Episode 194: Sailor Superstitions
/Avast! What’s that on the horizon? Unlucky bananas, gold hoop earrings, and sons of guns; it must be sailor superstitions! Trim the sails and come on this voyage with us as we suss out the origins of legends taught to every sailor.
Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of death, drowning, misogyny, boating accidents/capsizing, labor violations, funerals/burials, objectification of women, starvation, scurvy, corporal punishment, pregnancy/birth, storms/lightning, and suffocation.
Housekeeping
- Recommendation: This week, Amanda recommends the podcast Black in Appalachia. Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books
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Transcript
Amanda: Welcome to Spirits Podcast, a boozy dive into mythology, legends, and folklore. Every week, we pour a drink and learn about a new story from around the world. I'm Amanda.
Julia: And I'm Julia.
Amanda: And this is Episode 194: Sailor Superstitions.
Julia: Hell yeah. I have a great story as to why we did this one, but you have to wait until we get into the episode to find that out.
Amanda: I loved this episode. And I've been thinking about it in the stormy days since we've recorded it.
Julia: Yes, it has been a bit of a stormy couple of days. But, honestly, I kind of like it. It's better than being hot all the time.
Amanda: So, true. And do you know, Julia, who are always the perfect temperature?
Julia: is it our new patrons?
Amanda: Our new patrons: Jordan, Zara, Daisy, and Alyssa. Welcome and thank you so, so much for your support. You join the ranks of our distinguished supporting producer level patrons: Philip, Uh-lee-see-uh, Debra, Hannah, Jen, Jessica, Keegan, Landon, Megan Linger, Megan Moon, Molly, Mr. Folk, Neal, Niki, Phil Fresh, Polly, Sarah, & Skyla.
Julia: And, Amanda, do you know who always has a frozen Margarita in hand? Sometimes, they're Virgin. I don't judge.
Amanda: Is it our legend level patrons: Audra, Avonlea, Chelsea, Clara, Donald, Drew, Eden, Frances, Jack Marie, Josie, Lada, Mark, Morgan, Necrofancy, Sarah, & Bea Me Up Scotty?
Julia: It is. They even sometimes have those avocado ones that are, like, kind of creamy because you add full chunks of avocado into it.
Amanda: Oh, dang.
Julia: Yeah.
Amanda: Let's try that.
Julia: Delicious.
Amanda: And, Julia, this weekend I spent some time up on my roof trying to soak in a day that was just under 85, which is rare these days. And I was listening to a new podcast that I thought I'd recommend to all of you today.
Julia: Oh, what is it?
Amanda: This is called Black in Appalachia. I had the great pleasure of working with a couple of these hosts back in January at a class I gave. And it is a fantastic show. It's part of a broader project that includes, like, community events and photography. And you can find all of those along with the brand new podcast at BlackinAppalachia.org or in your podcast player.
Julia: That sounds great. I'm gonna have to check it out.
Amanda: It's absolutely fantastic. And, no matter if you're enjoying the weather outside or staying safe indoors, if you have about 10 minutes to spare, we would really appreciate your help in learning more about our podcast audience and deciding what should come next for Spirits and for Multitude. That's right. It is our annual survey season.
Julia: Wooh!
Amanda: My favorite time of year because we get to ask wonderful questions and get a ton of data, which is hard to come by in podcasting. So, if you go to multitude.productions/survey or click the link in the episode description, we would absolutely love your help. It takes about 10 minutes. You can do it on mobile or on desktop. It can be anonymous or you can enter your info to get emails from Multitude and updates on what's coming next. A lot of good stuff in store, especially over the next month or so. So, we are very excited and all of that is made possible by knowing what you, our audience, are looking for. So, please let us know multitude.productions/survey.
Julia: And, if you finish it, Amanda, is it true that there's a cute photo at the end?
Amanda: There is a cute photo at the end indeed.
Julia: It's – it's a great gift to the people who finished the survey.
Amanda: So, thank you all so much, those of you who have done it already and those who are about to. We really appreciate it.
Julia: We salute you.
Amanda: So, without further ado, everybody, please enjoy Episode 194: Sailor Superstitions.
