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HMB Endeavour Teacher

There is much folklore associated with the sea and sailors, much of it repeated across a range of cultures.

‘The origins of many It has been said that men of the sea Weather People Animals Mythical creatures are among the most superstitious • The following are just some • Naked women calm the sea – • A seagull at sea carries a sailor’s There is much folklore associated with superstitions are lost in on earth. The origins of many of the multitude of beliefs and hence bare-breasted female soul, and the screech of the bird is the sea and sailors, much of time, but no doubt many superstitions are lost in time, but proverbs which relate to the figureheads the mournful cry of the dead man. it repeated across a range of cultures. no doubt many arose due to man’s arose due to man’s weather, obviously of great • Don’t carry a corpse on board Do not touch the gull to avoid injury Some ‘mythical creatures’ include natural tendency to look to the importance to the sailor at sea. to the deceased. mermaids, Triton, King Neptune, supernatural for causes of strange • Don’t carry women on board natural tendency to look Many have actually been proved • Killing certain things, eg an sirens, Scylla and Charybdis phenomena, and also the traveller’s • Wear an earring for better eyesight, to be based on sound albatross, brings bad luck (the Rime to the supernatural for love of exaggerating mysterious and also protection from drowning meteorological principles. of the Ancient Mariner) occurrences. and foundering. The gold ring was causes of strange • Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; also for the priest to pay for his • A shark following a ship is an omen red sky in the morning, sailor’s phenomena’ Many sailor superstitions from the funeral. It is also a symbol of of death warning eighteenth century and before remain betrothal between the sailor and • Ravens close to the seafront to this day. And why should they risk • Whistle to get wind (careful not the sea, and the trophy for the portends stormy weather to whistle up a storm) the consequences by doubting sailor who managed to cross • Cries of cormorants herald a them…? • Clear moon, frost soon Cape Horn deterioration of the weather, and • Mackerel sky, not 24 hours dry • It’s bad luck to damage may also mean fishing will be poor • A ring around the sun or moon, a figurehead means that rain will come real soon • Jonah – thrown overboard to rid • “When the rain’s before the wind, the ship of bad luck, swallowed strike your tops’ls, reef your main; by a whale when the wind’s before the rain, • When a sailor died at sea it was shake ‘em out and go again.” his messmates who helped the Mysterious events sailmaker sew his body in canvas, Find out more about some of the along with two cannonballs, before ocean’s mysteries, including Mary it was consigned to the deep. The Celeste, The Flying Dutchman, final stitch, according to tradition, The Bermuda Triangle, the was passed through the sailor’s Sargasso Sea, the Mahogany

nose. The grisly duty had 2 Ship, The schooner Patanela, • Don’t turn anything upside down – purposes – to make absolutely sure Saint Elmo’s fire. it will capsize the ship the sailor was dead, and to keep • Don’t mention certain things the shroud in place. or words such as ‘drown’ • Mythical creatures called sirens sing • Don’t mention the name of a ship haunting songs to lure sailors which has been lost to their death • Nail a horseshoe to the mast • To have a death on a ship is a very • Decorating with flowers adds luck bad omen, as the deceased may • Putting a gold coin under the mast consider the boat as his coffin for good luck and sink. • Any sailor laying eyes on the Flying • A tattoo gives protection, References: and is also a sign of power. Dutchman will die in a shipwreck www.diy-wood-boat.com/eather_sayings.html • Never set sail on a Friday http://www.vacation-lists.com/good-luck-superstition.html • Swearing on board a ship scares http://www.sailblogs.com/member/bluedawn/?c=484 away the fish http://nauticalinformation.blogspot.com/2007/12/weather-sayings.html • Spitting is protection against bad luck. Fishermen spit upon their nets for good fishing © National Maritime Museum 2012