7 Most Widespread Superstitions of Seafarers

Superstitions and beliefs are entwined into the very materials of human existence. Be it any sphere of life, there is a small side of wierd and uncanny notion that dictates it.

Even in an age the place information flows all through home (along with outer home) with out boundaries, the side of adherence to an age-old notion goes on to level out that we’re tuned to be drawn to that which is mysterious.

In a space akin to a service supplier navy, which is possibly just about as outdated as mankind itself, it is solely pure that there exist myriad superstitions that are promulgated to at the moment.

Come to consider it, being away from civilization and an inclusive regularly society offers rise to a assist system that’ll cater to basically essentially the most mundane of concepts.

It is a debatable matter as as to if the supernatural exists or not. Most will adjust to the precise reality that there is a fastened presence of a greater power, cosmic or irrespective of one would possibly choose to call it. Nonetheless to what extent are these ideas believable?

Enable us to check out quite a few the widespread seafaring superstitions that are prevalent:

1. Having a girl on board is harmful luck

Whatever the age-old affiliation of sailors with girls, this superstition has been central to seafaring for a extremely very very long time. Legend has it that having a girl on board meant distractions and aroused jealousy amongst sailors. This would possibly deviate them from their work and subsequently result in getting the ocean offended! (The time interval ‘son of a gun’ arose from proper right here.

Throughout the presence of a girl, when immense need struck sooner than reaching port, a sailor consummated that affair on the gun deck). Even in widespread custom, we’ve got now be taught and heard of mermaids distracting weak sailors into the darkish corners of the ocean with their magnificence and at last devouring them. Fairly the other, though, naked girls are said to be a relaxing side for the ocean; which is why outdated ships have naked girls for figureheads.

It is actually an irony though then {{that a}} ship is called ‘she’. This superstition clearly wouldn’t make sense instantly, for there are a number of girls all all through the neighborhood who’re fantastic seafarers and have navigated their respective ships with finesse and with out bringing harmful luck to the ship or the crew!

2. Ceremonial ship launching and naming

Ship naming is a ceremony that happens after a vessel has been constructed, handed the necessary sea trials and is ready to set sail. The customized of christening a ship for good luck and guarded voyages return a really very long time. Historic proof reveals Babylonians celebrating the launch of a ship as early because the three^rd millennium BC.

They’re said to have been inside the comply with of sacrificing an ox for this goal! The Egyptians, Greeks and the Romans known as upon their respective Gods to protect their ships and crew. The Greeks believed in Poseidon and the Romans invoked the blessings of Neptune.

Throughout the 8^th and 11^th centuries AD, the Vikings continued the customized by spilling blood as an offering to appease the Gods. Step-by-step, blood gave into wine and as we see in modern-day comply with, the custom of cracking open a bottle of champagne emerged. Moreover, the modern-day comply with entails a girl christening the ship to ship good luck and prosperity to the vessel. 

3. Unlucky Friday

Beforehand, Friday was thought-about to be an unlucky day to start a seafaring enterprise and meant that the voyage could be in the long run unsuccessful.

Take into consideration making use of the rule to modern-day navigation! Enterprise could be hampered and ship householders could be aghast on the prospect of the ship being halted just because it’s a Friday!

This notion is alleged to have emerged from the reality that Christ was crucified on a Friday and subsequently a ship beginning a voyage on that very day could be a foul omen.

Engaged on the equivalent traces, Sunday was thought-about to be an August day to start out for Christ was resurrected on a Sunday. As soon as extra, baseless conjecture that can set off a considerable quantity of loss within the occasion that they’d been to be utilized instantly.

4. Whistling Up A Wind

Sometimes, a seafarer could’ve heard that whistling on the bridge could result in a storm. It was believed that whistling on the ship resulted in ‘whistling up a storm! Moreover, there existed a notion that clapping on ships resulted in bringing thunder and lightning.

5. Ghost on Ship

Every seaman has moreover heard tales of ghosts and paranormal actions haunting ships, notably after an unfortunate event has occurred on board. Many take into account that spirits of those who have misplaced their lives on ships keep there for a really very long time.

Many even make tales of their unusual experiences with ghosts and why they concern going to a particular area on the ship. In case a sequence of accidents or mishaps have taken place on board, it is said that the ship is cursed and the blame is positioned on the spirits that are haunting the ship.

Ghost tales are nonetheless widespread amongst seafarers all around the world. Though most of them are nothing better than fiction, many seafarers admit to having seen, expert and even clicked them on board.

6. No Bananas On Board 

This will likely sound weird on instantly’s modern ships the place bananas are served just about usually for breakfast. Nonetheless, in the midst of the 1700s, bananas had been thought-about harmful luck for ships as a result of it was observed that a number of the ships carrying a cargo of bananas disappeared on the ocean and in no way made it to their places.

One different rationalization is that bananas carried on board ships fermented quickly and launched toxic gases, which could kill sailors on board. But yet another idea says {{that a}} specific species of poisonous spider used to cowl inside the bunches of bananas and many crewmen died from their bites, reinforcing the superstition that bananas onboard ships had been a foul omen.

7. Forbidden Phrases

From the early days of supply, many phrases have been banned from using on ships. Some phrases akin to “goodbye” and “drowned” had been prohibited to ensure the protected return of the ship and its crew. One different weird idea was that people on board weren’t allowed to speak the phrase “good luck” as a result of it was thought-about to ship harmful luck. In case any individual said “good luck”, the one answer to reverse the unfortunate was to draw blood by delivering a swift punch.

Similar to a Grandmother’s eloquent warning, most of these superstitions are age-old adages that occurred when science and experience had been largely obscure in nature. Navigation was an individual expertise that a few good males possessed and honed over time.

Nonetheless, as is with another standard line of speculation, a number of of those ideas stay on and are adopted in a extremely minuscule technique, largely as solely a faint reminder of a romanticised interval of supply. In type custom has given rise to widespread curiosity on this side of seafaring and a legendary technique to seafaring; further as a fairy story and fewer as a division of core science and expertise.

As a sailor, one will on a regular basis know that these superstitions are largely bogus as of late and the service supplier navy would collapse beneath the burden of such ridiculous logic. Nonetheless, as dinner desk converse, these obscure beliefs are what maintain the dialog humorous and attention-grabbing; one factor that is required every single day inside the monotonous and troublesome lifetime of a seafarer.

Some attention-grabbing posts on seafaring superstitions:

Seafaring Lore and Legend (information)

Superstitions of the Sea (information)

Seafaring Superstitions by DTmag

13 Sailors Superstitions by Boater Examination

When a unfastened cannon flogs a dull horse there’s the devil to pay

You might also want to be taught – Equator Crossing Ceremony: The Precise Test Of Seafarers

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About Author

Shilavadra Bhattacharjee is a shipbroker with a background in industrial operations after having sailed onboard as a Third Officer. His pursuits primarily lie inside the vitality sector, books and travelling.

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