Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1894-08-11
SAILORS OMENS.
JACK TARS MORE SCPERSTk
TIOCS IN FORMER DAYS.
Lawyers, Women aud ClerKymep
Looked at With Dixfavor on Sail
In: Vessels - Other Striking
Superstitions Of Scamcn.


- chapter of ''Superstitions o.
the Sea" III the Century. AZ
ter studying them fairly we'll, he
doubts if modern sailors are NOR,
supers'ltlous than any other class with
equal training AMI opportunities. ]
believe, he says, that everybody i.
leavened with superstition, notably
the nolslest scoifers, anithose mounte-
banks, the Thirteen Clubs, for these
gentry protest too much. 1t seems to
be human instinct, modified by
racial lnherltsnces and Developments.
In the youth of the world its mani
festations were the earliest recorded
utterances of men concerning the visi-
bic phenomena of the universe. and
Its grip on simple words was an out
growth OF the fear of the unknown.
OF oil people sailors must deal at first
hand, and helplessly to some degree.
with the most unksnowable, uncon-
trollable o. material problems, the
sea, and it is only natural that their
folklore should be, in part, land
stories fitted with sea meanings, and
In part blind explanations of sea
phenomena-both being maintained
valorously by the gruesome conserva.
tism Of the seaman, even after rational
causes come to the rescue.
In earlier days superstition was a.
much part of every ship as the water
she was to float in; for it entered
| with the wood scarfed into her keel.
and climbed to the flags and garlands
waving at her mastheads it ran riot
ously at her launching, controlled her
name, her crew, and cargoes; it timed
her days and hours of sailing, and
conveyed her voyages. 1t summoned
apparitions for her ill-fortune. and
evoked portents and signs for her
prosperity; it made winds blow foul
or fair, governed her successful ven.
lures and arrivals, and when her work
was done, promised a port of rest
somewhere off the shores of Fiddler's 8
Green, where all good sailors rest
eeternally, or threatened foul moorings
deep in the uncanny locker of Davy
Jones of ballad memory.
In many countries stolen wood was
mortised into the keel, as it made the
ship sail faster at night; though if
the tirst blow struck in fashioning this
keel drew fire, the ship was doomed
to wreck upon her maiden voyage.
Silver usually coin) placed in the
malnmast-step went for lucky ven
lures, and misguided indeed was the
owner who permitted any Of the un-
lucky timbers to enter into the con.
struction. Something OF the ceremo-
nlous character given to launching
survives to this day; where of old
ships were decked with flowers and
crowns of leaves, flags now hutter :;
the llbation poured on the deck, the
purlfcation by the priest, the annoint-
ing with egg and sulphur, find their
exemplars In the well-almed and
wasted magnums which are shattered
on the receding cut-wnter as the craft,
released from the ways, slips, veil.
CREASED, into the sea; the Jar Of wine
put 10 his lips by the captain, and
then emptied on deck, the cakes and
ale set before the crew. the stoup OF
wine offered 10 passers-by on the
quay. and the refusal q which was m
evil omen-alI are realized IN .hee.
saddeF lnstrums By the builders .eas,
in the mcld-Iofs
Lawyers, clerEvmen. AMI women ar.
ever looked a. with ,isfavor on sa,i
ing ships A. snre Ia br ~ i. iu..k -
lawyer. nnlouote ljv. RON the an:ip-
athy OF sailors to the c'a4e, dislike ~
i pronounced inst ''se-a ..sser" is 8 vers
bitter term Of re9roach, ani .!sai.
shsra - synonym. C..-gvmeu-
priests and parsons -aTe uni1cxv,
probably because Of their black gown,
and their principal duty on snipbosrl