Mind you, no harm or hurt is involved, however the minor embarrassments must be taken in the right spirit. 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 crew was in the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. In her experience, people were given the chance to opt out if they didnt want to participate in the ritual. WebWelcome to Equator CrossingThe line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. The Star Spangled Shellbacks was used for those crossing the equator on July 4th, 1966. Perhaps Neptunes approval doesnt depend on harassment. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. The ceremony was conducted by our steward who took his role as Neptune very seriously and appointed some of the pirates to cleanse us right with soap and water. 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. No purchase necessary. I contacted a few other scientistsone supposedly went on a trip where the wogs were forced to crawl through trashand few felt comfortable talking about the experience. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness. She recalled the innovative costumes and how almost everyone on the ship was involved. May you always sail in safe seas and always find your way back home! Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System & Directory A Neptune party to celebrate crossing the equator, 1923. We still laugh about it to this day. Maine 's commanding officer greets King Neptune and Royal Party at beginning of equator crossing ceremonies. What perhaps differentiates the research experience from the Navy one is the chance to bond with more people on the ship. <> Veterans United Home Loans provided more VA Home Loans by volume than any other lender as of Oct. 2022. When the ceremonies were first conducted, they were physically challenging and could even be painful or embarrassing to the Sailors. It starts at night. for more information. 6 0 obj The ceremony is a long-standing tradition of initiation that commemorates a sailors first time crossing of the equator. NMLS ID #1907 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org), #1 VA Lender: 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. Officers rebelled and did it anyway, which ultimately led to court martials. One sailor was then sexually assaulted with a long stick before all sailors undergoing the ceremony were forced to jump overboard and tread water until permitted to climb back aboard the submarine. endobj 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. Throughout history, line-crossing ceremonies have sometimes become dangerous hazing rituals. See the current VA disability pay charts, and calculate your monthly compensation. 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. Line-crossing Ceremony: Homophobic or Homoerotic? Our modern practice is believed to have evolved from Viking rituals, executed upon crossing the 30th parallel, a tradition endobj Next, the Pollywogs kneel before the King and kiss the royal baby's belly, which according to some accounts is covered in grease. % 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. This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. 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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. MO 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." endobj Crossing the Equator is a great opportunity for seafarers to receive blessings and show respect towards the Gods of Sea and Earth. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. 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. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Disclaimer: The views mentioned above are of the author only. As appalling as it may seem to shore folk, it is a tradition that makes a man out a fresh cadet or trainee seaman. 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. 7 0 obj (Photo:The Field Museum Library/flickr). %PDF-1.3 USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) UPDATE of 1973 CTL. 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. With the pollywog to shellback transition complete, a certificate was often awarded to the new shellback as a rite of passage. 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. 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. This line-crossing lunacy was sanctioned to boost sailors spirits. 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. 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. 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). Equator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are also sometimes carried out for passengers' entertainment on civilian ocean liners and Taking liberties with the piscatorial subjects of His Majesty Neptunus Rex. WebThe modern ceremony follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. Then, they are offered a glass of red liquid a combination of sea water and spices which must be drunk thoroughly. Hersh mentioned how the ceremony morphed as more people entered the Navy. [5], By the eighteenth century, there were well-established line-crossing rituals in the British Royal Navy. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. '03aE,#M5fr0|\fs9_'_-Qrzm"\~+?NUzUwx_|],Lf,[~]lly_e)ETJJ Gz#. The eve of the equatorial crossing is called Wog Day and, as with many other night-before rituals, is a mild type of reversal of the day to come. All-Time Lows: According to interest rates published on July 31, 2020, on FreddieMac.com. A videotape of the ceremony was obtained by the Nine Network and aired on Australian television. The first-time participants are known as pollywogs. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. 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. terms and conditions 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. Its even begun being offered as a participatory attraction on commercial cruise lines. King Neptune goes to make an earnest speech and accepts the ushering of the sailor into the sea under the auspice of Her Majesty! Read about: Joining Ship? 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. 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