Crossing the equator is a big thing—shipmates turn from pollywogs (never before sailed over the equator) to golden shellbacks once they have journeyed over the equatorial line, which the Volendam did today. No one is really sure when or how the Line Crossing Ceremony, or Order of Neptune, came about. The ritual dates back at least 4 centuries in Western seafaring past. The ceremony observes a mariner’s transformation from slimy Pollywog (slime today looked like thin sugary frosting in todays ceremony) where the pollywogs first are ordered by King Neptune to kiss a fish (yes, a large real fish) then walked to where they get creamed with this wet sticky stuff, then be judged (by the Captain and his first line officers) whether he should advance—those who fail to kiss the fish or have transgressions are likely ordered overboard (must jump fully clothed and sticky into the pool), while those who pass the procedure are advanced to shellback. For our ship’s crew, Neptune pardoned them all in the end so every crewman advanced and became shellbacks.
Historically, a seaman who hasn’t crossed the equator to become a trusty Shellback and be called a Son or Daughter of Neptune would be tested for their seaworthiness in this process.
Fortunately, for passengers, Liz and I just got our certificates without being smeared or dunked.
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