The Superstitions of Sailing
Emily Larish
Keywords: sailing, sailor, superstition, seafaring, initiation, folklore
Abstract:
Superstitions about sailing are responses to the uncertainty of life at sea, and therefore are very widespread, even to this day. These superstitions are an attempt to control one’s fate as well as fulfill wishes. They are passed from sailor to sailor in a kind of oral tradition, and initiation plays an important role in the passage of this knowledge. It is this oral tradition that makes every sailor on a boat a type of authority figure at times. In spite of the fact that sailing has always been a very technical and scientific art, superstitions hold fast to this day, as a kind of response to the mysterious behavior of the sea.
I. Scope and Purpose of the System
The ocean has long been a crucial source of income
and mode of transportation for many different countries and towns, and has
moreover held a mysterious allure for many people. These vast expanses of
limitless water were the epitome of the unknown, and they remain to this day a
massive section of our Earth that we know very little about. We are land
creatures, and feel a distinct sense of impotence whenever confronted with the
power and unpredictable nature of the sea. Sailors have always known that
theirs is a fleeting existence; that the most skilled boat-handling can very
often be no match for a strong wind or massive wave. It is natural and
understandable, therefore, that so many beliefs and superstitions developed to
try to comprehend this world. The sailor’s outlook on life is shaped by not
only his experiences at sea, but also the system of superstitions and beliefs
that help him explain, understand, and try to survive in the harsh and
unforgiving ocean environment. This is put most eloquently by an unknown
author: “There is but a plank between a sailor and eternity; and perhaps it is
the occasional realization of that fact that may have had something to do with
the broad grain of superstition undoubtedly lurking in his nature”(Hillier 1).
Many people sail; boating is not an activity that is
limited to a certain select group of people by any means. Neither, therefore,
are the superstitions and customs associated with sailing known and practiced
by only an elite group. However, these customs and practices are far more
common and strongly held by those for whom sailing is life, than by
recreational boaters. People who make their livings from the sea, either by
fishing, transporting cargo, or fighting, view and treat the sea with a kind of
respect that the occasional sailor can never understand. To them, the ocean and
the wind and waves are a kind of religion in itself, and the sea and the boat
have very distinct personalities and evoke deep emotions. Therefore, through a
very long tradition of seamanship there has arisen a very distinct core set of
beliefs, customs, and superstitions, some of which have Christian associations
and origins, and some of which could be argued to be pagan in origin. Of
course, there are some of these customs that are limited to specific cultures,
crews, and even individuals, but I will attempt to limit my discussion to the
broader themes of superstition in the European sailing tradition.
It is difficult to define the superstitions of
sailing as a broader system (even within a single culture) for several reasons.
First, every sailor has their own personal set of beliefs so it is hard to find
one specific system that applies to everyone. Second, while we have jettisoned
many of these beliefs in light of new information in this scientific age, many
sailors’ beliefs are still very much alive all over the world. Of course, the
belief in sea monsters, ghost ships, and giant whirlpools has dissipated, but
it is safe to say that there are few sailors even today who have never uttered
a prayer in a storm or even been convinced at some time or another that the sea
is actively helping or harming them.
The purpose of this system is hard
to define: rather, it is a myriad compilation of beliefs and practices that
pertain to daily life at sea, as well as extreme circumstances. Mainly, the
system attempts to make predictions and fulfill wishes especially concerning
the weather. It is a very practical system, yet it comes from a much more
esoteric philosophy. On the outside, this system could look like simple
superstition, a naïve attempt at a kind of magic, and a childish view of man’s
relationship with God and the elements. However, it is much more; it is a
mosaic of beliefs that at times do serve all those purposes, yet are usually
tied to a much more deep and beautiful conception of the world and man’s place
in it.
One of the most universal aspects of this system of beliefs is that there are no sure things and that to count on anything incurs bad luck because it seems presumptuous. Therefore, one is never supposed to count certain things, such as counting boats (either in one’s own fleet or in that of an opposing army) or miles left to travel. This sense that one should never take anything for granted is still very much alive today, as can be seen in the fact that no sailor, even a recreational sailor, will ever talk about distances or destinations in definite terms. For instance, instead of saying, “We are going to go to New York,” a sailor says “We are headed for New York.” In the mind of a superstitious sailor the former indicates that they view their arrival as sure, which would anger God or the sea, whereas the latter admits to a lack of certainty, which is far more humble.
