The Columbus journal., 1888-09-26
SAILORS. SUPERSTITION.
ODD fANcIES OF. THOSE WHO
. LIVE ON THE OCEAN.

: Waialnes from tho Spirits of the Dssszt-
:. sd-Glasmy Forebodines-Fsts q ths
Good snip Frsday-Birds Of tAa Sea.
Norwegian sailors.
Sailors believe that the spirits Of the
: departed. as in life, possess all their own
peculiar ways Of warning or communi-
eating to their friends on earth such in
formation as they deem essential to their
welfare and happiness. It is not an un-
common occurrence for them to credit tho
shades Of some friend with many of those
trifipg little changes in the flowing and
ebbing of the sea as indicative of some
prospective i'll luck or joy.
:: Rarely does it happen that the etymol-
ogy of their superstition contains q pre-
cursor for joy. Such gloomy forebodings
as they are capable Of interpreting arc IN
:, variably omens of misfortune. Truly
may it be said that superstition forms the
:: alphabet of the seafaring man as one
ignorant of its varied branches Is gener-
ally looked upon as green" " and becomes
. butt Of his more fortunate and enlight-
ened ''chums" :-.'
Their transformation into the ethereal
realms Of space does not. in the belief Of
those whom they have left behind. alter
their ideas one iota, and hence it Is that
the several trihing mishaps and other cir
cumstances incidental to . voyage aEo In
terpreted by the sailors into realities
which would 6ll q volume in themselves
In Justice 10 them. however, be Il said,
that such fatuitions conceptions arc not
without foundation. as the loss OF tho
steamship Friday many years ago Will
testify TO. 90.
FATE OF THE FRIDAY.
This vessel was . huge ironclad. built
in Scotland regardless Of expense, and
named after the unlucky day. She was
manned and commanded by capable and
experienced officers, selected for their
capabilities. and altogether thoroughly
adapted for such task as the trial voy-
age Of an ocean steamer. She set sail ON
Friday, and when nearing the Capeo Good
Hope few weeks afterward on that very
same day. sank, drowning all her crew.
II is believed that owing to this disaster
seamen have considerable fear Of putting
to sea on Friday, and some 60 SO far Is to
say that their fears date from this sad
catastrophe. Captains of small vessels
have always dreaded the prospect of sail
ing Oh Friday. while those Of larger ones
look upon that day with the greatest nom
Guidance and unconcern.
The sailor ON land and on sea are two
distinct characters, each possessing his
own singular attributes. On land no
other being has q more utter disregard Of
premature danger or mishaps, as his daily
actions and nocturnal orgies demonstrate,
80 when once ON sen he blossoms out
again into smiles Of excessive obsequisus-
ness. There when danger dogs his foot.
steps ut every track superstition is his
idol; to 1t he sacrifices every selfish senti- -.
ment, and in it he trusts for those happy
presentiments which may afterward save
him from destruction.
Even while partaki2g of their. meals
sailors rarely lose an opportunity Of dis
cussing and rehearsing stories which tho
average man would regard as the product
Of . maniac's brain. The days happen
ings arc interpreted by each and notes ex-
changed. The most gifted romancer is
then looked upon with feelings Of rever-
ence and respect A visit to their sleeping
quarters will reveal miscellaneous col
lection Of horseshoes, nails, palmlike
of which has q history of its own. When
invariably left untouched, as sailors eye
them with delight and satisfaction as the
spirits of some dear departed friend met
amorphosed. The birds of the sea,
notably the petrol, immortalized by Proc
tor, and the sea gull, are held sacred In
consequence Of the latter apparently rest
ing on the surface Of the sea after the
manner Of the Saviour ON the Lake Of
Genesareth.
/ Whenever this occurs in the immediate
vicinity Of a ship q calm is predicted. and
the jolly tars lose little OF no time In
notifying the captain Of their glorious
vision, In saiiors' eyes the porpoises arc
never pleasant objects to contemplate.
When they suddenly appear during calm
the sailors look for another wind from the
same quarter rs that which was blown
out, and If they skip about it means that
. gale is coming. g..
IN AWE or THE SHARK.
Tho common barnacle which adheres to
q ships side becomes. according to their
belief, later ON in life Q goose. But among
ali those signs nothing Is so well calcu-
lated to fill them with awe Us the appear
ance of shark. When this monster of /
the deep Is seen to follow q ship for
several days death Is to occur on board,
and while clambering up the rigging
extra pains are adopted in making their
journey safe and successful one. Tho
ship is then evidently haunted. and tho
faces Of her crew. but recently smiling,
are now decorated with expressions at
once thoughtful and lugubriOus
The common mirage fills sailors with
dread, and betokens nm early death to
some Of its observers. Carrying Q corpse
on board appears to them to be inviting
disaster, and cases are on record where
the crew have become mutinous and re-
fractory until the distasteful freight was
lowered into the sea.
Norwegian sailors are inveterate slaves /
to Q form of superstition exclusively their
owp- They believe in the existence of .
heck or norman, . sea animal represented
rs having . fish body with the head of Q
man and the flowing ringlets Of . boy.
The norman sits upon tho waves. plays
the harp, and. following the example Of
many Of the Morse fishermen, wears q red
cap: It Is never seen more than once in
seven years. and no matter how many
vessels appear In its sight they all must
perish.
The crew, according to their belief, are
then transplanted In the merma0's re-
gions, where, after brief stay, they 90
e swell the shOal of hecks. and are then
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