Appendixes — Crossing in Scandinavian Waters 227 



Gotland: the island of Jungfrun in the Kalmar Sound; the south end, Lange 

 Jan, of Öland; and the cliff Utkhppan, south of Karlskrona. 



Although not Scandinavian v^^e may mention that Esthonian and Latvian 

 sailors baptized novices off Kap Ristna on the island of Dago, and off Do- 

 mesnäs, Kurland.^^ 



In Travemiinde, at the entrance to Lübeck, there was a certain tower, 

 where the sailors in the middle of the eighteenth century were baptized.'^^ 



The ships that steered along the Norwegian coast between the small cliffs 

 and the firm land ( the so-called indenskaers route ) passed, shortly before the 

 entrance from the south to Bergen, the island of Bokn, by the Dutchmen 

 called Buk van Raa. At this characteristic high island was the most famous 

 h0nse-]place in Norway. In 1622 the Icelandic ihusketeer Jon Olafsson went 

 to Bergen in attendance on the Danish king Christian IV on some warships. 

 He describes the ceremony there i'^^ 



We then came off a sea-mark, called Buk van Raa. Here it was an old custom and use of 

 the sailors that every one who for the first time sailed by was to be hoisted into the sea from 

 the main yard-arm, unless he ransomed himself by a gratuity. When our king learned this, he 

 mitigated this requirement in the foUovràig way: he gave every 4 men in company ('mess') a 

 can of wdne, containing 6 potter ( = 1^ gallon), saying that he knew pretty well that his 

 people preferred to be wet inside than outside. Consequently this sailors' punishment did not 

 take place on that occasion, because of the gentleness of the king. 



In about 1750 the sailors stiU held the ceremony here,'''* but soon after it 

 must have gone out of use. 



On the long journey to the Russian harbours in the Arctic Ocean the sailors 

 in the seventeenth century were baptized not only when passing the North 

 Cape (Nordkap), but also off Nordkyn, the most northerly point in Europe 

 ( about 50 kilometres east of North Cape ) .^^ 



Also the southern point of Norway, Cape Lindesnses was knowTi to be a 

 h0nse-'place. Swedish sailors observed the ceremony here until our days.'^^ 



Along the foreign coasts of Europe a lot of other places are known, where 

 the sailors performed the baptism. The most famous places were undoubted- 

 ly Pointe du Raz (Brittany, France), the islands of Berlengas off Lisbon and 

 Üie Strait of Gibraltar, but there were many other places along the British, 

 French, Portuguese, Itahan and Turkish coasts. 



The sailors' baptism is a branch of the numerous initiation-rites that are 

 known all over the world, among both uncivilized and civilized people. 

 When the boys of primitive tribes are to be introduced into the company of 

 growTi-up men, they must show their courage in enduring severe pain and 

 want of food and demonstrate their ability as hunters. 



31 Loorits, op. cit. pp. 136, 138. 



32 Boesen, op. cit. p. 49. 



33 Oplevelser som Bpsseskytte under Christian TV (1905), p. 228. 

 3* Boesen, op. cit. p. 49. 



35 Peder Syv, op. cit. p. 360; O. Rudbäck, op. cit. p. 272. 

 3ß Erik Hägg: Under tretungad ßagga ( 1941 ), p. 98. 