Intro Music
Julia: So, Amanda, a couple of weekends ago, I went sailing with my mother on kind of, like, a rough day on the bay. And the weather managed to get worse in, like, 10 minutes while we were out there. And, fun fact, we actually managed to capsize our boat while we were tacking to try to get back to the beach.
Amanda: Oh, beans.
Julia: Yeah. So, that wasn't good. So, we were hanging out on the flipped hole of the boat, waiting for someone on shore to kind of notice that we flipped and come get us. And I kind of joked with myself that I must have done something to piss off the ocean or the various deities that control the deep blue sea. Eventually, the Coast Guard had to come and get us. So, that was fun. But that inspired my choice for this episode, and that is sailor superstitions.
Amanda: I love that. Amazing.
Julia: I'm fine by the way. My mother is fine. It was, like, a brief hour of panic and trying not to, like, convince myself I was going to drown. And then we were fine. So, everything's good.
Amanda: You're both capable sailors.
Julia: We are. We are. I did have to keep my mother calm, because she did panic a little bit. But it's really nice to know that I can stay pretty calm under pressure, all things considered.
Amanda: That's awesome.
Julia: Yeah. So, Amanda, European sailors throughout the generations have, as a rule, been very superstitious types, which is understandable to me at least. The sea is a fickle mistress. And you want to appease her as much as you can. In fact, even to this day, fishers and fishing workers have the second highest rate of mortality on the job, surpassed only by loggers.
Amanda: Wow.
Julia: So, if a couple of rituals could help them avoid the dangers of the sea and what that job entails, I don't blame them for acting on it, right?
Amanda: No, not at all. And my mom is a professional lifeguard – ocean lifeguard. So, I grew up on the ocean hearing about – you know, she would, like, sniff the wind and be like, “Ah, yes, a tropical storm.” It does blur almost into prediction. Like, the, the ways that we look at the environment around us and figure out what's happening can seem magical if you don't understand what's happening from the outside. And, sometimes, it is a sense of intuition. So, it makes a lot of sense to me that the, the kind of – that it's a continuum and not a hard line between, you know, weather pattern prediction or using the signs around you to figure out how to survive the night or the day, and something that we would categorize as superstition.
Julia: Well, that's a great point, Amanda, and brings me to my next segue, which is a decent amount of these superstitions actually have practical advice that comes from them. So, I would love to hear, as I'm giving you these superstitions, your guesses as to what the reasoning behind them might be as we go.
Amanda: All right.
Julia: Sounds like fun.
Amanda: Sounds great. It is so humid here that I feel like a boat sailing through the air.
Julia: Mhmm.
Amanda: So, this just is a great topic.
Julia: Awesome. So, I'll start with ones that I've personally heard growing up around the water. And I'm sure you've heard a couple of these as well, Amanda. So, you've probably heard, “Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning,” right?
Amanda: That is the one I have heard. Yes.
Julia: Yes. So, the idea that, if, at sunrise, the sky turns red, it's most likely that the water is going to be dangerous that day. Now, what do you think the reason is behind this?
Amanda: I think that, when the air is more humid, indicating incoming precipitation, that something about the way the light refracts makes the sky appear redder.
Julia: Yeah, I mean that's pretty much it. So, it's basically it's --
Amanda: Really?
Julia: -- pretty scientifically accurate. Yeah. So, if the sky is red in the morning, it is assumed that a storm is approaching from the West. Clear skies over the horizon to the East, permit the sun to light the undersides of moisture bearing clouds and the chances of rough waters and storms is obviously higher. So, a red sky at night, though, means that a westerly wind will most likely bring clear skies by the morning.
Amanda: Hey.
Julia: There you go. It's [Inaudible 6:48].
Amanda: It depends on our hemisphere, I'm sure. But --
Julia: Yes.
Amanda: -- that’s great.
Julia: Yeah. Yeah. But pretty smart, all things considered. It's mostly – like I said, this is mostly European sailing superstition. So, this is, like, crossing over the Atlantic typically. Another that I've heard a lot – and it's considered both unlucky and lucky for various cultures, whether on a ship or not – is whistling.
Amanda: Hmm.
Julia: So, you want to take a guess as to why that might be lucky or unlucky?
