A high-ranking sailor masquerades as King Neptune, and other veteran Shellbacks dress as Her Highness Amphitrite, a royal Baby, Davy Jones, a royal barber, and other courtly personalities. In response, the Wogs are called before the royal court to answer for their mutiny. On the eve of Pollywog Day, the Wogs stage a mock mutiny. In the days leading up to the day of initiation, Pollywog Day, Shellbacks taunt the Wogs. Sailors are divided into two groups: the initiated, called Shellbacks or Sons/Daughters of Neptune, and the uninitiated, called Pollywogs, or Wogs for short. Specific traditions vary, but certain basic rites tend to be standard. These ceremonies go back at least 400 years and are still performed all over the world.

Line-crossing ceremonies are long-standing initiation rituals in navies (and for all mariners) the when sailors first cross the equator. If the pollywog was an officer of the ship, who’s dignity wouldn’t allow such a dunking, they had to forfeit pay … usually in the way of bottles of rum for the after-dunking party.While looking for a photo to post on Veteran’s Day, I came across a folder labeled “US Navy: Crossing the Line Neptune Party.” Inside were photos from the 1920s of sailors in outrageous costumes-some in drag, some covered in mud-engaged in a bizarre ritual. In Cook’s day, the ship heaved to and the pollywogs were hoisted over the seas by the mainyard and were dunked into the ocean water 30-40 feet below them. The English eventually followed in the practice in the next century, with even Captain James Cook writing about it in his journals. Eager to please the ancient god of the sea, Neptune, the humiliation, and fines paid were a small price to pay to get Neptune’s blessing. Even though during these days, paganism had given way to Christianity, sailors still remained a superstitious bunch and would do anything to appease the treacherous seas. At first the rites were performed when the ships passed around a major cape safely for the first time… but as time went on, this hazing celebration was extended to sailors who passed the equator for the first time. So where did this tradition begin? My research shows that this ceremony’s origin began with the French ships in the 16th century. The Pollywogs, groveling on the deck at “Neptune’s” feet then are put through a sort of college fraternity-like hazing, with demands to eat globs of grossly concocted food combinations that the cook has made up, dousings with buckets of salt water, and other humiliating feats all in the presence of the Shellbacks on board. I knew that aboard ships in the US Navy, prior to crossing the equator, there is much planning done by the “Shellbacks” - those that have already crossed before - in preparation to indoctrinate or “cleanse” the sailors that have not crossed, i.e., the “Pollywogs.” Whenever the crossing occurs (which could be daytime or in the middle of the night), the Pollywogs are subpoenaed to the decks: “You are hereby commanded to appear before the Royal Court of the Realm of Neptune, in the District of Equatorius… because it has been brought to the attention of His Highness, Neptune Rex through his trusty Shellbacks, that this ship about to enter those waters are manned by a crew who has not acknowledged the sovereignty of the Ruler Of The Deep, and has transgressed on his domain and thereby incurred his Royal displeasure.” Then, a fully costumed and seaweed adorned “Neptune” appears before them, with sometimes “Davy Jones” at his side, indicting the Pollywogs for further charges. I wondered how this tradition came to be. As our fleet of Puddle Jump boats approach the equator on our Pacific passages from the Mexico (and elsewhere) to the South Pacific, much talk goes on about “celebrating” at the equator.

The royal order of the shellback