Return To Home Page

The boat christening in Western history

The ritual of naming and blessing new boats goes back thousands of years. The seas were always viewed with fear and a good dose of superstition.

The world’s oceans were always eaters of men, and most sailors who left Europe never came back. They were either lost at sea or lost to disease they were ill-prepared for. For this reason, christening a boat was always seen as a way to protect men against what could be a suicide mission at sea.

The Portuguese explorer Fernando Magellan left for the Philippines in 1519, for example, with 270 men. His ships returned without him, manned only by 18 half-crazy survivors three years later.

Many of the sailors who sail with TEAM ABN AMRO come from countries with rich seafaring histories, such as the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia. They know all too well what can happen to them on the world’s oceans. As skipper Mike Sanderson of crew ONE puts it, “they and their families know what they are in for.”

History

Christening is actually a pagan tradition, which has carried into what later became called Christian or modern times.

So who have Western sailors called upon for protection? The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans believed in special deities who were devoted to protecting sailors in the Mediterranean and beyond.

The favourite of the Greeks was Poseidon, and Neptune for the Romans. Back then, shrines were carried onboard the Greco-Roman. Later, medieval ships carried on this tradition.

In ancient Greece the men launching and christening the boats wrapped olive branches round their heads, drank wine in honour of their deities and poured water on the boat itself. Today, the tradition is a little different: champagne is poured on the boat and drunk by all.

Later Christians and Jews used wine and water, as they called upon God to protect them on the high seas. The word “christening” comes from Christianity. Later, saints were invoked and sailors asked for the blessing of the Catholic Church.

Ship christenings in the Ottoman Empire included prayers to Allah, the sacrifice of sheep, and much feasting. The Vikings held the occasional human sacrifice to appease the gods who, in their opinion, were always angry at something or another.

Ship launchings in the Ottoman Empire were accompanied by prayers to Allah, the sacrifice of sheep, and appropriate feasting. The Vikings are said to have offered human sacrifice to appease the angry gods of the northern seas.

Patron saints

Throughout Western history, there have been many patron saints of sailors. They are known by different names in different countries, but their purpose is the same: to send the sailors safely on their journey.

Among the names these saints have gone by, are the following: Anthony of Padua, Barbara, Brendan the Navigator, Brigid of Ireland, Christopher, Clement I, Cuthbert, Erasmus, Eulalia, Francis of Paola, Jodocus, John Roche, Julian the Hospitaller, Michael the Archangel, Nicholas of Myra, Nicholas of Tolentino, Peter Gonzales, Phocas the Gardener and Walburga.

But why champagne?

Different peoples and cultures shaped the religious ceremonies surrounding a ship launching. Jews and Christians customarily used wine and water as they called upon God to safeguard them at sea. Intercession of the saints and the blessing of the church were asked by medieval Christians. With time, champagne replaced human sacrifices or other forms of ritual gifts. The idea was to give the boats their first contact with “liquid elements,” so that it would be well prepared for what would come.

So how do you bless a boat exactly?

Regardless of the time period in which a boat was christened, there was always a ritual attached. Departing from this ritual could bring disaster upon the sailors, according to superstition.

The oldest method of christening appears to be the “end-on” launch. The boat slides, usually stern first, down an inclined ramp.

Then there is the “side launch,” where the ship enters from its side. The other method occasionally used is to build ships in basins, and then flood them later with water. This may have led to the term, “a rising tide lifts all boats.”

Champagne only came into vogue as the traditional “christening fluid” in the 19th century.