Category
Strange Things at Sea
The beliefs and rituals of life on the ocean. Discover the customs, warnings and superstitions sailors carried aboard, and the curious stories behind traditions shaped by danger, distance and the unpredictable sea.
Why Were the Navy’s Shortest Watches Called Dog Watches?
Why were naval duty periods called dog watches? Explore the shortened evening shifts, their Dutch linguistic connection and the stories attached to their name.
5 min read · DISPUTED — the watch system is documented; a Dutch model is identified, but popular explanations of “dog” remain uncertainWhy Did Eight Bells Mark the End of a Sailor’s Watch?
Why did sailors count time in bells? Discover how sandglasses, four-hour watches and eight bell strokes organised work and rest aboard sailing ships.
5 min read · WELL SUPPORTED — the half-hour counting system is documented; watch arrangements variedWhy Did Ships Carry Carved Figureheads?
Why did ships carry carved figureheads? Discover the wooden guardians, royal symbols and memorable characters that gave sailing vessels a face of their own.
5 min read · WELL SUPPORTED — decorative, identifying and protective meanings documented; beliefs variedWhy Did Sailors Carry a Baby’s Caul to Protect Them from Drowning?
Why did sailors carry a baby’s caul? Discover the birth membrane sold as protection against drowning, the surviving charms and the belief Dickens mocked.
5 min read · WELL SUPPORTED — belief and use documented; exact origins uncertainWhy Did Sailors Hold Mock Trials When Crossing the Equator?
Why did sailors face King Neptune when crossing the Equator? Explore mock trials, sea baptisms and how a centuries-old initiation changed over time.
4 min read · WELL SUPPORTED — ceremony documented; exact origins uncertainWhy Did Sailors Tattoo Swallows on Their Bodies?
Why did sailors tattoo swallows? Discover the bird’s links to nautical miles, safe homecoming and the folklore of carrying a drowned sailor’s soul to heaven.
4 min read · WELL SUPPORTED — traditional meanings documented; exact origins uncertainHow Did Vikings Cross the Atlantic Without a Magnetic Compass?
How did Viking sailors find Iceland, Greenland and North America without a magnetic compass? Explore the evidence for routes, natural signs and sunstones.
4 min read · WELL SUPPORTED — precise techniques uncertainWhy Was It Considered Lucky to Touch a Sailor’s Collar?
The Short Answer
6 min read · DOCUMENTED TRADITION — ORIGIN UNCERTAINWhy Did Royal Navy Sailors Wear Bell-Bottom Trousers?
The Short Answer
5 min read · WELL DOCUMENTED — WITH LATER NAVAL FOLKLOREWhy Are Bananas Considered Bad Luck on Boats?
Mention bananas on some fishing boats and you may get a stronger reaction than if you had brought no bait.
5 min read · UNKNOWNWhy Is Whistling on a Ship Supposed to Bring Bad Luck?
Whistle on land and nobody cares.
4 min read · WELL SUPPORTED — exact origin unknownWhy Is Killing an Albatross Supposed to Bring Bad Luck?
An albatross follows a ship.
5 min read · WELL SUPPORTED — heavily shaped by literatureWhy Is Renaming a Ship Considered Bad Luck?
People rename houses.
6 min read · DOCUMENTED superstition — origin UNKNOWNWhy Did Sailors Avoid Going to Sea on Fridays?
A fair wind.
5 min read · WELL SUPPORTED — exact origin uncertainWhy Were Coins Placed Under a Ship’s Mast?
Hidden beneath the mast of a ship, where nobody was expected to spend it, might be a coin.
6 min read · DOCUMENTED — meaning disputedWhy Did Sailors Wear Gold Earrings?
The gold hoop has become part of the stock image of the old sailor.
5 min read · WELL SUPPORTED — no single reasonWhy Do Sailors Say “Red Sky at Night”?
“Red sky at night, sailor's delight.
5 min read · DOCUMENTED — with genuine meteorological support