Since the first vessel ever set sail seafaring folk have observed maritime myths, lore, and superstitions. The dangers involved in sailing, along with the mysteries of the unknown and the secrets contained in the sea, tend to nurture a conservative and superstitious nature. The elements are beyond their control and this can create an irrational fear of what is unknown or mysterious. Seafarers have control over their traditions, skills, and customs; and superstitions are often passed down through generations, along with their skills.

There are many hundreds of extraordinary and unbelievable superstitions attached to the maritime world. Here are a few….

 

Probably the most widely know superstition is to avoid having a woman on board.
This was because women were believed to not be as physically capable as men and had no place on a ship. When a woman was on board the men were prone to distraction or other vices that would take them away from their duties, causing danger to the safety of the vessel. This, among other things, would anger the seas and doom the ship. There was one way to counter this bad luck and this was by having a naked woman on board. This would calm the sea. That is why many ships' figureheads are bare breasted.

 

A sailor who died violently or who was lost at sea was said to go to Davy Jones's Locker.
Davy Jones's Locker is an idiom for the bottom of the sea - the resting place of drowned seamen. It is used as a euphemism for death at sea. The origins of the name are unclear, and many theories have been suggested, including incompetent sailors, a pub owner who kidnapped sailors, or that Davy Jones is another name for the devil.

The story's reputation has been widespread among sailors since its popularisation, and nautical traditions have been created around Davy Jones. He is also very popular in the broader culture.

 

A sailor with over 50 years of service was said to go to Fiddler's Green when he died.
Fiddler's Green is the happy land imagined by sailors where there is perpetual mirth, a fiddle that never stops playing and dancers who never tire. Fiddler's Green features in an old English legend, to the effect that a sailor can find the paradisiacal village by walking inland with an oar over his shoulder until he finds a place where people ask him what he's carrying. This legend may have some of its origin in Tiresias's prophecy in Homer's Odyssey, in which he tells Odysseus that the only way to appease the sea god Poseidon and find happiness is to take an oar and walk until he finds a land where he is asked what he is carrying, and there make his sacrifice

Other superstitions include 'never open a can upside down on board a vessel', 'never set sail on a Friday', 'never mention the word drowned', 'never step on board with your left foot first' and 'black cats are considered good luck at sea'.

These are just a few of the hundreds of superstitions adopted over time belonging to maritime communities. Most mariners share a common set of experiences that give them a distinct regional identity. The importance of this dying tradition, the preservation of maritime folklore, and the recording of seafaring traditions often passed down through oral traditions should be recorded for future generations to appreciate.