As we previously discussed in a past article, there are a litany of strange superstitions that many fishermen still hold true today. To some, anything from idle whistling to someone eating a banana onboard could spell doom for their fishing haul or worse. However, these superstitions don’t just border on the insane and bizarre by today’s social standards – some are downright offensive. Much like today, people of the past feared most what they didn’t understand. If something bad happened, then certainly it must be caused by the only thing physically out of the ordinary. For this reason, many people who were considered “different” became ostracized. For example, many fishermen still believe that it is a sign of bad luck to interact with women during, and even before embarking on a fishing trip. How has this notion endured for so long and where did it come from? Diesel Services of America has the answers!
Like many antiquated superstitions, there are many conflicting stories as to where the fear of women originated in fishermen, so no one is 100% sure as how to when, where, and how it actually began. However, like many superstitious beliefs, no matter how extreme and outlandish they may seem to us today, the true source may be rooted in practical real life concerns. This can be plainly seen within the roles that women played in maritime life during the height of Western marine power in the 18th and 19th centuries.As was the case in most aspects of life in the past few centuries of Western history, women were not viewed as mentally, emotionally, or physically capable as men. As such, there were few, if any, women on the seas – it simply wasn’t their place, or so it was believed at the time. Many a sailor had their true loves waiting back at the port, but save for the captain’s own family, members of the fairer sex were seldom allowed aboard.
During this period, it was not uncommon for women to be banned from boarding a ship except under special circumstances or when the vessel was docked in port after being at sea for an extended period of time. This was largely due to the simple fact that these men had been confined at sea for months without the company of women, and their sudden introduction would unavoidably be a considerable distraction for the entire crew. In a time where sodomy aboard a ship was a capital offense, flirting with a member of the opposite sex would be far too tempting a prospect. This dereliction of duty was said to anger the seas and cause all manner of problems for a voyage, when in actuality it was probably just the rumors of a captain who was tired of working with a crew who were too busy chasing women to effectively do their duties. It didn’t help when sailors couldn’t help themselves, bringing ladies back to the gun deck for some overtime duty. Because of instances such as this venereal disease and unwanted pregnancies aboard vessels were also an issue (the aforementioned use of the gun deck is supposedly where the term “son of a gun” originates), not to mention the passions and jealousies that could arise. For these very real reasons, it seems, sailors were given very unreal excuses to be superstitious against women.
Even the actions of the women that sailors left behind allegedly had an affect on their voyage. It was considered bad luck for a wife to wash her sailor husband’s clothing when he was at sea, lest he be “washed” overboard, much like “waving” him goodbye would. Similarly, a woman whistling to her husband from the dock as he embarked could supposedly summon a storm to capsize the vessel. Being out on the open sea and miles away from port did not stop the sexist superstitions against women from persisting. One of the more famous maritime legends is that of the sirens and mermaids. These mythical half-fish, half-women would use their beautiful singing voices to lure unsuspecting sailors out into the mists, causing their ships to crash upon the rocks and capsize. And while women were blamed for many an incident at sea, most notably foul weather, they were also the way to improve it. During the 19th century, the popularity of female figureheads took hold with Western vessels. For whatever reason, it was commonly believed that the site of a bare chested woman would calm the stormy and violent seas.
Fortunately, these sexist ideas have not prevailed in modern times. More than ever, women are holding a significant presence on the waters and in the world of fishing. Today there are almost 500 licensed lobster women in the state of Maine alone, and every type of ship in the US Navy, except for submarines, has females serving aboard the crew. While many old superstitions hold their charm and humor, this is one that I think we’re all glad to wash away with the tide.
