Nautical Myth

[Red Cat Jenny]

There are a number of Nautical Myths..following is a list. The ones in bold I have heard of. I wonder how many are period correct?

Never start a voyage on the first Monday in April.

This is the day that Cain slew Able.

Avoid people with red hair when going to the ship to begin a journey.

Red heads bring bad luck to a ship, which can be averted if you speak to the red-head before they speak to you.

A stolen piece of wood mortised into the keel will make a ship sail faster.

A silver coin placed under the masthead ensures a successful voyage.

Disaster will follow if you step onto a boat with your Left Foot first.

Pouring wine on the deck will bring good luck on a long voyage.

A libation to the gods.

Throwing stones into the sea will cause great waves and storms.

A stone thrown over a vessel that is putting out to sea ensures she will never return.

Flowers are unlucky onboard a ship.

They could later be used to make a funural wreath for the dead.

A naked woman on board will calm the sea.

This is the reason for naked figureheads.

Don't look back once your ship has left port as this can bring bad luck.

A dog seen near fishing tackle is bad luck.

Black cats are considered good luck and will bring a sailor home from the sea.

Swallows seen at sea are a good sign.

Sighting a curlew at sea is considered bad luck.

A comorant sighted at sea is bad luck.

Dolphin swimming with the ship are a sign of good luck.

Killing one will bring bad luck.

It is unlucky to kill an albatross.

It is unlucky to kill a gull.

They contain the souls of sailors lost at sea.

Handing a flag thru the rungs of a ladder is bad luck.

Looseing a mop or bucket overboard is a sign of bad luck.

Repairing a flag on the quarterdeck will bring bad luck.

Turning over a hatch will cause the hold to fill with seawater.

Cutting your hair or nails at sea is bad luck.

These were used as offerings to Proserpina, and Neptune will become jealous if these offerings are made while in his kingdom.

Church Bells heard at sea mean someone on the ship will die.

St. Elmo's Fire around a sailors head means he will die within a day.

When the clothes of a dead sailor are worn by another sailor during the same voyage, misfortune will befall the entire ship.

If the rim of a glass rings stop it quickly or there will be a shipwreck.

Never say the word Drowned at sea.

The caul of the head of a new-born child is protection against drowning and will bring the owner good luck.

The feather of a wren slain on New Years Day, will protect a sailor from dying by shipwreck.

A ships bell will always ring when it is wrecked.

A shark following the ship is a sign of inevitable death.

Sharks were believed to be able to sense those near death.

A sailor who died from violence or being lost at sea was said to go to "Davy Jone's Locker".

A sailor with over 50 years of service was said to go to "Fiddler's Green" when he died.

[Coastie04]

Well, I can tell you a few things about a couple of these myths. The coin under the mast myth goes WAY back, as in to Roman times (if not earlier). However, it's not necessarily to ensure a successful voyage. It's to pay the ferry man at the river Styx if cast upon an unfriendly shore in a shipwreck. So, it's more to protect the sailors' souls in case there is a shipwreck.

Pouring wine on deck will bring good luck...well, it started off with blood from an animal sacrifice, but somewhere down the line wine was used (probably with the advent of Christianity and decline of animal sacrifice). In modern times, it's usually champagne at the launching of the ship.

These are just two that I know have origins in earlier times, so they would probably have some variation in the GAOP. I suspect that many of them are from the 18th and 19th Centuries, but I'd love people to find earlier references to them.

Coastie

[BriarRose Kildare]

Well, I have done a lot of studying on myth, legend, folklore and supersitions. I know that the following are true the other's I would need to look up.

First, Coastie is right concerning the coin under the mast myth. A coin was used to ensure safe passage across the river styx. As a side note, it is still an old tradition, that before burying the dead to place two coins upon the eyes so they have money to pay the ferry man. My father's family has maintained this particular belief and tradition.

Also pouring wine as a libation is also true.

Now for the following I am not sure as to dates, period and time, but I do know that they are true to their meanings.

Disaster will follow if you step onto a boat with your Left Foot first. The reason is because the left side of the body which represents the female, was also considered to be an aspect of the devil.

Don't look back once your ship has left port as this can bring bad luck. This is also true, never look back from where you have been, always look ahead to where you are going.

