7], A similar ceremony took place during the second survey voyage of HMS Beagle. Pollywogs received subpoenas after crossing the equator and were made to appear before King Neptune and his court. It looks like a trout, but the bloke who goes in for the full tongue action is definitely a groper. May you always sail in safe seas and always find your way back home! WebWelcome to Equator CrossingThe line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Other milestones such as crossing the Antarctic Circle and deep sea diving have also been adopted in this tradition. 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. The Line Crossing Ceremony might just be the most interesting of today's naval traditions. #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. 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 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.. USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) UPDATE of 1973 CTL. Behind the Strange and Controversial Ritual When You Cross the Equator At Sea. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. One person, in fact, did. People hear a knock on their door and they know it has begun. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. USMC Golden shellback here, aboard the USS Denver, 1981 much more fun pitching than catching on Wog Day!!! Equator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are common in the Navy and are also sometimes carried out for passengers' entertainment on civilian ocean liners and cruise ships. 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. Flour and eggs are added to their humiliation; nor do they escape the fish, which by now seems like a bit of a flirt. 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. Follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned time a sailor over... Confidence and unconditional dedication towards her task 400 years in Western seafaring weeks video at the top the! Showcasing innate naval biases bloke who goes in for the first time crossing of the equator said Hersh, boats... 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