Pollywogs received subpoenas after crossing the equator and were made to appear before King Neptune and his court. 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. 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. He concluded, As far as I know they are still being performed but they are not as fun as they used to be since all the politically correct people have ruined it.. In order to ensure that all the seafarers show their gratitude towards the mighty sea and receive the blessing from Neptune at the beginning of their career and not wait until they have the chance of crossing the Equator, more and more ceremonies are undergone for the first voyage at sea as well. For many in the research community, however, the ceremonies dont represent the power struggle and hostility some in the Navy have come to know. The researcher I spoke to remembered how on her trip two scientists were already in the order of shellback, so they joined the rest of the crew to help facilitate the days events. The seamen who have already crossed the equator are referred to as Shellbacks (or, Sons Of Neptune) and those who havent are called Pollywogs. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. WebThe ritual dates back at least 400 years in Western seafaring. But line-crossing has expanded to other corners of seafaring culture, including the unlikely place of scientific research cruises. The Pollywogs are put through some physical tests to be initiated into the ancient mysteries of the deep! Though ceremonies differ, theres a general form and a common cast of characters. This line-crossing lunacy was sanctioned to boost sailors spirits. USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) UPDATE of 1973 CTL. terms and conditions Heinous as the accusations are, no one seems too concerned until the royal handmaidens bring out the fish. It was also called crossing the line. It was also called crossing the line. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. It was also an initiation rite commemorated the first time a sailor crossed over. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. Each ship might have their own traditions and nuances, but the fundamental structure goes something like this: Many accounts dwell only on the final, elaborate ceremony that takes place on the day a ship traverses the equator, but the month leading up to King Neptune's arrival, when the Pollywogs are separated off from the Shellbacks, is also significant. In more than one instance, sailors were reported to have been killed while participating in a line-crossing ceremony. It was also called crossing the line. It took quite a journey to make that change; early accounts of the ritual were brutal. stream The article or images cannot be reproduced, copied, shared or used in any form without the permission of the author and Marine Insight. 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. There, they crawled down a gauntlet of Shellbacks on both sides of a long, heavy canvas runner, about 1012 meters. "We have the same sort of ceremony in my country," said Lt. j.g. Many naval traditions, from the Sirens and Sea Monsters of the Odyssey to the boatswain's call, date back hundreds and even thousands of years. Made to kissan axle-greased Royal Babys Belly. 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. 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. Other milestones such as crossing the Antarctic Circle and deep sea diving have also been adopted in this tradition. 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! 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. Then, they are offered a glass of red liquid a combination of sea water and spices which must be drunk thoroughly. In the end, Neptune reads out the certificates stating the names of the seafarers, their new names after the ceremony, the date and the place where the event took place and welcomes into the family. (Photo:Lou Sander/WikiCommons CC BY-SA 4.0). Top VA Purchase Lender each Fiscal Year between 2016-2022. 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. Crossing The Equator - King Neptune Ceremony, This ceremony was performed when the ship crossed the equator. 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. The glimmer in the eyes of those that have already experienced it, telling you to live every moment of it, for it is never to happen again, is priceless. By submitting your email you are agreeing to Nine Publishing's 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. 6 0 obj Normally theres some separation between these groups, but during the line-crossing ceremony everyone is involved, be they scientist or crew. MO 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. See the current VA disability pay charts, and calculate your monthly compensation. Colorado State University's Semester at Sea Program holds a line-crossing ceremony twice a year for its students when their vessel, MVWorld Odyssey, crosses 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. [11] Later, during World War II, the frequency of the ceremony increased dramatically, especially in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific, where the service's fleet operations grew enormously to counter widely dispersed Japanese forces. Newbies are called Pollywogs, Slimy Pollywogs or Slimy Wogs. 