Themes
Crossing the Line across the century
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The ceremony
The ceremony
The ceremony begins with King Neptune's procession, which includes his loyal assistant Davey Jones and Her Royal Highness Amphitrite.
Neptune's court is opened and the King addresses the ship's Captain and his men. The first new inductee is called for and seated above a pool where angry "bears" wait.
The inductee is first given a thorough medical by a "doctor" whilst the crew watch the spectacle. The medical is a pantomime performance with over sized instruments and crowd involvement, the outcome is the giving of 'medicine'. The 'medicine' can be a large pill or spoonful of medicine normally made of foul ingredients and given without much care.
Later, the ship's "barber" gives the inductee a shave. The barber in these ceremonies more resembles a butcher and has fake bloodstains all over his white apron.
He wields a large wooden razor blade and uses barbers foam that is a sticky flour and water mix. The 'barber' shaves of the foam with an oversized razor, whilst holding the inductee's nose.
The dunking then commences from the chair erected above the pool. Men dressed as bears receive him in the pool. These 'bears' then continue to dunk the inductee until satisfied.
The sailor becomes part of the order of the deep and receives a certificate to prove his new status. Neither commanding nor senior officers can escape the court of King Neptune. The Officer's dunkings by the 'bears' are often even more prolonged.
