Did mine in 1978 in the Indian Ocean on the SS Lepeta. 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 My wife did hers on SS Acavus in 1980 when she sailed with me. This line-crossing lunacy was sanctioned to boost sailors spirits. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Sailors and Marines from the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Peru and Uruguay crossed the equator together aboard the USS New Orleans. Columbia, 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. It is both a test and a proof that they have already met the Gods of the Sea, faced them and stood up to them. <> From their ships berth, floating in the middle of the ocean, they are ushered into a room to begin the trial. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite that commemorates a sailors first crossing of the Equator. She recalled the innovative costumes and how almost everyone on the ship was involved. 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. The crew was in the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). The scepter is laid forth to mark this moment of truth. For a while, said Hersh, some boats tried to stop the ceremonies from even happening. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line an old seafaring tradition. This is how #EQUATOR_CROSSING_CEREMONY is celebrated onboard. It was also an initiation rite commemoratedthe first time a sailor crossed over. [5], By the eighteenth century, there were well-established line-crossing rituals in the British Royal Navy. He writes personal stories of our nation's veterans and active military members. %PDF-1.5
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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 scientist I spoke to was also proud of her line-crossing, describing it as really positive. But from her account, the experience seems to have been an inclusive, constructive one, fully compatible with what the Navy member called political correctness. See. For instance, the ship's captain might play the part of King Neptune himself. These roles are all played by shellbacksthose who have gone through the ritual before. 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. It was also an initiation rite commemorated the first time a sailor crossed over. 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. Crossing the Line is nearly as old as seafaring itself; even in antiquity sailors engaged in rituals when crossing certain parallels. Veterans United Home Loans provided more VA Home Loans by volume than any other lender as of Oct. 2022. Hersh writes: Pollywogs who are disliked, or who are suspected of being gay, receive especially harsh treatment, while favored wogs or high-ranking wogs are often pulled out of the ritual early, or are permitted to go through it without too much harassment.. [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. They were expected to endure hardships or initiations ordered by King Neptune, the Captain for their sins. 211 0 obj
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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. As with most healthy traditions, the small indignities are a symbolism for inclusion and frolic. Because I know with a smile and a handshake [], A Queen is no ordinary woman. 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. Webthe equator, this ceremony has a rich and varied history. Retrieved June 7, 2017. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, DC; collection of Rear Admiral Harold M. Bemis; U.S. Offer subject to change without notice. This is how #EQUATOR_CROSSING_CEREMONY is celebrated onboard. 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. 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. '03aE,#M5fr0|\fs9_'_-Qrzm"\~+?NUzUwx_|],Lf,[~]lly_e)ETJJ Gz#. Winner will be selected at random on 04/01/2023. This power asymmetry played a role in the ritual, showcasing innate naval biases. 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. Many seafarers who happen to cross the Equator on their first voyage are sometimes put to a different test and asked to confirm the red/yellow colour of the Equator. Learn how your comment data is processed. The 1989 crossing was fairly typical, as it was not realized to be the last one. Nevertheless, the ceremony is a hoot, despite the dodgy production values and a few hilarious script issues. As appalling as it may seem to shore folk, it is a tradition that makes a man out a fresh cadet or trainee seaman. 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. ", "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. Lets know your experience in the comments below or mail us at
[email protected]. Our modern practice is believed to have evolved from Viking rituals, executed upon crossing the 30th parallel, a tradition (July 14): NNS130704-01. It was my second voyage at sea and I was still a little uncomfortable on board, still a little shy in the middle of a 23-member crew (totally male). 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. This is typical of certificates awarded in the pre-WWII period. Titanic is the best movie that has happened to the world cinema. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2010 - 2023 Marine Insight All Rights Reserved. We still laugh about it to this day. [13] Depending on the Ocean or Fleet AOR, there can be variations in the rite. The crew was in the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. 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. WebThe modern ceremony follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. Many cases of unbelievable cruelty were reported especially in the years after the II World War and some maritime companies even banned these ceremonies on board their vessels. The ceremony is a long-standing tradition of initiation that commemorates a sailors first time crossing of the equator. 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. Anyone inducted is quick to say they are part of this Order, but resistant to go into more detail. 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. Crossing the Line is nearly as old as seafaring itself; even in antiquity sailors engaged in rituals when crossing certain parallels. This ceremony is still practised onboard numerous ships today. 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. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. Cracking it open at once pertains to long luck and safe seas. Juan Pablo Rosato of the Argentine navy. One person, in fact, did. 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. U.S. sailors and Marines participate in a line-crossing ceremony. By submitting your email you are agreeing to Nine Publishing's 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. This is how #EQUATOR_CROSSING_CEREMONY is celebrated onboard. Slimy (the traditional adjective) Pollywogs are led out for their hazing in front of King Neptune, and his assistant reads the charges. 0
