When did the Shellback ceremony start?
Shellback certificate awarded to Charles Cameron, aboard USS Utah, commemorating his first crossing of the Equator, December 1, 1928.
What is the order of the shellback?
The shellback is simple enough: A sailor on official duty “crosses the line” of the equator. A golden shellback is more impressive; it means they’ve crossed the International Date Line. Even rarer, crossing at the Prime Meridian grants you access into the Order of the Emerald Shellback.
What are you before a Shellback?
Lastly, the Pollywogs take a royal bath in a pool of sea water before being declared Shellbacks, after which they receive their certificates, which they can proudly hang on their wall at home.
Who is the first person to cross equator?
In 1473 or 1474 he and Rui de Sequeira, pushing Portuguese exploration east along the Nigerian coast, reached the point where the coast begins to run south….
| Lopes Gonçalves | |
|---|---|
| Known for | First European sailor crossing Earth’s equator |
Where did the term shellback come from?
SHELLBACKS – A PROUD NAVAL HISTORY The ceremony observes a mariner’s transformation from slimy Pollywog, a seaman who hasn’t crossed the equator, to trusty Shellback, also called a Son or Daughter of Neptune. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness.
What is the difference between a pollywog and Shellback?
Members of a ship’s company who have never crossed the equator onboard a warship are known as ‘Pollywogs’ or ‘Tadpoles’. Members who have previously paid homage to Neptune and who have been inducted into his realm are known as trusty ‘Shellbacks’.
What is a blue nose sailor?
The “Order of the Blue Nose” is a Navy tradition which dictates that when Sailors cross into the Arctic Circle, they enter the realm of Boreas Rex, King of the North. The only way to be accepted into the order is to successfully complete his list of challenges.
What is a pollywog in the Navy?
A Time-Honored Tradition The ceremony observes a mariner’s transformation from slimy Pollywog, a seaman who hasn’t crossed the equator, to trusty Shellback, also called a Son or Daughter of Neptune. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness.
What is a shellback tattoo?
Shellback Turtle Tattoos Like a ship at full mast, a shellback tattoo showed a sailor’s experience at sea. Once a sailor crossed the equator, he earned the right to get a turtle inked on his body. The longer someone had spent at sea, the more tattoos they could show off.
What is a blue nose in the Navy?
What is a diamond shellback?
The Emerald Shellback or Royal Diamond Shellback for maritime personnel who cross at 0 degrees off West Africa (where the Equator crosses the prime meridian ) The Realm of the Czars for maritime personnel who crossed into the Black Sea . The Order of Magellan for maritime personnel who circumnavigated the Earth.
Why do the Navy wear bell bottoms?
Some modern naval uniforms continue to use bell-bottomed trousers as a potential life-saving device. The trouser material is made of cotton fibers that swell when wet and can hold air.
What do swallows mean in the Navy?
5,000 nautical miles
A swallow – Each swallow represents 5,000 nautical miles in a sailor’s career. The circumference of the earth is 21,639 nautical miles – about 4.16 swallows.
What is a Shellback initiation tradition?
Overall, the shellback initiation tradition in the U.S. Navy is a humorous and entertaining example of how initiation rites and traditions provide the means of earning a new identity.
What is a Shellback?
It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness. The story of the Shellback is a most storied one dating back to the days of the Viking seafarers, and the Spaniard navy.
How do you become a Golden Shellback?
When you become a shellback, you better not lose your certificate or else you cannot prove it. Q: There’s a certificate for it? T: Yup. T: If you cross the equator at the International Dateline, then you become a golden shell back.
When was the first ritual in the history of seafaring?
The some scholars believe that ritual dates back at least 400 years or more in Western seafaring. The US Navy and Shellbacks may have participated more recently but no one knows for sure the date that the first sailor crossed the line.