III. Authority Structure
A. Sources and Criteria
of Valid Knowledge
There are many sources of knowledge
that uphold this system, and each different belief and custom springs from
different sources. Scripture can be a source, as in the story of Jonah, as can
pure reason and empirical evidence. The process of initiation is also
important, and the uninitiated are not believed to be able to understand or use
the superstitions of the initiated. Though there are some written sources of
sailing superstitions, the majority of nautical lore is orally transmitted from
sailor to sailor. Greek myths (which are passed down orally) are also at times
a source of knowledge, since even some Christian sailors believe, at least on
some level, in Poseidon, or some other kind of sea god.
B. Methods of
Inquiry
One can acquire knowledge through this system on one’s own (you try
something, it works, and you accept it); in this way, personal experience is
often used to confirm, but rarely ever to refute the truth of these traditions.
However, most sailors, long ago and still today, simply learn these practices
from those around them and then accept them and practice them. In this way,
there is more of a religious aspect to most of these beliefs than a magical
one, because although a ritual or action might be taken to try to achieve a
desired end, it is generally accepted that it is up to God or even the sea
itself to pass judgment on the gesture and then either grant or deny the wish.
It is also important to distinguish superstitions with a practical value and origin from those that serve a more esoteric purpose. For instance, there is a widespread superstition that cards and dice on board a ship will always bring trouble. It is easy to see how such activities would cause fights and other such “trouble” and therefore it is not a far leap to deem those activities unlucky. On the other hand, there are countless superstitions that have no apparent connection with natural causes, such as the beliefs that it is bad luck to have bananas, pigs, or rabbits on a boat. Some of these seem to be simply the result of observations that on different occasions when a boat ran into trouble, they happened to have one of these things aboard, such as with bananas, and the sailors decided it was the luck brought by that object which endangered them. On the other hand, some are simply connected with older and deeper superstitions that have nothing to do with sailing and those connections have been blurred over time. For instance, in the example of the pig, since pigs were connected with the devil from the time of the Old Testament, their bad luck was extended to sea travel.
The world in which the sailors lived was a world of uncertainty and danger, which called for an outlook on life that had a healthy dose of science, magic, and religion. The science aspect of sailing is fairly obvious for anyone who has had even the most basic of sailing training: anyone who can sail upwind knows something about physics whether they know the correct names for their knowledge or not. Sailors of all ages have known how to manage their vessel; no one has ever left it to providence to steer clear of an obstacle or to adjust the trim of the sails in a strong wind. An even more obvious example of the science of sailing is in navigation: this is a serious discipline, requiring a close knowledge of the stars and the ability to use an astrolabe, that takes a lot of training as well as talent, and has been practiced very successfully since the dawn of sea travel. As for magic, the superstitions of the sailors generally fall into that category, since they are attempts to control events and elements that were out of their control by means of strict rules of conduct and ritualistic practices.
The religious aspect is somewhat harder to define because it not only draws from so many different sources, but it sometimes shows itself in the guise of superstition. Seeming superstitions are the result of a religious attitude, and most of the practices that are meant to bring good luck or good winds are generally accepted to be more like entreaties to God, or even the elements themselves, than as magical charms or formulaic rituals to make the universe bend to the will of the individual. There is a lot of animism in the religious outlook of the sailor. The boat is very much a living soul with a personality, and the sea and wind can be seen in the same way. The sea was also seen as a pure and exacting entity who did not allow immorality to go unpunished. The aspect of religion in sailing superstitions is somewhat confused by the treatment of religious items and people. For instance, prayer was extremely common as were amulets and holy water among Catholic sailors in earlier centuries, but it is considered bad luck for the crew to have their own Bibles (Shay 134). Also, the position of priests on boats has changed throughout the years from ancient times when not only did a boat never leave port without some kind of holy person, but there was often an altar set up on the bow of the boat as well. The role of the priest on journeys has diminished steadily over the years, and in more recent times it has even sometimes been considered bad luck to have a priest onboard at all (Hillier 2-3).
