Superstitions about Seafaring Folk.

 

And now for a little more on superstitions. This week it’s:

 

Superstitions about Seafaring folk.

A belief and respect of nature is very much part of Irish folklore and this is true both of land and sea. So this week I thought I would follow up my recent theme of superstition with some of the superstitions surrounding the sea and those who make their living from it and on it.  Some you may have heard before some may be new to you.

At one time fisherman would tell you that having a woman on board a ship made the sea angry and it resulted in bad luck for all on board.  It was believed that women were not as capable as men so they had no place on board and that when they were on board they distracted the men from their duties.  Of course there was a way of getting around this, whilst they argued that having a woman on board angered the sea, having a naked woman on board would calm the sea down.  Imagine that. Strange isn’t it. It has been suggested that this is why so many ships have a figure of a woman on the bow. This figure is usually bare breasted as it was also believed that a woman’s bare breasts would shame the sea into becoming calm.  Fishermen were a very crafty bunch.

It was believed that Friday was the worst day to start a journey on a boat and no work started on a Friday would be successful. The reason for this is because it was the day that Christ was crucified so Friday must be respected otherwise bad luck would follow.  Many fishermen will tell you that most ships lost at sea disembarked on a Friday.

The best day to set sail is Sunday as Christ rose from the dead on a Sunday so it is the luckiest day of the week.  This has led to the old adage” Sunday sail, never fail”

Black travelling bags are looked upon as signs of bad luck so you would never see a sailor carrying one on board.  Black is the colour of death and indicative of the black depths of the sea.  Think about it what colour are modern day body bags. For the same reason priests were not welcome aboard a ship, they dress in black, perform funeral services and so were seen as a symbol of death

Avoid those with red hair when going to sea.  They bring bad luck to a ship; however, if you speak to the red head you may avoid bad luck. Granuaile is often depicted as a red head and it didn’t seem to do her any harm.

Many sailing ships would have a silver coin nailed to the mast ensuring a successful voyage.

Never step on board with your left foot first, disaster is sure to follow.

Pouring wine on the deck will bring good luck on a voyage. It was seen as an offering to the god of the sea.

Throwing a stone into the sea will cause great waves and storms and may result in the loss of your vessel as it was seen as disrespecting the sea.

Having flowers on board was seen as a sign of bad luck as they could be made into a funeral wreath, symbolising that there would be a death on board.

St. Elmo’s fire if seen around the head of a sailor means he will die within a day and if you wear the clothes of a dead sailor then misfortune will befall the entire ship.

When you leave port, don’t look back as this will bring bad luck on board. Looking back implies that you are not ready to leave and brave the sea.

Church bells heard at sea mean someone on board is going to die. A ship’s bell will always ring when a ship is wrecked (bit obvious).

For some reason seeing a dog near your fishing tackle was seen as bad luck. 

If you see a curlew or a cormorant at sea they are a sign of bad luck. This may be because they are also called the crows of the sea and feed off carrion. A sign of death.

It is unlucky to kill an albatross as they are said to contain the soul of a dead sailor.  They are seen as a sign of bad luck when seen at sea. It is also unlucky to kill a gull as they are also said to contain the souls of sailors lost at sea.

A shark following a ship is a sign of death as they are said to be able to sense when death is near.

Black cats are good luck and they will always bring a sailor home from the sea.  This seems to go against the fear of the colour black but is explained away as it is the opposite of the land based belief that a black cat is unlucky.  There is no logic in superstition.

Swallows seen at sea are a sign of good luck as they are a land based bird so seeing them at sea means you are close to land.

The feather of a wren killed on New Year’s Day will protect a sailor from dying by shipwreck.

Dolphins swimming with the ship are a sign of good luck and they are considered to be the sacred friends of sailors and fishermen.  They always have your good fortune in mind and you are under their protection.

The Caul off the head of a new born baby is protection against drowning and will bring good luck to the one who carries it.

A sailor who died from violence or who was lost at sea was said to go to Davy Jones’s locker. A sailor with 50 years of service was said to go to Fiddlers Green when he died.

Finally, if a bride steers a boat on the day of her marriage then the winds and the waves have no power over it. It doesn’t matter how fierce the storm or angry the sea.

There are many more superstitions concerning the sea and those who work and sail upon it.  If you know of any then you might post them on my blog or facebook page. Until then keep your sails dry and the wind at your back. Better still stay on dry land.