Amanda: Ah, I mean it's – it's hard to say. I guess you could be thought to communicate with spirits and placate them or announce your presence or to the wind maybe, because whistling, you know, can often sound much like wind. Or maybe it's a bad thing and you don't want to draw attention to yourself or accidentally say in wind language, you know, “Hey, motherfucker, come get me.”
Julia: Amanda, are you sure you weren't a sailor in a past life?
Amanda: I grew up on the beach, Julia, as you know.
Julia: There you go.
Amanda: And certain things just seep into you like sand into your beach bag.
Julia: So, you're – you're very close. It was said that whistling could bring winds, which increases them and makes the ship move faster through the waves. However, other stories say that whistling on board was challenging the wind itself and was inviting the sea to bring about a storm.
Amanda: There you go.
Julia: Additionally, whistling was considered a bad omen on a ship as the story goes that the mutiny on the HMS Bounty was signaled to start with a whistle. Also, fun fact about mutinies, oftentimes, on ships, if the captain was being particularly cruel or unreasonable and the crew was considering a mutiny, they would begin to do like a low hum as a group as to warn the captain that, if he continued down that path, a mutiny would be the result. And this was a really useful method of warning, because it made it really difficult to track down, like, the ringleaders of the mutiny --
Amanda: Damn.
Julia: -- as they can simply stop the humming when approached only to pick it back up again when the captain or officers moved away.
Amanda: And the lower frequencies echo. Damn.
Julia: Yeah.
Amanda: That is some labor organization type stuff. I love that right.
Julia: I know, right? We should be using that more often for, like, protests and stuff like that.
Amanda: Truly.
Julia: It was also considered good luck, Amanda, to wear a gold hoop earring, which is why you see so many sailors and pirates throughout history and pop culture with said earring. Do you want to guess why?
Amanda: My mind is kind of bouncing between metaphorical and practical.
Julia: Okay.
Amanda: So, on the metaphorical side, maybe it is a – like a last handhold, you know. Like, if you are, God forbid, drowning or capsized, some kind of, like, metaphorical tether to the earth, to land as a – you know, like a precious metal. And just like the shape of the ring is like a life ring.
Julia: Okay.
Amanda: And then, practically – I don't know – if you are stranded, you can use it to barter and buy passage home.
Julia: Again, not too far off. So, this really does have a bunch of reasons. So, you kind of hit both nails on the head a little bit. So, some of the earrings were given to sailors to celebrate their first pass across the equator. It was like a sign that you are now a seasoned sailor, which I think is really cool. And some of those sailors and pirates believed that piercing one's ears could help prevent seasickness or help improve eyesight.
Amanda: I've heard that.
Julia: There’s no real, like, actual science behind that, but it's something that they believe. The story that I've always heard though is that a gold earring was used as payment. So, if Sailor was to wash up on shore after drowning, he was supposed to be given a proper burial. And the person who does the burying was then permitted to take the earring as payment for the task.
Amanda: Hey.
Julia: Because it was, like, considered – like, the worst thing for a sailor is to drown and not be given a proper burial.
Amanda: Yeah, these sailors, in particular – I'm sure for others that's a fitting – you know, a fitting laying to rest.
Julia: Sure. It's just like your, your bones never laid to rest if they're just getting eaten by crabs and stuff at the bottom of the ocean.
Amanda: Makes – I find that pretty, pretty metaphorical and beautiful myself.
Julia: Yeah. It's also considered really bad luck if you don't bury the body but just take the gold earring. And the sailor is supposed to haunt the person who does that. So, don't do that.
Amanda: Oh, I’m sure.
Julia: Honor the agreements, the rules that are set down by sailors. And, of course, Amanda there is the kind of sexist idea that a woman on board was considered unlucky. But why is that?
Amanda: I mean, if we're – if we're accepting the sort of woman as object here given the, the --
Julia: Yeah.
Amanda: -- lens of the folklore. Sailors maybe – maybe there was something about, obviously, like, jealousy and infighting among the crew. Fine.
Julia: Mhmm.
