It was a different story for those onboard the rapid, crossing the equator on wednesday 8th july. A blue jackets world war ii odyssey alvin kernan on. One naval theatrical tradition i wanted to learn more about was crossing the line. Crossing the line is the second book from the cross creek series, each book crossing the line by kimberly kincaid was a beautifully written and heartwarming read. To commemorate the occasion, i wanted to explore an intriguing and historic navy tradition that is frequently discussed in veterans history project collections.
Although crossing the equator may seem like a routine event for any modernday naval vessel, navies have celebrated the timehonored tradition for centuries. Vintage sailor vintage men antique photos vintage photos submarine museum royal navy submarine human oddities pix art calisthenics workout. The exact origin of the shellback initiation ceremony, or more appropriately called the line crossing ceremonyis uncertain, but it was an ancient practice. Sailors and marines participate in a line crossing ceremony aboard uss blue ridge as the ship passes the equator may 16, 2008. Photographs of the ancient naval ceremony held when a vessel crosses the equator, during which those who have not previously crossed the line must pay homage to king neptune and his royal court usually by means of trials and punishments, most of which are smelly and foul in nature. The following anecdotes and photographs of crossing the line have been generously shared by people who responded to my call in march. Start studying basic professional military education enlisted block 2 navy history and heritage ceremonies. These are weird navy traditions and their meanings. This is a timehonored tradition to mark crossing the equator in initiation with a series of tests and trials until sailors are accepted by king neptune as one of his trusty shellbacks. Day 76 crossing the line ceremony august 5th,2015 andy. While now its as much a spectacle as it is a test, the linecrossing ceremony reportedly has its roots in practicality. The ceremony observes a mariners transformation from slimy pollywog, a seaman who hasnt crossed the equator, to trusty shellback, also called a son or daughter of. Carnival in the naval tradition abstract the line crossing ceremony.
In this novel set during 1919 on the south side of chicago, times are hard when returning veterans vie for jobs and housing with one another and against blacks moving north in search of a better way of life. One trip in ballast, 2 of the deck boys and a cabin boy hadnt. So ancient, in fact, that the origins of these early line crossing rites are hard to trace. The ceremony of crossing the line is an initiation rite that commemorates a sailors first crossing of the equator. I really enjoyed the storyline, the plot held my interest all throughout the book and found myself reading it in one sitting. Behind the strange and controversial ritual when you cross. Reading this book reminds me of taking a core engineering courses in collegethe spiritual equivalent of, say, computer science 225 data structures. A new virginia county the formation of hampshire county was authorized by an act of the general assembly of virginia, passed on december, 1753, effective may 1, 1754. Day 76 crossing the line ceremony august 5th,2015 posted on august 6, 2015 by oriana77 crossing the line ceremony where pollywogs transition to shellbacks, is it a fine nautical tradition or little more than an excuse for what some may consider demeaning. Sailors who have not yet participated in the ceremony slimy pollywogs must do so in order to become trusty shellbacks. An unknown participant in the largest crossing the line ceremony ever held by the u. The ritual dates back at least 400 years in western seafaring.
In the book the golden bough, sir james frazer discusses the. Navy shellback i know about, your standard type, the golden crossing the equator at the international dateline, and the emerald crossing at the prime meridian, and very rare. The custom of marking a sailors first passage across important geographical parallels with a special ceremony is ancient. Instead it zigs and zags its way south in an effort to not split countries into two different days. We have several photos throughout the site taken from various crossing the line ceremonies on many ships. Womens issuesgender studies political science military personnel social aspects rites and ceremonies analysis rituals. Crossing the line the baltimore banners book 1 one shot and love conquers all 4. Although the crossing the line ceremonies changed somewhat over time, many of the. It is a rite of passage that has evolved over centuries of practice and.
Included is a large selection of eyewitness accounts of the ceremony including captain james cook, charles darwin, a number of us navy personnel, and american merchant seamen. Oct 23, 2015 behind the strange and controversial ritual when you cross the equator at sea copy link facebook twitter reddit flipboard pocket u. Nov 14, 2008 the crossing of the line is a ceremony undergone by sailors who are crossing the equator. The navy is chock full of myth and tradition, and what happens at sea even affects our language. On the other side of the line, theres less of a chance. Sanderson has spoken to hundreds of thousands of young people about the dangers of his former lifestyle and now helps young athletes and others to avoid the pitfalls of instant fame. Ctl is a web magazine and resource site that covers all elements of moving image culture. As hms protector and her ships company crossed the equator earlier this month, it was time for everybody to be presented to neptunes court during the infamous crossing the line ceremony. An archive of our own, a project of the organization for transformative works. The line crossing ceremony is a ritual practiced by sailors while crossing the equator. Crossing the line is nearly as old as seafaring itself. Search the history of over 418 billion web pages on the internet.