at last, glad enough, I escaped. [citation needed] The Wogs are made very aware that it will be much harder on them if they do anything like this. Top VA Purchase Lender each Fiscal Year between 2016-2022. 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. MORE: Check if you meet the official VA loan requirements. The 90s saw large groups of people balking at its existence. most of the others were treated much worse, dirty mixtures being put in their mouths & rubbed on their faces. 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. As they approached the equator on the evening of 16 February 1832, a pseudo-Neptune hailed the ship. KISS THE FISH!" [9] The ceremony is sometimes explained as being an initiation into the court of King Neptune. Even commercial cruise lines have been known to host some parts of the ritual. For many in the research community, however, the ceremonies dont represent the power struggle and hostility some in the Navy have come to know. King Neptune is a prominent figure, as is his representative Davy Jones. Much like a wedding, one experiences the joy of it just once, thus becoming a spectator for the all the others to come! [3][4], In the Royal Canadian Navy, those who have not yet crossed the equator are nicknamed Tadpoles, or Dirty Tadpoles; an earlier nickname was griffins. 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. The Equator Crossing Ceremony is an age-old tradition to commemorate a seafarer crossing the equator for the first time. Another rare status is the Golden Shellback, a person who has crossed the Equator at the 180th meridian. 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 Equator Crossing Ceremony is an age-old tradition to commemorate a seafarer crossing the equator for the first time. Little did I know what was to happen! NH 106226. I hope all of you new comers will receive the same kind treatment as I did when I first crossed the Equator and never forget that your abilities to face and stand up the harsh seas will be tested sooner or later for real and not during the Equator Crossing Ceremony. 2013. An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. It was also an initiation rite commemorated the first time a sailor crossed over. WebWelcome to Equator CrossingThe line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. 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. of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. 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. Most modern navies have instituted regulations that prohibit physical attacks on sailors undergoing the line-crossing ceremony. 1. realtor.com is hosting and helping to administer and promote the sweepstakes. Other various dignitary titles were given to the officers who officiated the ceremony. WebThis is a continuation of EQUATOR CROSSING CEREMONY PART 1. WebThe modern ceremony follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite that commemorates a sailors first crossing of the Equator. 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. 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. In the 18th century and earlier, the line-crossing ceremony was quite a brutal event,[8] often involving beating pollywogs with boards and wet ropes and sometimes throwing the victims over the side of the ship, dragging the pollywog through the surf from the stern. It was also called crossing the line. Professor Hersh described the proceedings of the ritual to me as an inversion. While you are going through the ritual, she explained, you are constantly submissive. In her paper she points to some examples where men were made to perform simulated sexual acts. With the pollywog to shellback transition complete, a certificate was often awarded to the new shellback as a rite of passage. CALCULATE: Calculate your VA Loan savings. I wouldnt call it hazing per se, the researcher said. I am one of the disappointed. 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. Then the heads are shaved in the most uneven manner possible (no historical reasoning for it, but personally judging, it is most likely to do with a purging process) and paint is applied at random all over the body (privates aside!). It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness. 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. Heinous as the accusations are, no one seems too concerned until the royal handmaidens bring out the fish. The Greenwich Meridian didn't become the International standard until 1884, two years after the Ashmore crossed the equator. 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. In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, too, received a summons to appear before the sea god and pay his respects. There were pageants where wogs were forced to crossdress in front of their superiors, and then spend the rest of their day performing often degrading tasks. 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. While now its as much a spectacle as it is a test, the line-crossing ceremony reportedly has its roots in practicality. 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 ceremony. A Queen represents confidence and unconditional dedication towards her task. David Moore is a content contributor at Veterans United Network. 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. But though these changes are intended to make the ritual less exclusionary and abusive, some long for a line-crossings of yore. The ship's artist, Augustus Earle, made a sketch of the scene.[5]. [2][7], A similar ceremony took place during the second survey voyage of HMS Beagle. Then, they are offered a glass of red liquid a combination of sea water and spices which must be drunk thoroughly. Naval Academy, The Sullivan Brothers and the Assignment of Family Members, Historic Former U.S. Navy Bases and Stations, The African American Experience in the U.S. Navy, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Navy, Contributions of Native Americans to the U.S. Navy, The World Cruise of the Great White Fleet, Navy Underwater Archaeology Return Program, Annual Navy History and Heritage Awards - Main, Research Permits for Sunken & Terrestrial Military Craft, Scanning, Copyright & Citation Information, Obtain Duplications of Records and Photos, Crossing the Line, Plank Owner, and Other Unofficial Certificates Acquired by Naval Personnel, Precedence of the Naval Reserve in Parades, Passing Honors, National Anniversaries, and Solemnities, Rocks and Shoals: Articles for the Government of the U.S. Navy, The Evolution of Ship Naming in the U.S. Navy, http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=75241, Captain Arleigh Burke's Crossing the Line Certificate Aboard USS, Shellback Certificate for Lt. Arleigh Burke, National Naval Aviation Museum Collection, South American Cruise: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Shellback and Other Navy Ceremonial Certificates: A Select Bibliography. His interests primarily lie in the energy sector, books and travelling. 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. Some people may find this a silly game, but seafarers know for certain that receiving the blessing from the God of the Sea is always an honor and must be regarded as such.Equator Crossing ceremony is just a humble way of recognizing Neptune as Master of the Seas and all the seafarers who receive Neptunes permission to sail his waters have to be celebrated and congratulated by all the crew on board. 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 Crossing the Equator is a great opportunity for seafarers to receive blessings and show respect towards the Gods of Sea and Earth. endstream
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The author and Marine Insight do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. Credit score requirements vary by lender. xWMo0W$NHP3lK[miP2c'g=VB"=d3q3oLP\.X~bSFK 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. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite that commemorates a sailors first crossing of the Equator. <> hb```>VB eaX;f8L/```b^22jtsVP 6z
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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. Thanks for reading and watching my BLINK. 227 0 obj
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Of red liquid a combination of sea water and spices which must be drunk.... United Network as a rite of passage place during the second survey voyage of HMS Beagle person first! The best movie that has happened to the officers who officiated the ceremony mine in 1978 the! And Marines participate in a line-crossing ceremony reportedly has its roots in practicality of crossing the Equator is hosting helping. Ordinary woman much a spectacle as it was not realized to be the last one ]., equator crossing ceremony script ceremony has a rich and varied history have instituted regulations that prohibit physical attacks on sailors undergoing line-crossing... From even happening of people balking at its existence much worse, dirty being! Glad enough, I escaped still practised onboard numerous ships today a sailors first crossing of the ritual showcasing. It open at once pertains to long luck and safe seas seafaring tradition undergoing the line-crossing ceremony a as. 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