To truly be a part of this system one must be initiated, not necessarily even to know the “tricks” but because they will not work for you if you’re not. Tattoos have long been a crucial part of one’s identity as a sailor. Horace Beck tells of a trip he took on a Scottish fishing boat with a crew that consisted of ten men with tattoos and one boy without any. He writes that the tattooed sailors, “told him that until he had been jabbed with the tattoo needle he could never become a sailor; and they further inferred that his two experiences of falling overboard were connected with his refusal to be marked by the tattooist’s needle” (Beck 197). Thus there is a twofold meaning behind this type of initiation: first, that to get a tattoo is crucial to gain respect from fellow crewmembers, and second, as a kind of superstitious protection. There is a definite implication that the sea has no respect for a sailor who has not “paid his dues.”
Another important mechanism of initiation is apprenticeship on a boat. This is not merely a time in which to learn about sailing and gain experience, it is also a rite of passage. An apprentice must constantly prove his worth to the rest of the crew: he is given the most tiresome and tedious drudgery to do, gets very little sleep, and is in a way hazed by the crew (McNeil 11-25). There is another type of initiation ceremony that takes place when a sailor crosses the equator for the first time, which is called “crossing the line.” This involves a mock trial in which all the uninitiated are convicted of various made-up charges by someone playing the part of Neptune. In the old days of sailing, sometimes the convicted sailors would then be attached to a thin line and thrown overboard; if the line didn’t break after being dragged for a while, then it was believed that Neptune forgave them and they would be brought back on board. This custom still takes place today, notably in the Navy and on cruise lines, but it is far less deadly: instead of being dragged behind the boat the accused are covered with disgusting and sticky substances or something else of that sort.
C. Institutions and Professional Structure
Herein lies one of the most unique aspects of superstition in sailing: every sailor has the potential to be an authority figure in the understanding and perpetuation of the superstitions. Of course, the captain takes a special role since his authority on the boat in all other matters is absolute, but as we can see Nature Notes for Ocean Voyagers, beginning with the Industrial Age, many captains took special care to debunk the old beliefs and it was more the low-ranked old salts that kept the practices alive. Also too, priests held a special position on boats until more modern times, and their religious knowledge and special connection with God made them a type of authority figure as they would be asked to pray for safe passage and perform rituals to ward off storms.
IV. History
From the earliest times, men have been venturing out
onto the sea. The most notable of the seafaring nations are the Phoenicians,
Greeks, and Vikings, though there are countless others. We can see depictions
of boats adorning jars and urns from the earliest times in Ancient Greece, many
of which show eyes on the bow of the boats. (Villiers 31). This is a tradition
that still remains today in some parts of the Mediterranean, which springs from
the superstition that this adornment helps the boat see better as well as ward
off the evil eye (Hillier 58). From Greece also comes the most well-known sea
god, Poseidon (akin to the Roman god, Neptune) who still receives a good deal
of mention on the sea. The Vikings were superb shipbuilders: they built ships
that could travel great distances and weather giant storms. In spite of this
technical expertise, however, they also had a very superstitious nature. Their
launch rituals are a great example of one of these customs. When a boat was
launched, the Vikings tied slaves to the rollers that would transport the boat
from land into the water. This was known as “blooding the keel” and was
believed to be a sacrifice to the gods of the sea (Beck 22). Likewise, the
Phoenicians believed that the sea was the realm of demons and also made blood
sacrifices to them (Hillier 24).
