204 Crossing the Line 



1943, continued 



hit the Equator — t'hell with them. There'd be no ceremonies. And there 



wasn't. 



(Louis Slobodkin. Fo'castle waltz. New York, 1945. p. 100-119, passim.) 

 Reprinted with permission of the publisher. Vanguard Press. 



1946 



In September, 1946, the British Admiralty gave out " 'Crossing the Line:' An Account of the 

 origins of the ceremonies traditionally connected \vith Crossing the Line, together with a Pro- 

 cedure for tlie conduct of those ceremonies and examples of the Documents associated there- 

 with." Thanks to the OiBce of the Chief of Naval Information, we give here most of the text 

 of the document, with brief summary of "I, Origins of the ceremony." The "Foreword" runs thus: 



It is not the intention to lay down a hard and fast drul for Crossing the Line. 

 To do so would only be an impertinence, but would ignore such factors as 

 the size of the ship, the local talent available, and the general circumstances 

 prevailing at the time. 



With the return to peace routine, however, and the obvious necessity to 

 foster an awareness of the old traditions in the minds of the rising genera- 

 tion, many requests have been received for the promulgation of an authentic 

 order of proceedings. 



This pamphlet has therefore been produced on the clear imderstanding 

 that it represents no more than a symposium of the basic features involved, 

 and in the hope that it may be of practical assistance to those who wish to 

 observe the appropriate ceremonies with the dignity and regard for acciuracy 

 to which they are by custom and tradition entitled. 



In compiling these notes, considerable reference has been made to "Cross- 

 ing the Line in H.M.S. Renown," and acknowledgment is also due to Frank 

 C. Bowen, Esq., Commander R. T. Gould, R. N. (Retd.), and to various 

 ofiBcers for their assistance. 



Part I, "Origins of the ceremony," then follows [summarized here] : 



The ceremonies cormected with Crossing the Line are pagan in origin. In 

 their earher forms, they were not even associated with the Equator, but 

 were in the natme of sacrifices to propitiate the gods when entering the im- 

 known. Sü-aits and narrow passages, in addition to representing a transition 

 to hitherto unexplored waters, held very real terrors for seamen on account 

 of the purely physical hazards presented by strong and unpredictable cur- 

 rents, sudden gusts of winds, rocks and shoals. 



Early records show that some sort of ceremony was connected with areas 

 such as the Straits of Gibraltar, the Sound and the Skaw. Forfeit was paid 

 by the ship rather than by the individual, and tliere is a suggestion of human 

 sacrifice in the early Viking days. The theory has, in fact, been advanced that 

 the ducking of initiates, now the main feature of the present ceremonies, is 

 derived from the actual throwing of a human body into the sea in moments 