Crossing the line group in their fancy dress 6508776185. Marine corps,royal australian navy, russian navy, and other navies that commemorate a sailors first crossing of the equator. Featured texts all books all texts latest this just in smithsonian libraries fedlink us genealogy lincoln collection. Crossing 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. The crossing the line ceremony, one of the oldest customs at sea, is a rite of passage. The crossing of the line ceremony was already well established by 1938 when these series of photos were taken, and continued though wwii on some surface ships, though submarines could not risk being on surface for long enough to do this. 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 times at sea. Read books yu hao x xuan from the story crossing the line oneshots history2 by badriyamumthas badriya mumthas with 1,841 reads.
The ceremony of crossing the line is an initiation rite in the british merchant navy, dutch merchant navy, royal navy, u. Given its long history, the ritual has changed over the years, but it. The linecrossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a persons first crossing of the equator. By sarah penny, phd researcher, university of warwick. It has been a long naval tradition to initiate pollywogs, sailors who have never crossed the equator, into the kingdom of neptune upon their first crossing of the equator. I was an apprentice at the time but had crossed the line many times before. 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 dizon told the navys press office. Final opportunity to harass the retiree only the crossing the line ceremony is exempt from secretary of the navy policy governing ceremonies. In 1997, nbcs dateline aired the story that some marines had blood pinned forced qualification pins into peoples chests some 30. Behind the strange and controversial ritual when you cross the. Tradition, ceremony, initiation what could possibly compel a crew of nearly 4,000 sailors on a united states navy aircraft carrier to crawl around on their hands and knees while being subjected to. Since the time of ships with sails guarded the sea lanes linecrossing ceremonies for the equator and others have been observed aboard both naval and commercial vessels. Feb 15, 2008 crossing the line sudhir venkatesh was a naive sociology student when he first ventured into chicagos toughest housing project, armed only with a clipboard.
This is a typical script for a crossing the line ceremony. The details of the ceremony below are from hms ajax on its cruise of 1935 1937, on the occasion of crossing the equator off the west coast of south america, 1st september 1936. Good point in principle, no doubt some of the memoirs of merchant shipping may have examples. The line crossing ceremony might just be the most interesting of todays naval traditions. Equator crossing ceremonies, typically featuring king neptune, are also sometimes carried out for passengers entertainment on civilian ocean liners and cruise ships. It sits along the 180 degree line of longitude, although it doesnt follow the degree line exactly. Recently, the issue of hazing has become of paramount importance to the entire military, in particular the navy. Basic professional military education enlisted block 2. Royal navy submarine museum royal navy submarine, royal. This is a timehonored tradition to mark crossing the equator in initiation. Crossing the line, book by derek sanderson paperback.
Line crossing ceremony synonyms, line crossing ceremony pronunciation, line crossing ceremony translation, english dictionary definition of line crossing ceremony. Crossing the line is activated by companies when a ship crosses the equator. Media in category line crossing ceremonies the following 69 files are in this category, out of 69 total. The rich tradition of the crossing the line ceremonies often involved varied events throughout. The line crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a persons first crossing of the equator. Equatorial frolics crossing the line ceremony onboard submarine hms oswald in 1937.
Sailors and marines participate in a crossing the line ceremony. The certificate refers to a maritime ceremony called crossing the line. The rich tradition of the crossing the line ceremonies often involved varied events throughout which pollywogs, the term given to those who have. In piecing together more recent versions of the ceremony, a wide variety of resources were consulted. Crossing the line is a retort to unethical politicians, bureaucrats and cheap educationalists. What is the origin of the shellback ceremony in the u. Cross the line by james patterson, the twentyfourth instalment in the alex cross series, is for diehard fans of the series.
The tradition may have originated with ceremonies when passing headlands, and become a folly sanctioned as a boost to morale, or have been created as a test for seasoned sailors to ensure their new shipmates were capable of handling long rough times at sea. Back in the days of wooden ships, crossing the line ceremonies were designed to test young sailors on their first cruise out in the open sea. In week 12, when the duke of york crossed the equator, captain morgan did not permit a crossing the line ceremony to be held onboard. The tradition of the line crossing ceremony lived on into the ww2 era, and for. A look at the symbols of the ritual throughout time a thesis presented to the faculty of the department of history east carolina university in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree master of arts in maritime studies by jana lynn otte october, 2014. Stamped on the face of the medallion is an image of a tridentholding king neptune astride a sea horse encircled by the words u. Linecrossing ceremony definition of linecrossing ceremony. The navy ceremony of crossing the line is a tradition which originated over four hundred years ago, and which continues in strong form today. What is the initiation to become a shellback in the u.