Amanda: Maybe sort of tied to, like, the, the siren. You know, mermaid-esque, like, seduction spirits of the ocean. And then, thirdly – I don't know – maybe – maybe they thought that that would, like, bring on more rating or, or, you know, piracy if someone wanted to, like, take a woman captive.
Julia: Okay. That's pretty, pretty close, all things considered. Logically, captain's understood that having a woman on board would probably distract the crew and they wouldn't be as prepared or focused as they could be, which, obviously, of course, ignores the idea that, one, not everyone is straight and really plays into the terrible trope of, like, men can't control themselves around women, you know.
Amanda: Right.
Julia: Weirdly though, naked women on board, totally Okay. Totally fine. Though, like, one would think that it would be even more distracting, but, the sailors, they're just – they’re just strange like that.
Amanda: You mean like a figurehead or a statue?
Julia: Well, one, like, an actual naked woman. But, also, yes, figureheads and statues.
Amanda: Ooh.
Julia: So, supposedly, naked women could calm the sea, which is why you more often than not – like you just said, we would see a naked woman as the figurehead on the bow of a ship. And that was done in hopes that the sea would then be placated by those sweet wooden boobs.
Amanda: Neptune's like, “Nice. Carry on.”
Julia: However, it was said that she had to be carved or painted with open eyes as she was expected to lead the sailors and the ship to safety. If you paint her with closed eyes, no good.
Amanda: Makes sense.
Julia: Now, Amanda, I know you, as a well-read person, probably know the story of the albatross, right?
Amanda: Yes, mostly through you, actually.
Julia: Oh, really? Okay. So, this is a story that comes from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Now, the reason why it was distinctly unlucky to kill an albatross is because they were said to carry the souls of dead sailors. Seeing one was actually supposed to be good luck. One would assume it means, like, one of your mates who passed away is watching over you. You know what I mean?
Amanda: Yeah.
Julia: However, reports say – like, historical reports say that sailors would regularly kill and eat albatrosses, especially if there was very little remaining food in the stores.
Amanda: Yeah. I mean they're big birds, right?
Julia: Yeah, they're big. They're like – I feel like they're just like very big seagulls is a good way to describe them.
Amanda: Yeah.
Julia: Sailors, obviously, are going to risk being unlucky so long as it means they can eat at the end of the day, and I understand that.
Amanda: Yeah, I’d rather be unlucky and alive.
Julia: Exactly. I'd rather be unlucky and alive and live to see another day. Come what may as long as I get a meal at the end of the day, you know.
Amanda: Yes.
Julia: Now, Amanda, these aren't just the ones that I've heard of before, but let's dive into some of the ones that I hadn't heard of right after we dive into our refill.
Midroll Music
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Julia: We love them.
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Julia: Wooh.
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Julia: Wooh. Amanda, I can't wait to see you in person again so that you can feed me with all of the baking techniques that you've been learning lately, especially because it's Skillshare.
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Julia: Amanda, how’s your brain going? How's it doing?
Amanda: Oh, Julia, some stormy seas up there sometimes.
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Amanda: Yeah. No matter if you're on a ship at sea with cell service or at home, you can get therapy, wherever you are at a time that works for you, which is such a big hurdle in finding traditional offline counseling. It's the cost. It's scheduling. It's going somewhere else. And, if you have to switch counselors, it's like a whole nother rigmarole. So, I really appreciate that Betterhelp is, A, more affordable than traditional offline counseling and, also, they offer financial aid, which I think is huge and just so classy. So, if you go to betterhelp.com/Spirits, Betterhelp.com/Spirits, you can join the over 1 million people taking charge of their mental health with the help of an experienced professional.
Julia: Yeah. Betterhelp is even recruiting additional counselors in all 50 states, because so many people have been utilizing their service. And that just shows how great they are. So, again, Spirits listeners can get 10 percent off their first month by going to betterhelp.com/Spirits. Again, that's betterH-E-L-P.com/Spirits.
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Amanda: Exactly. So, go to functionofbeauty.com/Spirits for that discount and to let them know you came from us. And, now, let's get back to the show.
Julia: So, Amanda, it seems appropriate for this episode to imbibe a classic cocktail for sailors, especially the ones that sailed in the Atlantic and the Caribbean, and that would be Grog.