Black cats are considered good luck and will bring a sailor home from the sea. This myth, depends upon the area you are from. For instance in American lore it would be considered bad luck, but in most European lore it would be considered good luck.

Swallows seen at sea are a good sign.

Dolphin swimming with the ship are a sign of good luck.

Killing one will bring bad luck. Dolphins are considered protectors of the sea.

It is unlucky to kill an albatross. Very true as well. Birds have always been considered signs of the gods or messangers of the gods.

It is unlucky to kill a gull.

They contain the souls of sailors lost at sea. Aye, I belive if memory serves me correct that this one is true as well.

Never say the word Drowned at sea. Aye, it is the same as talking about That Scottish Play by it's true name in the theater.

The caul of the head of a new-born child is protection against drowning and will bring the owner good luck. Very true. In fact, if a child was born with a caul it was often times sold to sailors. Also, a child born with a caul over its face will have the gift of sight.

A shark following the ship is a sign of inevitable death.

Sharks were believed to be able to sense those near death. I have heard of this one as well. Sharks are predators and with them always comes death.

The feather of a wren slain on New Years Day, will protect a sailor from dying by shipwreck. I believe this one is true as well. The wren is considered a powerful bird.

A sailor who died from violence or being lost at sea was said to go to "Davy Jone's Locker". I know this one is true as well. My father used to tell me stories about Davy Jone's Locker, and this was one of them.

The next three sound very familiar but I would have to look them up in one of my books:

Church Bells heard at sea mean someone on the ship will die.

St. Elmo's Fire around a sailors head means he will die within a day.

When the clothes of a dead sailor are worn by another sailor during the same voyage, misfortune will befall the entire ship.

I hope this helps you out some Jenny. Very Interesting topic. One that I truly enjoy too. Let me know I there are any you would like to know more on and I will look thru my books. As for them being period or not I am not sure of, however, many myths of the sea stem from ancient times.

[Silkie McDonough]

But are they PC?

[Patrick Hand]

A naked woman on board will calm the sea.

I've also heard that if she bear her breast... it will do the same.....

COOL.....

I guess it all depends on how "frendly" she is........

OK... SO it not properly TWILL like..... heck I thought it was funny.....

[Captain Jim-sib]

Christian-related origins to myths:

1) The jinx of red heads: supposedly Judas had red hair

2) The start of voyage / launching on a Friday: the crucifixion

[William Brand]

Someone always mentions the redheads. Always.

[Fox]

Many sea-myths are ancient in origin, but many are also much more modern so it's dangerous to assume that a "tradition" dates back as far as the GAoP, many of them are 19thC in origin. I can add a few notes to the list presented:

A silver coin placed under the masthead ensures a successful voyage.

Quite a few archeological site have revealed coins laid in the mast step from the medieval period and earlier. The exact purpose of the coin is unknown. It may originally have been to pay Charon, but by the GAoP it was most likely done simply because it was a tradition for good luck.

A naked woman on board will calm the sea.

This is the reason for naked figureheads.

In the medieval period at least one instance occured when the sailors' solution to a terrible storm was to throw the women overboard. I imagine that having them get their togs off would have been more pleasurable for both sexes, so I doubt this myth. It is unconnected with figureheads. Figureheads are formed after the name of the ship so, for example, the Venus might have a naked female figurehead because that's the way Venus is usually depicted, but HMS Albemarle would not. The exposure of one or two breasts was a typical artists' method of making the gender of the subject clear to a casual viewer.

It is unlucky to kill an albatross.

This goes back to Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798), but Coleridge was inspired to write the poem by George Shelvocke's account of one of his officers, Simon Hatley, shooting a black albatross in 1719. Significantly, Hatley shot the bird in order to bring good luck.

Cutting your hair or nails at sea is bad luck.

These were used as offerings to Proserpina, and Neptune will become jealous if these offerings are made while in his kingdom.

Well, given that seamen have cut their hair and nails since Tudor times at least (judging by the barber's equipment and manicure sets found on the Mary Rose) if it was considered bad luck it didn't stop 'em doing it.

When the clothes of a dead sailor are worn by another sailor during the same voyage, misfortune will befall the entire ship.

Again, no source for the myth, and we certainly know of sailors reusing dead shipmates' clothing.

