WebThis is a continuation of EQUATOR CROSSING CEREMONY PART 1. 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. Honorable Shellbacks or Sons of Neptune was the namegiven to a sailor who has already crossed the equator. 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. 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. This part is the beginning of the ritual wherein they are stripped down to their underwear (or nothing!) 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Much like a wedding, one experiences the joy of it just once, thus becoming a spectator for the all the others to come! The new disability compensation rates took effect on December 1, 2022. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Newbies are called Pollywogs, Slimy Pollywogs or Slimy Wogs. It looks like a trout, but the bloke who goes in for the full tongue action is definitely a groper. No purchase necessary. "We have the same sort of ceremony in my country," said Lt. j.g. DhD!D4n4I8P5>U`_FC.i`p8~xz_ep;MtBgCrf"FB:&t#W>V98}&I75(*^bqYe[A_xJ4k) Bx^c;.vT{c,kv8J>U_ 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. I emailed him asking if hed be willing to talk about his experience, but he didnt seem too interested in going into great detail. 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. Not affiliated with any government agency. But their businessis for me no problem. 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 Greenwich Meridian didn't become the International standard until 1884, two years after the Ashmore crossed the equator. Heinous as the accusations are, no one seems too concerned until the royal handmaidens bring out the fish. 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. )\gXpj 4_M\ ot%H8#,}u{ XXej4nM+#I Newbies are called Pollywogs, Slimy Pollywogs or Slimy Wogs. 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. ), largely for the entertainment of the Shellbacks. The Navy is chock full of myth and tradition, and what happens at sea even affects our language. [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. The Line Crossing Ceremony might just be the most interesting of today's naval traditions. Naval History and Heritage Command. 2022 by Kin & Kingdoms Books. 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. The writer was a guest of Royal Caribbean Cruises. She is a symbol of strength, love, patience, responsibility, beauty, happiness and honesty. The 90s saw large groups of people balking at its existence. The event often lasted two days and normally followed a standard transition. The first "griffin" was Charles Darwin, who noted in his diary how he "was then placed on a plank, which could be easily tilted up into a large bath of water. ae. 14 0 obj Following the dip, raw eggs are broken onto the heads of the first timers and then they are made to drink a deadly concoction of beer, chilly sauce, raw eggs etc. 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. They are also performed in the merchant navy and aboard sail training ships. 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. Throughout history, line-crossing ceremonies have sometimes become dangerous hazing rituals. Wha Nevertheless, the ceremony is a hoot, despite the dodgy production values and a few hilarious script issues. Crossing the Line is nearly as old as seafaring itself; even in antiquity sailors engaged in rituals when crossing certain parallels. stream Maine 's commanding officer greets King Neptune and Royal Party at beginning of equator crossing ceremonies. VA-approved lender. In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, too, received a summons to appear before the sea god and pay his respects. According to old tradition, all those crossing the equator for the first time, must be baptized and thus made an able-bodied seaman. King Neptune Ceremony This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. One person, in fact, did. 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. Video of 1957 Coast Guard crossing ritual. Retrieved June 7, 2017. However, the essence of it will remain the same. WebWelcome to Equator CrossingThe line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. 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. 6 0 obj 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. 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. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite that commemorates a sailors first crossing of the Equator. 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. 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. Its kind of a nice tradition, said one US-based ocean researcher when I asked her about her experience. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. 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. So, you are [], Ahoy Ahoy, Port Chaplain coming on board. Initiation rite for first crossing of the equator, Honors for line crossings and other navigational events. Photo: Getty Images A Pollywog makes the transition to Shellback. There are other similar ceremonies for different locales including the Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the International Date Line, and others. According to old tradition, all those crossing the equator for the first time, must be baptized and thus made an able-bodied seaman. The Equator Crossing Ceremony is an age-old tradition to commemorate a seafarer crossing the equator for the first time. Pollywogs are then doused with water to symbolise a baptism and are duly admitted to the District of Equatorius as Trusty and Honourable Shellbacks and Sons of Neptune. This line-crossing lunacy was sanctioned to boost sailors spirits. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite that commemorates a sailors first crossing of the Equator. 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. Those who were not favored fared worse. Normally, it is at dinner that the highly esteemed Equator Crossing Certificate is handed out to seal the rituals authenticity forever. "?HF]y@O?&jL _ 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. At the end of it, the Captain, Chief Engineer and the rest, as a mark of welcoming and respect, congratulate the initiates. They are also performed in the merchant navy and aboard sail training ships. 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. Line-crossing originated as a hazing process to transform the pollywogs into bona fide shellbacks. The Schooner Bar pianist and crooner comes in for some particularly harsh treatment, possibly for playing Living Next Door to Alice too often. Top VA Purchase Lender each Fiscal Year between 2016-2022. WebThe ritual dates back at least 400 years in Western seafaring. 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. [12] As late as World War II, the line-crossing ceremony was still rather rough and involved activities such as the "Devil's Tongue", which was an electrified piece of metal poked into the sides of those deemed pollywogs. [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. (Photo: Public domain/WikiCommons). 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. With the pollywog to shellback transition complete, a certificate was often awarded to the new shellback as a rite of passage. It was also called crossing the line. It was also called crossing the line. VA disability pay for 2023 increased by 8.7%. 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