To cross the line is to commit, work hard, focus, and bounce back when things get tough. Naval culture, and seafaring culture in general, are rife with tradition and ritual, and the crossing the line ceremony is just one example of this. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Throughout history, linecrossing ceremonies have sometimes become dangerous hazing rituals. The international date line is the imaginary line in the middle of the pacific ocean that separates one day from another. His previous books about world war ii include the unknown battle of midway, published by yale university press, and the novels love and glory and the forthcoming proceed without hornet. While doing some research for a page i intend to add to seaflags on the ceremony of crossing the line i. This ceremony, which generally takes place any time a ship or sub crosses a main line, equator, arcticantarctic circles, international date line, prime meridian, ect. I just see random screenshots from viewers and since im busy preparing for graduation requirements, i have this ample time to watch bl series. These provide a unique glimpse into the production and performance of this ceremony in the latter half of the 20th century. Navy, royal navy, and other britishdescended navies for a ship to hoist the old pirate flag, the jolly roger, while king neptune is aboard.
Books by language journal of economic education 19692015 additional collections journal of materials engineering. Crossing the line is a longoverdue expose of the most shameful episode in recent australian history. Crossing the line ceremony is an age old tradition and a great excuse for a party. Crossing the line is about sandersons crazy days as an nhl player but also about his road back to health. After watching right or wrong, this series comes the way but i didnt expect something from this series.
Cruises that cross the international date line getaway usa. Aug 06, 2015 day 76 crossing the line ceremony august 5th,2015 posted on august 6, 2015 by oriana77 crossing the line ceremony where pollywogs transition to shellbacks, is it a fine nautical tradition or little more than an excuse for what some may consider demeaning. Behind the strange and controversial ritual when you cross the equator at sea copy link facebook twitter reddit flipboard pocket u. The crossing the line was intended to be both fun and a roughandtumble physicalcontact activity. Learn about the line crossing ceremony, arguably one of the greatest of the worlds navies traditions.
A shellback, or a son of neptune, is a mariner who has sailed across the equator and taken part in the crossing the line ceremony. No two ceremonies were the same but most followed a typical pattern. Many naval traditions, from the sirens and sea monsters of the odyssey to the boatswains call, date back hundreds and even thousands of years. Bookcrossing is the act of releasing books into the wild and then following their journeys and the lives they touch. 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 goodhumored mischief. Our modern practice is believed to have evolved from viking rituals, executed upon crossing the 30th parallel, a tradition. Cannot remember how many time i crossed the line but do know that even sailing with some very miserable captains, crossing the line ceremony was always followed. Hard work, but packed with precious information and insight, and so fundamental to what i want to accomplish down the road of course, spiritual principles are far more core than pascal data structures. Many of the ceremonies involved elaborate costuming, props and stage effects. The purpose of a retirement ceremony includes all of the following except. The rich folkloric tradition of the crossing the line ceremony, is a tradition that honors sailors for crossing the equator, heralding from a time long ago when such a feat was a grave undertaking. A major source was cruise books, which serve as yearbooks for many ships long cruises. The ceremony was created and executed using wit, wisdom, references to classical literature and high theatre but included a degree of rough physicality. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study.
On starting the ceremony one of the deck boys couldnt be found and the ship was searched unsuccessfully for him. The art of crossing the line cfb esquimalt naval and. A celebration of excellence in craft and creativity across film, design and advertising, we aim to cross the line between the audience and those involved in the production. About the author kim mcgrath has been published in the monthly and has long experience working in government and policy development. Watch rapunzels tangled adventures on disney channel. No one is really sure when or how the line crossing ceremony, order of neptune, came about. Extremely useful source documenting the history of the tradition. History of hampshire county and the crossings at the great cacapon compiled by darline demott. Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet. Alvin kernan is avalon university professor of humanities, emeritus, princeton university.
Fleet commemorated the event by creating this medal. Oct 31, 2017 line crossing ceremony meaning line crossin. Way back in the enlightened days of the worlds history when the greek civilization was in its prime. These are weird navy traditions and their meanings a recent navy times article notes that the crew of the arleigh burkeclass guidedmissile destroyer uss ross ddg 71 joined the order of the blue nose a distinction reserved for ships and crew that crossing. Rapunzel makes one last attempt to make amends with cassandra, but theres no turning back for cass. Navy, royal navy, and other britishdescended navies for a ship to hoist the old pirate flag. His books on naval history include, destined for glory, all the factors of. History discover an ancient greek potter makes clay figurines in corinth. Seediscussion infra part ii regarding the origins and history of the ceremony. Following the more traditional crossing the line ceremonies in the navy of any modern western nation today would certainly lead to disciplinary action for those dishing it out, and very likely for the commanding officer for failing to put a stop to it. Neptunes band of brothers naval history magazine december.
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