Amanda: Ooh.
Julia: Do you know what grog is, Amanda?
Amanda: I don't. Tell me more.
Julia: So, originally, it was created as a way for sailors to stretch out their ration of rum. And, additionally, because they use lime juice, it was supposed to help fight off scurvy. So, a traditional grog recipe includes lime juice, brown sugar, dark rum, and water. And the water was used to water down the rum and not use as much when the stores were low. So, I think it's like one part rum to five parts water. So, it's like it's a pretty mellow drink, but it is traditional and delicious.
Amanda: It is very simple. And that is my favorite quality in a drink.
Julia: Yes. Yes. It isn't sweet. It's a little tangy. And it's a little spiced and it’s not too strong.
Amanda: I know. I used to really enjoy rum and cokes when I was drinking under age as a youth. But I have lost my taste for soda. So, it is – it is sort of a similar feeling. And I think I might use sparkling water next time just to, you know, change it up.
Julia: There you go. It's a great idea. I feel like this is, in fact, like a really good – like, just out on a boat or out at the beach kind of cocktail, because it's not going to dehydrate you as fast as, like, higher alcohol content would.
Amanda: Totally. You can also, like, mix it all in the thermos and then add the water as you pour.
Julia: Yes, smart.
Amanda: Meaning that you can fit more drinks in your day.
Julia: Yeah, I think it's just a good batch cocktail too, which is important.
Amanda: Yeah.
Julia: Especially during summer and especially when you're, you know, making cocktails for multiple people.
Amanda: Totally. Or, like us, two cocktails over the course of the day, per person.
Julia: There you go. So, let's get into some sailor superstitions and practices that I personally hadn't heard of before. Let's talk first about the line crossing ceremony.
Amanda: Oh, is this where, where they cross over datelines or the equator or, like, yeah, latitude?
Julia: It is. So, we talked earlier about a – how the mark of a sailor's first crossing of the equator was the gold hoop earring. But that's not the only thing that was done in order to celebrate the crossing of the equator. Now, Amanda, do you want to guess why this is – like, made such a big deal?
Amanda: Ah, I mean were there, like, a colonialist assumptions about what is, like, the world and, like, the unsettled world.
Julia: Not quite. I can see where that's coming from, but not quite. So, first off, it was used as a way of boosting morale. Chances are, if you were crossing the equator from Europe, it means that you are on a particularly long journey.
Amanda: Sure.
Julia: So, you're just like, “Come on, guys. This is gonna take, like, a year for us to get to Australia. So, we might as well celebrate a little bit. It was also said to be a test by the more experienced sailors to make sure that the new crew members would be able to handle the long journeys at sea. So, in British tradition, sailors who had not yet crossed over were given the choice of either giving up their wine or rum allowance for four days, which is rough, let me tell you, or had to go through the process of ducking three times. So, ducking is basically where a sailor is tied to a chair and then dunked under the water along the side of the ship as it’s sailing.
Amanda: I mean that sounds dangerous.
Julia: Yes, this is similar to but, decidedly, less taxing than the typical nautical punishment of keel hauling, which is where they're just, like, tied a rope around their waist and dragged along the side of the ship for, like, 10 seconds at a time, which usually leads to their skin all messed up by the barnacles on the side of the ship as they're being dragged.
Amanda: Aww.
Julia: But that was, like, severe punishment. That's, like, you got into a fight with an officer kind of punishment.
Amanda: Geez.
Julia: Yeah. In the US Navy, those who have not crossed the equator before are referred to as pollywogs, while those who have crossed already are known as Shellbacks or Sons of Neptune. Those who “survived” the crossing of the equator then received a equitorial baptism, which was done by a senior sailor who is usually dressed up as Neptune; like full beard, like covered in seaweed, that kind of thing.
Amanda: Aww.
Julia: While they don't duck sailors anymore, the crossing is still something that is practiced and celebrated. And it's typically a two-day affair.
Amanda: You know, it really just reminds me that, now, in our – in our social distance lives, it is important to find occasions to mark the passing of time.
Julia: Mhmm.