V. Representative Examples of Argumentation
Among Christian sailors, the story of Jonah and the whale is a very important bit of sailing lore that possibly serves as the origin of many of the sailor’s beliefs about his relationship with God and the sea. Certainly, the implications of the story… Jonah was a prophet who was told by God to go preach His word in Nineveh, but instead he disobeyed and attempted to flee from the Lord by boat. In response, God sent a violent storm and when all attempts to escape the storm proved to be in vain, the crew discovered that Jonah had been unfaithful to his God and threw him overboard at which point the storm abated. There are many notable points to make about this story, the first of which is that it is Scriptural evidence for a connection between God’s grace and storms at sea. It also suggests that men can appease God and cause him to show mercy. Secondly, it set up the belief that not only can specific objects on a boat be unlucky, but a person can imperil the ship by having a bad relationship with God. If someone is singled out as one of these unlucky people they are called a Jonah and shunned by the rest of the crew. There are also many stories of suspected Jonahs being thrown overboard during inclement weather in an attempt to give God his justice and therefore make him stop plaguing the ship. “Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm”(Jonah 1:15)
Eugenio de Salazar was a Spanish nobleman who wrote a letter to a friend in 1573 regarding a sea voyage from Tenerife to Santo Domingo. His letter describes the privations and discomforts of life at sea and he provides an interesting description of the crew and their habits. In the course of his letter, he describes two interesting aspects of the superstitious life of the men with whom he sailed. The first of these is his various references to the prayers that were said daily. During both these and the masses that were said to insure good passage, this phrase was often repeated, “God give us good days, good voyage; may ship make a good passage” (de Salazar 27). The other interesting mention of superstition comes when they see ships approaching and are afraid that they are being beset by pirates. “Then he called, ‘Three sails,’ with which he cast more than three shots of fragrance, certain that they were thieves.” (de Salazar 59). This can only be assumed to refer to the custom of throwing out fragrances to ward of evil, since it is believed in some cultures that evil spirits have an aversion to certain smells (Beck 305).
VI. Suggested Position in Comparative Scales
Tradition and experience share equal importance in the world of the sailors. There are many traditions that are simply taken on faith and practiced, but every sailor is open to new superstitions and beliefs if their experiences lend them validity.
There is no real centralized
authority in this system. An authority figure can be anyone that happens to
know something about a certain custom or superstition.
There is quite a lot of emphasis on the invisible realm, since sailors in most cultures tend to believe in some kind of god, and there was a very prevalent belief in ghosts and other such otherworldly affairs up until the later nineteenth century.
The vast majority of the superstitions and traditions of the sea is concerned with the control of the winds and waters and the safety of the crew and cargo.
Sailors generally believed utterly in an
all-powerful God and felt that they were completely subject to his will.
However, as has been stated before, there was a lot of skill involved in
sailing, and they knew that humans could control their own boat: the divine
power came in when it came to controlling other elements.
Bibliography
Primary Sources:
Carpenter, Alfred, and D. Wilson Barker. Nature Notes for Ocean Voyagers. London:
Charles Griffin and Company, Ltd., 1926.
This is a sailor’s manual written in a scientific manner that nonetheless refers to some superstitions (though often in an attempt to debunk them).
de Salazar, Eugenio. Seafaring in the Sixteenth Century:
The Letter of Eugenio de
Salazar, 1573. Trans. John Frye. San Francisco: Mellen Research University
Press, 1991.
This was a fascinating letter describing life at sea with many references to the religious life of the captain and crew, and one reference to an unrelated superstition.
McNeil, Samuel Giles Spencer. In great waters; memoirs of a master mariner. New York:
Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1932.
This gave a great account of life as an apprentice, along with a lot of other interesting aspects of life at sea.
NIV Study Bible, The. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1985.
The Bible contains the story of Jonah.
Secondary Sources:
Beck, Horace. Folklore and the Sea. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 1973.
This is a well-written and very comprehensive study of all aspects of the life of sailing people.
Hillier, Chris. The Devil and the Deep: A Guide to Nautical Myths and Superstitions.
Dobbs Ferry: Sheridan House Inc., 1997.
This book is in a dictionary format with short explanations for a variety of superstitions and myths. It was helpful as overview and reference for different superstitions.
Rappoport, Dr. Angelo S. Superstitions of Sailors. London: Stanley Paul and Company,
1928.
This provided some very basic background information.
Shay, Frank. A Sailor’s Treasury. New York: Norton and Company Inc., 1951.
This book provided detailed accounts of many different aspects of life at sea, and various superstitions and myths.
Villiers, Capt. Alan. Men, Ships, and the Sea. Washington: National Geographic Society,
1962.
This provided historical information about sailing in different traditions.