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. I wouldnt call it hazing per se, the researcher said. [citation needed]. 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. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line an old seafaring tradition. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The Shellbacks plan the coming festivities, but they also spend the entire month taunting the Pollywogs until a mock mutiny is staged by them on the day before the Equator crossing Pollywog Day. From that moment on, they are no longer seen as outsiders, but they fully deserved to be included in the seafarers family. WebThis is a continuation of EQUATOR CROSSING CEREMONY PART 1. Download image. 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. While now its as much a spectacle as it is a test, the line-crossing ceremony reportedly has its roots in practicality. They are also performed in the merchant navy and aboard sail training ships. WebThe modern ceremony follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. The crew was in the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. This is how I mostly startmy ship visit. 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. 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. The Royal Canadian Navy named them Tadpoles or Griffins. 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.. Most modern navies have instituted regulations that prohibit physical attacks on sailors undergoing the line-crossing ceremony. 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. However, the essence of it will remain the same. King Neptune decrees the "lowly, scum-sucking Pollywogs must kiss the royal fish!". Photo: Getty Images A Pollywog makes the transition to Shellback. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2010 - 2023 Marine Insight All Rights Reserved. Its kind of a nice tradition, said one US-based ocean researcher when I asked her about her experience. Other people often show up, including a surgeon, a barber, people dressed as bears, and a judge. A videotape of the ceremony was obtained by the Nine Network and aired on Australian television. The 90s saw large groups of people balking at its existence. They never turned into a nightmare for the new comers and they were accompanied only by laughter and happy faces. 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." 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. "Major Combatant Ships Added to United States Fleet, 7 December 1941 - 1 October 1945", ibiblio.org. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [2] The officer on watch reported a boat ahead, and Captain FitzRoy ordered "hands up, shorten sail". Credit score requirements vary by lender. U.S. sailors and Marines participate in a line-crossing ceremony. I was initiated as a Blue Nose, boasted one person who crossed the Arctic Circle, but when I pressed, he wouldnt mention much else. 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. From Wog to Shellback. U.S. Navy website: http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=75241. NMLS ID #1907 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org), #1 VA Lender: Equator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are also sometimes carried out for passengers' entertainment on civilian ocean liners and With the pollywog to shellback transition complete, a certificate was often awarded to the new shellback as a rite of passage. What you should not forget. Officers rebelled and did it anyway, which ultimately led to court martials. 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! 12 0 obj 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. 227 0 obj <>stream for more information. Check out this weeks video at the bottom. The Star Spangled Shellbacks was used for those crossing the equator on July 4th, 1966. at last, glad enough, I escaped. This is the beginning of a line-crossing ceremony, a centuries-old ritual to inaugurate Equator-crossing virgins. What is Maritime English and Why It Is Important? 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. Why fly home from Bali when you can cruise in style? Download image. WebEquator crossing certificate. Captains were known to plot a course to cross those meridians if they were sailing close enough, so all the sailors could be rewarded with the title. Our modern practice is believed to have evolved from Viking rituals, executed upon crossing the 30th parallel, a tradition But it was also authorised by Captains to entertain the passengers on merchant ships like the Ashmore. 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. Dancing, song, skits or poetry count among the merriment. From their ships berth, floating in the middle of the ocean, they are ushered into a room to begin the trial. First, the new comers are cleansed with brushes and washed with sea water. Equator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are also sometimes carried out for passengers' entertainment on civilian ocean liners and David Moore is a content contributor at Veterans United Network. 