A shark following the ship is a sign of inevitable death.

Sharks were believed to be able to sense those near death.

Thomas Phillips wrote about sharks following ships in the 1690s and made no mention of any such myth.

A sailor who died from violence or being lost at sea was said to go to "Davy Jone's Locker".

Web sources generally say that the earliest reference to Mr Jones' locker is found in Roderick Random (1748), but in fact it is mentioned earlier by one of Ned Low's captives - George Roberts I think, but possibly Phillip Ashton. However, "Davy Jones' Locker" simply means the bottom of the sea, with no specific connection to violence or untimely death.

[BriarRose Kildare]

Someone always mentions the redheads. Always.

Ah, William that just makes you and I special.

[Coastie04]

Thanks for reassuring my assumptions that many of these were 19th Century myths, Foxe. Just another little note about women at sea. I think it's kind of ironic that women are supposedly bad luck on boats, but naked/bare breasted women can calm the sea. I've always figured that women being bad luck at sea WAS true many years ago. Of course, it's for a very logical reason. Having one or two women aboard a ship would cause sailors to get distracted, and possibly cause jealousy and other crew discontent. These crew problems can lead to disaster. Therefore, from experience, people might have started to say "hey, let's not have any women on board, because they just cause trouble." Eventually, this leads to a superstition instead of the rational thought that one or two women on a ship full of men is a dangerous proposition.

As for showing flesh, this just sounds like sailors' wishful thinking. I can imagine college kids trying the same thing. Since women are "bad luck," when there's a storm with a woman aboard, some horny sailor gets the bright idea that he can use this to his advantage..."Unlace your bustle!!!" Of course, any respectable woman would refuse, but all of a sudden that sailor has the backing of everyone on deck, and a crusty old salt explains to her that it will help calm the seas that she's the result of. Needless to say, this happens once, the story gets passed around a few seaports, and all of a sudden, it's tradition!

As for the figureheads, I don't know when the first record of a figurehead being attached to a ship is (actually, I know that at least some viking ships had carved dragon heads, but I don't know if what we know of as figureheads are decendents of that tradition-also, the Golden Hinde had a figurehead of a deer), but I've heard another myth about them that I figured deserves to be mentioned. The figurehead is the ship's own eyes to watch out for reefs and other dangers in case the sailors miss them. This could possibly go back as early as Phoenecian times when eyes were painted on the bows of galleys. Again, though, I don't know if there is a linear connection between eyes being painted on galleys or other ships and figureheads. One other possibility that came to mind. Could figureheads have been a decendent of the animal sacrifices that originally "christened" a ship? I could see performing an animal sacrifice for a good voyage, and then putting the body somewhere for Neptune to see that a proper sacrifice was made. However, this is just pure speculation on my part. Makes sense to me, though.

Coastie

[Fox]

Interestingly, although several replicas of the Golden Hind carry a deer (or to be more precise, a hind) as a figurehead, I don't know of any evidence that the original did. However, animal figureheads are certainly visible in some contemporary pictures of 16thC ships.

[Red Sea Trade]

On the topic of redheads (I'm not one, but let us say it is a subject dear to my heart), I read an interesting treatise on British folklore some time ago that addressed the topic. The author surmised that redheads being considered unlucky, which is a mostly English phenomenon, might go back to the era of the Vikings. A visit from one of those particular redheads might have been unlucky indeed.

In Scotland, just to make it all more confusing, redheads are the essential GOOD luck charm for New Year's Day.

[Coastie04]

Thanks for setting me strait, Foxe. I was basing this on the poor assumption that a replica I saw in London was accurate. My bad. However, I know for a fact that the viking and phonecian references were accurate. And, since you mentioned that there is evidence that 16th century ships had figureheads, my hypothesis stands. And, if it's mainly animal figureheads (big if), then could it be a throwback to animal sacrifices?

Coastie

[Fox]

The London replica makes a big deal about being incredibly accurate, but given the lack of detailed information about the original ship it's an impossible claim.

Animal figureheads could be a throwback to sacrifices, but I don't see any evidence that it is. If your ship's called the Lion (for example) it gives you a good reason to stick a lion on the prow.

[Red Cat Jenny]

Aye thanks Foxe! I Was askin after which were period..always a fascinatin read.