Appendixes — Crossing in Scandinavian Waters 223 



Sound and went all over the World, the custom was revived on the East- 

 Swedish, Finnish, Baltic and East-German ships. But not quite in the old 

 manner. In the meantime the ceremony of baptism on crossing the Equator 

 or Line had been established in the same manner as celebrated to-day on 

 almost all ships of the most various nations — with the sea-god Neptune, his 

 wife and his gang, with bishop, physician and barber, with shaving and 

 ducking in a tub, etc. And this baptism of the Line (linjedâb) influenced 

 greatly the KuUen baptism. Neptime came on board, and the sailors were 

 shaved and ducked in the tub. That is to say, sometimes it was not the God 

 of the Sea who appeared, but instead of him a personification of a local figure, 

 the Kullemand (Swedish Kullagubbe). Since medieval times people have 

 thought that such a mythical person lived in this mountain — an old, wise 

 man with a long beard, a sort of trold or ogre. According to the popular behef 

 and legend all the mountains and liiUs are the dweUings of the under jordiske, 

 the subterranean people of heathen origin. The sailors had to greet this 

 legendary figure, when they saw his mountainous dwelling, and he came on 

 board in almost the same shape as Neptune, but without crown and trident. 

 He is first mentioned in connexion with the baptism in 1852:^^ one of the 

 sailors dresses like the Kullemand and demands his tax as a payment for 

 the protection which he gives the ship when passing his domain. 



One of the few pictures known from this ceremony shows Kullahisin, as 

 he was called on Finnish ships, on board the barque Mainio of Lovisa in the 

 1880's.^^ His face is blackened, he wears a fuU beard of rope and is adorned 

 vdth sea-grass ; his ragged dress is of sack-cloth. In one hand he holds a small 

 pail with tar and the 'soap' for the shaving, and in the other hand a long 

 wooden razor. His attendant is dressed in a reversed mantle of sheep fiu" 

 and a broad-brimmed hat. Old Swedish sailors report that on Swedish ships 

 also the Kullagubbe came on board, shaved them and cut their hair; if they 

 would not pay, they were throvsm into a basin of canvas on the deck.^^ 



After 1900 again the sailors would be satisfied vdth a gift of brandy from 

 the novices, who in fact brought v^dth them the drink from home for this 

 purpose. ^'^ 



An amazing custom, elsewhere unknov^Ti on ships, is the following, re- 

 corded by a Swedish sailor, in about 1880: ^^ 



The old sailors spread out a sail on the deck, when the ship passed Kullen. The novice must 

 'trample the canvas in honour of KuUagubben. He was ordered to stand in the middle of the 

 canvas, whereupon all his comrades seized it and hauled, so that the poor man fell down; they 

 shook the sail, and it was impossible for him to stand upright. He often sustained hurt during 

 the few minutes that this took. 



This act is similar to the custom knov^m, e.g. in public schools, where 

 young pupils were thrown up and dov^ni in a blanket, tossed by their 

 comrades. 



i* Ljunggren & Richardt, Skänska herrgärdar. Vol. I, Krapperup ( 1852). 

 15 Courtesy of intendent Sven Andersson, Sjöfartsmuseet, Âbo. 

 iSLunds Universitets Folklivsarkiv 3306r20 and 8845;5. 

 IT Sven Andersson. 18 Lund 4353:4. 