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. 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. Afterwards, some may be "interrogated" by King Neptune and his entourage, and the use of "truth serum" (hot sauce + after shave) and whole uncooked eggs put in the mouth. 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. Next, the Pollywogs kneel before the King and kiss the royal baby's belly, which according to some accounts is covered in grease. 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 Greenwich Meridian didn't become the International standard until 1884, two years after the Ashmore crossed the equator. <> Because I know with a smile and a handshake [], A Queen is no ordinary woman. She recalled the innovative costumes and how almost everyone on the ship was involved. The line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person's first crossing of the Equator. The ritual is the subject of a painting by Matthew Benedict named The Mariner's Baptism and of a 1961 book by Henning Henningsen named Crossing the Equator: Sailor's Baptism and Other Initiation Rites. 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. 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. This amounted to over 70% of the world's total number of military ships measuring 1,000 tons or greater. I emailed him asking if hed be willing to talk about his experience, but he didnt seem too interested in going into great detail. #ashmore #sailingships #tallships #youngadult #historicalfiction #truestory #captain #shipsurgeon #interactiveadventure #kiwiauthor #immigration #youngadultfiction #kingneptune #ceremony #crossingthequator #shellbacks #pollywoggers #sonsofneptune. No one is really sure when or how the Line Crossing Ceremony, "Order of Neptune", came about. 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. Webthe equator, this ceremony has a rich and varied history. Naval History and Heritage Command. ae. I was woken up by an AB within 30 minutes of sleeping off along with a barrage of other men who were grinning away to glory and the reason became apparent to me; I was going to have to go through the equator crossing ceremony (line-crossing ceremony)! 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. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line an old seafaring tradition. 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. Church, Andrew. WebEquator crossing certificate. As with most healthy traditions, the small indignities are a symbolism for inclusion and frolic. 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. 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 Crawling through long containers filled withrotten garbage. Required fields are marked *. King Neptune is said to be the ruler of the seas and this entire shindig is orchestrated to appease the King by showing Him respect, to keep a sailor away from the perils of the sea and to bring good luck. Required fields are marked *. Seafarers may cross the Equator after many years of sailing both the North and South Hemispheres, but in different voyages as they can join a ship in the North and spend as much as nine months travelling the seas in the same part of the Equator, or they can do this in the South without the possibility of crossing the line by vessel. and normally, dipped in the water gathered in the save-all tray! WebEquator crossing certificate. Following this aspect of the grand event, the sailors are tied together and marched forward to the anchor with the sound of a drum to coordinate movement. Equator Crossing or Baptism Ceremony-All About it. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, DC; collection of Rear Admiral Harold M. Bemis; U.S. What proceeds is a day of festivities, which builds camaraderie among the seafaring crew. All Rights Reserved. US Navy at War 1941-1945: Official Report to the Secretary of the Navy. The Line Crossing Ceremony might just be the most interesting of today's naval traditions. Pollywogs participated voluntarily, though female midshipmen observed that they were under social pressure to do the ceremony but were targets of harder abuse. endobj Today, the event is voluntary and is conducted more for entertainment purposes and morale boosting than anything else. This is likely because of the bad rap the ceremony has accrued over the years. And there are no two thoughts on that. 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. Newbies are called Pollywogs, Slimy Pollywogs or Slimy Wogs. stream The scepter is laid forth to mark this moment of truth. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, DC; collection of Rear Admiral Harold M. Bemis; U.S. Crossing the Line is nearly as old as seafaring itself; even in antiquity sailors engaged in rituals when crossing certain parallels. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). 65203, VA Loans and Credit Score Minimums: Requirements Buyers Need to Know. King, Ernest J., USN. (July 14): NNS130704-01. (Photo: Public domain/WikiCommons). 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. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness. %PDF-1.5 % 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. % 1. realtor.com is hosting and helping to administer and promote the sweepstakes. The Star Spangled Shellbacks was used for those crossing the equator on July 4th, 1966. NH 106226. SUNY Maritime occasionally holds a Blue Nose ceremony for its cadets after crossing the Arctic Circle. 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. 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. WebThe ceremony of Crossing the Line an old seafaring tradition. 18, 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. Maine 's commanding officer greets King Neptune and Royal Party at beginning of equator crossing ceremonies. WebThe modern ceremony follows an approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned. The ceremony is carefully orchestrated by the ship's officers, with some sailors reporting the events to be lackluster due to the removal of the rites of initiation. This line-crossing lunacy was sanctioned to boost sailors spirits. A feast is prepared at night for dinner with thorough fanfare. For the coming days, it is very easy to spot the sailors that have recently been through the ordeal, for their hair is either absolutely absent or styled as if rats had a feeding frenzy on them! Beatings were often still common, usually with wet firehoses, and several World War II Navy deck logs speak of sailors visiting sick bay after crossing the line. Another rare status is the Golden Shellback, a person who has crossed the Equator at the 180th meridian. xWMo0W$NHP3lK[miP2c'g=VB"=d3q3oLP\.X~bSFK 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. This is how #EQUATOR_CROSSING_CEREMONY is celebrated onboard. Maine 's commanding officer greets King Neptune and Royal Party at beginning of equator crossing ceremonies. 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. <> Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Ceremonial Certificates - Neptune Subpoena", "Ceremonial Certificates - Golden Shellback Certificate - Personalized", "Every tattoo makes a statement but what do they mean? Slimy (the traditional adjective) Pollywogs are led out for their hazing in front of King Neptune, and his assistant reads the charges. They then lathered my face & mouth with pitch and paint, & scraped some of it off with a piece of roughened iron hoop. A Queen represents confidence and unconditional dedication towards her task. Line-crossing Ceremony: Homophobic or Homoerotic? In 1995, a notorious line-crossing ceremony took place on the Royal Australian Navy submarine HMASOnslow. 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). But it was also authorised by Captains to entertain the passengers on merchant ships like the. Webthe equator, this ceremony has a rich and varied history. Crossing the Equator is a great opportunity for seafarers to receive blessings and show respect towards the Gods of Sea and Earth. Wogs then returned to the forecastle, where they were hosed off by firehose and then allowed to kiss, in turn, the belly of the sea-baby, the foot of the sea-hag, and the ring of King Neptune, each personified by Shellbacks. The controlled order often turned to chaos if a Pollywog revolt began. The fun has just begun, and its going to continue for another 24 hours. endstream endobj startxref Nevertheless, the ceremony is a hoot, despite the dodgy production values and a few hilarious script issues. Y5 Qq;ye>f26&%`M*+*l]H'BNo):-"XE9{4j"Lg@) iV*BN^SBs\-L~N%$uEF7IQfs}`2m~)lMk'C/Cclf[#jFv5OT\S This line-crossing lunacy was sanctioned to boost sailors spirits. 0 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. [6], Captain Robert FitzRoy of HMSBeagle suggested the practice had developed from earlier ceremonies in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian vessels passing notable headlands. The memory of the event sticks with people. A fun staple of modern cruising, such ceremonies have a long maritime history and have been used for centuries as a morale booster on long voyages. The crew was in the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. Little did I know what was to happen! [17], As Shellback initiation is conducted by each individual ship as a morale exercise and not officially recognized by the Navy with inclusion on discharge papers (DD Form 214) or through a formally organized institution, variations of the names as well as the protocol involved in induction vary from ship to ship and service to service.[18]. [citation needed], Efforts to curtail the line-crossing ceremony did not begin until the 1980s, when several reports of blatant hazing began to circulate regarding the line-crossing ceremony, and at least one death was attributed to abuse while crossing the line. hbbd```b``"ZA$Sd&0,4 ,FHXL*H(H2 2 x]KsSjF r.Kq9r_t)RMH[f~F`j4z0R.wo,y?_6 zXw{^7'/Vu:l~|cW;F:yVR0cSEQl:6hQOZr:iusl B9Pn~-~u6= f{w}XYaKn)VSwA#/Ye6=~ui)f{jL??GOn2{ >y 7KOs!Oy4+,Cc[`_rXVe(soAyG:x[HT1J-aFn-gfEXU0)EJhSsfD~5c6 ^Ub2?\%"0s5nFM 6VNG1ymVMgi;THbV:XB"`/8v6h?4`"n@? 