One of my favorite things to think about is the ritual process where individuals pass from one state to another. We have our sweet sixteens, confirmations, baptisms, graduation ceremonies, inductions into secret societies, and so forth. We have markers – some permanent, others not – when we change from one status to another. Some societies tattoo to indicate these changes; ours hands out certificates or other tokens.
Shipboard life is a microcosm of the society from which the sailors come. Traditions such as these speak of how power has the threat of real physical violence behind it and when violence, even in play is acted upon, an individual’s social body – their person – is molded, for good or bad.
Below find various photographs, certificates, and tokens from Crossing the Line ceremonies – one the most marked of rituals participated by generations of seafarers over the centuries. In this ceremony, they venture into the topsy-turvy and enter the realm of Neptunus Rex.
TS Empire State 1930s
At some point during one of its cruises, cadets from the New York State Merchant Marine Academy crossed the line. Their hijinx were recorded by a staff member. Clearly visible are the running of the pollywogs, the ritual shaving, and the summons before King Neptune’s court; these photographs are part of a larger collection found here.
USS Santa Fe 1943
These photographs capture a “Crossing the Line” ceremony that took place onboard an American destroyer during the Second World War. In the midst of war and despite the potential for death at the hands of the enemy, the sailors re-enacted a ceremony passed down for centuries from sailor to sailor. The ceremony is bizarre: when a ship crosses the Equator, the ship stops and pays homage and fealty to King Neptune. He comes aboard and men who have Crossed the Line before, and along with Neptune’s Court initiate the men as his subjects. The pollywogs, as the uninitiated are called, are humiliated at every turn: they are shaven, spanked, and have their masculinity is challenged; finally, after further degradation in a watery pool, they are reborn as “Trusty Shellbacks” and pledge loyalty to King Neptune and join in fraternity with their fellow sailors. The ceremony crosses all lines of rank and class – from captain to mess-man.
A participant’s “War Book” is here.