Amanda: And I – the first of the month is very exciting for me, because there are new fish and bugs in Animal Crossing, and my budgeting app rolls over to a new month, and Pokemon GO might have new things in store? So, you know, I get it and, and I see why.
Julia: I get it. Yep. When you're on a boat for a very long time and don't have shore leave, oh, boy, you got to find something to, to differentiate the days. So, Amanda, here's one that I had never heard of before. As a sailor, you weren't supposed to cut your nails or your hair while you were at sea. Any guess as to why?
Amanda: I mean, A, maybe it's a badge of honor to see how long you've been at sea. But, B, I don't know, just, just unlucky. Like, I can't think of a reason behind it.
Julia: So, this one's actually really, really interesting. And I really like this. So, apparently, nail and hair trimmings were often seen as offerings for Proserpine, which is the Roman equivalent to Persephone and to make an offering to another deity besides Neptune while on a ship would only enrage him further.
Amanda: Ooh.
Julia: Isn’t that interesting?
Amanda: Fascinating.
Julia: So, apparently, this association between Proserpine and hair is that, when a person died, a lock of hair was cut from their head and given as an offering to the goddess as a way of preserving the memory of the deceased.
Amanda: Oh, it’s sweet. That is nice.
Julia: Right. So, don't cut your hair while you're on a ship. That’s bad. Don't do that.
Amanda: I mean I see how Neptune would not want hair and nail clippings to be thrown into his ocean.
Julia: Yeah, I think that's part of it too. He’d just be like, “Hey, hey, bud.” I'm just thinking of all the pirates with, like, very long nails now.
Amanda: Yeah. No, it's – that explains why.
Julia: Yeah. So, Amanda, here's one that I consider particularly ironic. So, having a woman onboard on the ship, as we talked about before, considered unlucky. But the birth of a child on a ship was supposed to bring good luck.
Amanda: I mean that sounds very dangerous and not ideal for all involved.
Julia: Yes, agreed. There was actually an old practice during particularly difficult births at sea, where, if the baby just, like, would not seem like it was coming in a timely manner, the mother would be placed between two cannons, which were then fired. And it was said that the sound or the force would help the child just, like, pop right out of her.
Amanda: Oh, lord, I mean wow.
Julia: Yeah. And, actually, the resulting child is a phrase that you've probably heard before, because he's considered a son of a gun.
Amanda: Really?
Julia: Yeah, that's where that comes from.
Amanda: Wow.
Julia: Isn't that neat?
Amanda: That is really neat. I, I really enjoy learning word origins.
Julia: Mhmm. Most of the time, when a pregnant woman is on board a ship and, particularly, like a military ship during the time period that we're talking about, it's because, like, her husband or her lover snuck her on. Antd it's just like, “Shh. Don't tell anyone, but I got my wife here.”
Amanda: Cute.
Julia: But women weren't the only type of people who are considered unlucky to have aboard. Priests were also considered distinctly unlucky to have onboard.
Amanda: It's just like waiting for a funeral. Is that the idea?
Julia: You know what? That's part of it. Yeah. So, for one, wearing black was considered unlucky on a ship and having priests aboard was considered to be like inviting death since they were the most likely to preside over funeral services. You got that one.
Amanda: That's really interesting. I didn't think about wearing black. How does that kind of square with the image of a black-clad pirate then?
Julia: Just like pirates just do that sometimes.
Amanda: They’re like, “Fuck you, convention.”
Julia: Yeah.
Amanda: Let’s do it.
Julia: Yeah. Pirates are either, like, very superstitious or it's like, “Fuck everything. I do what I want.”
Amanda: Fair enough.
Julia: Yeah. Additionally, priests were often considered Jonah's by sailors. Meaning that a person onboard who is a bad luck and is named after Jonah from the Old Testament. So, if you don't know the story of Jonah, he was called to warn the people of Nineveh, like, that there's like some impending divine wrath coming. But, instead, Jonah boarded a ship that was not going to Nineveh. And the ship is caught in a terrible storm and Jonah has the crew tossed him overboard, where he's then swallowed by a giant fish.
Amanda: That's true.
Julia: So, because clergymen are associated with Jonah, sailors thought that they would bring about wrath and destruction much like Jonah did to his ship.