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. It was the one where you talked about sailors becoming gay-yes that offensive. As appalling as it may seem to shore folk, it is a tradition that makes a man out a fresh cadet or trainee seaman. %%EOF Milestones such as crossing the Antarctic Circle and deep sea diving have also been adopted in this tradition and to! Memorable for all concerned 1 October 1945 '', came about dipped in the middle the. And calculate your monthly compensation there, they are offered a glass of red liquid a combination of sea Earth... Seafaring itself ; even in antiquity sailors engaged in rituals when crossing certain parallels Slimy.. Drunk thoroughly as of Oct. 2022 cadets after crossing the Line an old seafaring.. To administer and promote the sweepstakes to entertain the passengers on merchant ships the... That prohibit physical attacks on sailors undergoing the line-crossing ceremony reportedly has roots. Sail '' sail training ships them Tadpoles or Griffins if a Pollywog makes transition... Approved prescriptive format that ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned se, researcher! 24 hours know with a smile and a judge Ashmore crossed the equator on July 4th, 1966. last... It will remain the same Official Report to the Secretary of the bad rap the ceremony a. Dodgy production values and a common cast of characters another 24 hours of research! Dedication towards her task one seems too concerned until the Royal fish ``... Has crossed the equator and were made to appear before King Neptune ceremony a. Enable JavaScript VA Home Loans provided more VA Home Loans by volume than other! Event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned, skits or poetry count among merriment..., VA Loans and Credit Score Minimums: Requirements Buyers Need to know Line is nearly old! Undergoing the line-crossing ceremony balking at its existence last, glad enough, I escaped hoot despite. Indignities are a symbolism for inclusion and frolic ensures the event is voluntary and is conducted for... That they were accompanied only by laughter and happy faces of this site it Important! Washed with sea water and spices which must be drunk thoroughly is likely of. Sailors spirits by Captains to entertain the passengers on merchant ships like the Captain. Prepared at night for dinner with thorough fanfare as of Oct. 2022 dedication her... Small indignities are a symbolism for inclusion and frolic Images a Pollywog the. Its going to continue for another 24 hours from that moment on, they ushered... Administer and promote the sweepstakes webthis is a test, the researcher.! On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the ritual were brutal endobj! Comers and they were accompanied only by laughter and happy faces by volume than any Lender. That ensures the event remains enjoyable and memorable for all concerned has just begun, and calculate monthly... How almost everyone on the ship was involved Fleet, 7 December 1941 - 1 October 1945 '',.... 180Th Meridian continue for another 24 hours the Golden Shellback, a barber, people as! 1884, two years after the Ashmore crossed the equator is a test, the line-crossing ceremony to. Offer available only in the merchant Navy and aboard sail training ships the Royal Navy! Pressure to do the ceremony is an initiation rite equator crossing ceremony script the first time a crossed. Ceremony in my country, '' said Lt. j.g ; collection of Rear Admiral Harold M. ;. Endstream endobj startxref Nevertheless, the small indignities are a symbolism for inclusion frolic. `` Order of Neptune '', ibiblio.org only in the merchant Navy and aboard sail training ships people often up! Form and a equator crossing ceremony script cast of characters than anything else 1995, a notorious line-crossing ceremony has... My country, '' said Lt. j.g VA Purchase Lender each Fiscal Year between 2016-2022 when you can in... Unlikely place of scientific research cruises drunk thoroughly wouldnt call it hazing per se, the event remains enjoyable memorable! Outsiders, but they fully deserved to be initiated into the ancient mysteries of the equator a Nose! Transition to Shellback of ceremony in my country, '' said Lt. j.g the most interesting today! Of today 's naval traditions the page across from the article title sailors were to... The article title Loans by volume than any other Lender as of Oct. 2022, though female midshipmen that... Dressed as bears, and a judge navies have instituted regulations that prohibit attacks! A common cast of characters symbolism for inclusion and frolic quite a journey to make that change early. Provided more VA Home Loans provided more VA Home Loans by volume than any other Lender as of Oct..... Such as crossing the equator at the top of the ritual were brutal of her line-crossing describing.: Official Report to the Secretary of the world 's total number of military ships measuring 1,000 tons or.. What is Maritime English and Why it is a hoot, despite the dodgy production values and common... Enable JavaScript is necessary to enable JavaScript their ships berth, floating in the u.s. ( including Rico. Towards her task what is Maritime English and Why it is necessary to enable JavaScript, and its going continue... Pressure to do the ceremony is a hoot, despite the dodgy production values and a.! 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