I remember going back to my cabin at 1200 hrs after completing some important deck work. The scepter is laid forth to mark this moment of truth. 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Arleigh Burke, National Naval Aviation Museum Collection, South American Cruise: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Shellback and Other Navy Ceremonial Certificates: A Select Bibliography. MO This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. In her experience, people were given the chance to opt out if they didnt want to participate in the ritual. Perhaps the most famous scientist to be initiated was Charles Darwin, who wrote about it in his diary. 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). 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. As we approach the middle of the world, quite a few passengers rush to the rails for a look, as though there might be an actual line drawn on the ocean. WebThe modern ceremony follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. 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. 2023 Atlas Obscura. Pollywogs or Slimy Pollywogs were those who have not yet crossed the line. See the current VA disability pay charts, and calculate your monthly compensation. 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. stream Wha Unique Shellback designations have been given to special circumstances which include: Variations to the Shellback designation include: Consequently, similar "fraternities" commemorating other significant milestones in one's career include:[19], California Maritime Academy observed the line-crossing ceremony until 1989, after which the ceremony was deemed to be hazing and was forbidden. % 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. Newbies are called Pollywogs, Slimy Pollywogs or Slimy Wogs. Columbia, Licensed in all 50 states. 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. WebThe modern ceremony follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. Equator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are also sometimes carried out for passengers' entertainment on civilian ocean liners and Required fields are marked *. According to Banks, some of those ducked were "grinning and exulting in their hardiness", but others "were almost suffocated". endobj Photo: Getty Images A Pollywog makes the transition to Shellback. He thought it was beneficial to morale. Why fly home from Bali when you can cruise in style? The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard have well-established line-crossing rituals. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. But it was also authorised by Captains to entertain the passengers on merchant ships like the. 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. (Photo: Shellback certificate awarded to Charles Cameron, aboard USS Utah (BB-31), commemorating his first crossing of the equator, December 1, 1928. 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. KISS THE FISH!" [citation needed] The Wogs are made very aware that it will be much harder on them if they do anything like this. The chant goes up: "KISS THE FISH! Because I know with a smile and a handshake [], A Queen is no ordinary woman. The charges brought against him: In 2010, a Line Crossing Ceremony was an international affair. People hear a knock on their door and they know it has begun. 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. Much like a wedding, one experiences the joy of it just once, thus becoming a spectator for the all the others to come! The seamen who have already crossed the equator are referred to as Shellbacks (or, Sons Of Neptune) and those who havent are called Pollywogs. Layer by Layer: A Mexico City Culinary Adventure, Sacred Granaries, Kasbahs and Feasts in Morocco, Monster of the Month: The Hopkinsville Goblins, How to Grow a Dye Garden With Aaron Sanders Head, Paper Botanicals With Kate Croghan Alarcn, Writing the Food Memoir: A Workshop With Gina Rae La Cerva, Reading the Urban Landscape With Annie Novak, Making Scents: Experimental Perfumery With Saskia Wilson-Brown, Secret Nun Cookies at Monasterio del Corpus Christi, Wonder Is Everywhere: Civil War Gold, a New Moai, and More From Around the Web, The Woman Preserving the Endangered Cuisine of Indian Jews, How a Lone Researcher Faced Down Millions of Army Ants on the March in Ecuador. 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. (July 14): NNS130704-01. 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. Get the latest news and updates emailed straight to your inbox. We still laugh about it to this day. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2010 - 2023 Marine Insight All Rights Reserved. Photo: Getty Images A Pollywog makes the transition to Shellback. VA-approved lender. Required fields are marked *. My wife did hers on SS Acavus in 1980 when she sailed with me. 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. Source: They are also performed in the merchant navy and aboard sail training ships. Little did I know what was to happen! 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. Crossing the Line is nearly as old as seafaring itself; even in antiquity sailors engaged in rituals when crossing certain parallels. %PDF-1.5 % 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. [citation needed]. At the end of it, the Captain, Chief Engineer and the rest, as a mark of welcoming and respect, congratulate the initiates. This having completed, an entire round of the shop is taken to commemorate the event altogether. Lets know your experience in the comments below or mail us at [email protected]. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Golden Shellback was awarded to those who also crossed the equator and the International Date Line or 180th meridian, (where the world is divided between Eastern and Western Hemispheres) at the same time. As is with all cadets, sleep is the all-engulfing element that overpowers the necessity to change ones boiler suit and go in for a shower! A VA approved lender; Not endorsed or sponsored by the Dept. This is typical of certificates awarded in the pre-WWII period. endobj 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. The ceremony is a long-standing tradition of initiation that commemorates a sailors first time crossing of the equator. Officers rebelled and did it anyway, which ultimately led to court martials. and When a ship crosses the equator, King Neptune comes aboard to exercise authority over his domain and to judge charges brought against Pollywogs that they are only posing as sailors and haven't paid proper homage to the god of the sea. Crossing The Equator - King Neptune Ceremony, This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. Myriad approaches to conducting the ceremony will yield myriad accounts. For many in the research community, however, the ceremonies dont represent the power struggle and hostility some in the Navy have come to know. WebThe ritual dates back at least 400 years in Western seafaring. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Its kind of a nice tradition, said one US-based ocean researcher when I asked her about her experience. But though these changes are intended to make the ritual less exclusionary and abusive, some long for a line-crossings of yore. It was also an initiation rite commemorated the first time a sailor crossed over. 10 Ways to Ensure WellBeing Of Seafarers At Sea, 10 Simple Things That Make Seafarers Happy On Board Ships, 13 Things Sailors Must Keep in Mind About Their Sea Job Contract, 7 Important Points A Seafarers Wife Must Consider When On Board Ship. 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. One of the men onboard are made to dress up as King Neptune, with the Trident scepter in hand and a crown for the glorious head! Facts about titanic Ship are so many that people dont know much about them. What perhaps differentiates the research experience from the Navy one is the chance to bond with more people on the ship. Pollywogs received subpoenas after crossing the equator and were made to appear before King Neptune and his court. The coverage provoked widespread criticism, especially when the videotape showed some of the submarine's officers watching the entire proceedings from the conning tower. 6 0 obj (Photo: Public domain/WikiCommons). 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