Amanda: Makes a lot of sense.
Julia: Yeah, fun fact. But, Amanda, not all religion was considered bad luck. There are several saints that were considered patrons to sailors and were to protect them while they were out at sea. Do You – do you know any sailor saints by any chance?
Amanda: It's like St. Christopher for travelers, but I don't know if that's of sea in particular.
Julia: It's not the one I have, but I appreciate the guess.
Amanda: They, they overlap sometimes.
Julia: Yes. So, first off is St. Nicholas, who was associated with calming rough seas, because he once calmed a storm with prayer. That's neat. There you go. St. Elmo, who was nearly struck by lightning while praying and continued to pray, is often evoked by sailors because they often have to endure harsh conditions and storms where close calls happen very often.
Amanda: Mhmm.
Julia: St. Brendan the Navigator was said to have found the mythical St Brendan's Island, which was discovered while he was traveling across the ocean and evangelizing. And because St. Brendan was able to find an island that no other man could find. He's often called upon to help sailors arrive safely where they need to be. And then, finally, St. Clement’s Cross, which is known as the Mariner’s or Anchored Cross. It was often used by sailors to signify hope or a fresh start, because of Hebrews 6:19, which is “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul. Be sure and steadfast and which entereth into that within the veil.” So, St. Clement was also murdered by being tied to an anchor and drowned in the Black Sea. And legend says that, every year, the sea retreats to reveal a divinely-built shrine on the ocean floor that contains his bones.
Amanda: That would be very cool.
Julia: They’re just like – it's like, “And there are his bones.” It's not like his body is preserved. They’re just like, “Bones.”
Amanda: Fair enough.
Julia: Fair enough. And, Amanda, guess what? Even fruits are not exempt from being unlucky on ships. Bananas were considered unlucky cargo. Do you want to take a guess as to why?
Amanda: Because proximity to bananas makes other fruit rot faster?
Julia: Hmm. Close. As you probably know from buying bananas at the supermarket, Amanda, they spoil very, very quickly, which means that, in order to get to market before they could spoil, ships had to sail very quickly, sometimes, forsaking safety in order to sell their stores before they go bad.
Amanda: Makes sense.
Julia: Additionally, if bananas were to spoil, they can rapidly ferment and give off gases that, while not toxic, push out oxygen as they're formed and make it very easy to choke and kill those who are left in a small space with them.
Amanda: Oh, geez.
Julia: So, like, if you were to go to the hold with a bunch of rotten bananas, you wouldn't be able to breathe.
Amanda: Yes. Wow.
Julia: Yeah. There are also several stories, though no one can be sure as to what the cause is, of ships, during the 1700s, disappearing when they were laden with bananas as cargo. I just like that phrase, “Laden with bananas.” This might be more of, like, a correlation is not causation kind of thing though. I'm sure there were plenty of ships that were carrying bananas during this period. And, obviously, the sea is very dangerous. But many sailors considered it as a sign that it was dangerous to carry bananas as cargo. And, to this day, many ships including fishing ships – like, if you were to charter a fishing boat or something like that – will not allow bananas onboard. However, this probably has something to do with the fact that, like, fast sailing ships with bananas in their cargo would move too quickly for any fishermen or sailors to be able to catch fish as they sailed.
Amanda: That makes sense.
Julia: It does make sense, doesn’t it?
Amanda: So, what an interconnected web?
Julia: Yeah, it just, like, kind of builds onto the lore of it, which I really, really appreciate.
Amanda: Yeah, for sure.
Julia: Here's actually some cute little ones related to love, because most of these are just, like, not cute and a little negative sometimes.
Amanda: More of the avoiding death variety.
Julia: Yeah. But it was said that, if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, she will marry a sailor.
Amanda: Aww.
Julia: That’s very sweet.
Amanda: I mean there's also lots of robins everywhere. So --
Julia: That's fair.
Amanda: And then there’s lots of sailors everywhere.
Julia: Fair enough. But whether this was good or not, it's up to her for interpretation, I guess. Just to have fun with it, initially, it was said that, if she were to see a sparrow instead of a robin, she would marry a poor man and be very happy for the rest of her days. And, if she saw a Goldfinch, she would marry a rich man, but no promise that she would be happy.
