What is a wog in the Navy?
Pollywogs or “Wogs”, the term for Sailors who have never crossed the equator, are tested on their naval knowledge as they perform various tasks, gags, obstacles and spectacles in order to progress through the “gates” and earn King Neptune’s, the mythological God of the seas, approval to gain entry into the “Ancient …
What is a wog ceremony?
Wogs (all of the uninitiated) are allowed to capture and interrogate any Shellbacks they can find (e.g., tying them up, cracking eggs or pouring aftershave lotion on their heads). The Wogs are made very aware that it will be much harder on them if they do anything like this.
What is a shellback in the Navy?
The shellback is simple enough: a sailor on official duty “crosses the line” of the equator. A golden shellback is more impressive; it means they’ve crossed the International Date Line. Even rarer, crossing at the Prime Meridian grants you access into the Order of the Emerald Shellback.
Are you a Pollywog?
A Pollywog is a sailor who has never crossed the International Date Line. When they cross the line, the Shellbacks (those who have crossed the line before) put them through an initiation led by Father Neptune. After the initiation the Pollywogs become Shellbacks.
Why is it called a Shellback?
A Time-Honored Tradition The ceremony observes a mariner’s transformation from slimy Pollywog, a seaman who hasn’t crossed the equator, to trusty Shellback, also called a Son or Daughter of Neptune. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness.
What happens in the Navy when you cross the equator?
It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness. When a ship crosses the equator, King Neptune comes aboard to exercise authority over his domain and to judge charges brought against Pollywogs that they are only posing as sailors and haven’t paid proper homage to the god of the sea.
What does it mean to be a Shellback?
Definition of shellback 1 : an old or veteran sailor. 2 : a person who has crossed the equator and been initiated in the traditional ceremony.
What is a wog Queen?
It is ordained by Davy Jones that the best looking pollywog shall be crowned “wog queen” and may sit on King Neptune’s court–the only wog with that privilege. In this pageant, a group of pollywogs, usually consisting of a pollywog from each department, is selected to participate in a fashion and talent show for the shellbacks.
How are the Pollywogs sexualized in the Wog Queen pageant?
In the wog queen pageant and other areas of sexual play, the pollywogs, as sexualized females, have their sexuality completely controlled by the shellbacks. Whether the shellbacks are forcing simulated sex upon the pollywogs or forcing the pollywogs to perform sexual dances for them, the shellbacks direct and monitor the wogs’ sexuality.
What is a Pollywog ceremony in the Navy?
Pollywog or Shellback: The Navy’s Line Crossing Ceremony Revealed. The Navy is chock full of myth and tradition, and what happens at sea even affects our language. Many naval traditions, from the Sirens and Sea Monsters of the Odyssey to the boatswain’s call, date back hundreds and even thousands of years.
What happens to the Pollywogs when the US Navy goes to the equator?
Many detailed accounts dwell only on the single final, elaborate ceremony that takes place on the day a US Navy warship traverses the equator, but the days leading leading up to King Neptune’s arrival, when the Pollywogs are separated off from the trusty Shellbacks, is also significant part of the transformation.