Amanda: Maybe that is why Donna Tartt’s book is called Goldfinch in addition to other metaphorical meanings.
Julia: I haven't read that book, but I – probably. It’s possible.
Amanda: Wealth equals not happiness is one of the themes.
Julia: There we go. Yeah. Wealth does not equal happiness. Surprise. Surprise. So, I think, at some point, I'd like to do a couple of full episodes on more extensive sailors superstitions and beliefs. Like, I would love to do a whole episode on Davy Jones for example. If there is a sailor superstition that you, the listener, would like us to dive deeper into, hit us up on, like, Twitter or via email, and I'll look into it. But, at the end of the day, sailors have to be superstitious. They live dangerous lives. And, sometimes, it's extremely comforting to have both belief in something larger than you and the idea that you can do even little things to make your life safer and easier.
Amanda: Makes a lot of sense to me. And I think, a lot of time, you know, ritual and superstition are, again, kind of echoes of each other or on a continuum. And it's something that brings a kind of pacing and comfort to our lives.
Julia: Yeah. And I think, like, especially now – you know, just the way that life is right now, the idea that you can do, like, one little thing as part of a ritual to make your life easier and safer is really comforting, you know.
Amanda: It is. Like, I have a ring that I wear every day that is, for me, just like a – it's not luck exactly. But it's just more comfort. And, if I, you know, need to, like, fidget with it or if I'm feeling iffy or – I just look down and have a reminder, you know, that I've – I've been through days like this and gotten through them. And I'll get through this one too. Maybe it does blur into superstition, but, to me, I don't really need to label it because I know that it's helpful.
Julia: Yeah. And I think, like, even something as simple as, like, wear a mask when you go outside, you know. One, it's proven to help you be safer as many of the sailors' superstitions were, in fact, like, you know, at least somewhat scientifically or experience based. And, two, like, creating that ritual and, you know, to the point where you're not questioning it really, you're just doing it because you know it has kept you safe in the past and it's going to keep you safe in the future, I think, is something that we can all relate to at this point.
Amanda: Yeah. And it builds kinship. So, I, I've been feeling this too. Like, seeing people wearing masks outside makes me feel like, “Yes, we're all in this together. You are doing your part. I'm doing my part. And, you know, we, we know that we are doing what we can.” And it feels good and makes you feel like you're in community with somebody. And I imagine that, for us now who feel all kind of moored in our own, you know, small ships sailing through uncertain waters and for sailors who did that centuries ago, it's really valuable. And that's why we do it.
Julia: I think that could be, like, our modern day gold hoop earring. You know what I mean? Where it's like you see someone else out there wearing a mask and you're like, “Ah, we are in this together. We, we are seasoned veterans in fighting this pandemic. And I appreciate you doing your part and myself also doing my part.”
Amanda: Yes. Did your captain dress in seaweed to mark your first equator crossing? Mine did.
Julia: Mine did. He had a big fake beard on, and it was delightful.
Amanda: Do you have a routine now for boiling and, and hanging your mask to dry? I do.
Julia: Yes. No, I put it in my laundry whenever I do my laundry, which is, like, twice a week now, you know, just to – just to keep on top of it and also give me stuff to do.
Amanda: Do you match your masks to your outfit for the day? I sure do.
Julia: I love looking at other people's masks and be like, “Oh, that's a cute pattern. I really like that.” Or --
Amanda: Yeah.
Julia: -- being like, “Dang. That, that looks – that looks really cute and it matches your skirt. Adorable.”
Amanda: You know, you got to look for those upsides where you can find them.
Julia: Yep. Yep. And, also, beware of bananas.
Amanda: Beware of bananas. Wear a mask. Do your part. And remember everybody --
Julia: Stay creepy.
Amanda: Stay cool.
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Amanda: Spirits was created by Amanda McLoughlin, Julia Schifini, and Eric Schneider with music by Kevin MacLeod and visual design by Allyson Wakeman.
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Julia: Thank you so much for listening. Till next time.
Transcriptionist: Rachelle Rose Bacharo
Editor: Krizia Casil