The Maritime Telegraph congratulates all daughters of Eve connected with a sea with International Women’s Day and proposes to think about their destiny onboard the vessel.
You probably heard such a sign that it’s frightful bad luck to bring a woman aboard? Where did this come from? For a long time seafarers have given their ships women’s names (and any words in English denoting the ship rank to the feminine gender). It was believed that the ship is not a place for woman because “she” as any girl can be jealous of the rival.
In 1562 the king of Denmark adopted a rather ferocious as for nowadays law. It was said: “Access to His Majesty’s ships for women and pigs is prohibited; if they are found on board the ship, you should immediately throw them overboard.” Then these discriminatory rules were softened, but nobody listened to women’s pieces of advice and there was a rule to keep a bridge as far as possible from woman. In olden times seafarers tried to propitiate the elements in a storm throwing a lady overboard.
To be honest, the origin of this superstition can be explained. At the time of Great Geographical Discoveries the seamen were forced to be alone for months or even years. Any appearance of a woman on board caused great confusion in their ranks, and led to fights, quarrels and mutual extermination. “Women’s skirts on board bring dissension and murder!” – the captains said. That’s why they tried to prevent the weaker sex from getting on board.
The main reason why women were prohibited guests on board is that men love women and want to protect them from misfortunes at sea. Yes, that’s why they came up with such a sign.
It seems that the root of superstition emerged in Ancient Phenicia and Ancient Greece, whose sailors worshiped of Neptune and Poseidon. According to legends, some women brought the fantastic trouble to these gods.
Alas, it was not always possible to captains to follow this principle firmly. Thus, on arrival to the port of the British navy ships there were sometimes up to five hundred of feminae. We know the story of Hannah Snell, who being disguised as a man, contrived to be unrecognized for almost ten years in the British Navy. The history has an experience of Grace O’Neill, the most famous female filibuster from Ireland, who lived at the time of Queen Elizabeth 1st.
Since the beginning of 20th century thousands of women have dedicated their lives to the sea, including employment in the merchant marine. Russian Anna Schetinina is the first female captain of the 20th century in the world. Once she shared her opinion that a woman needs to be somewhere far away from the ships, especially from the bridge. But let’s not forget that the world has dramatically changed… And modern women successfully prove to us that a woman can work on board in any position.
In the middle of the last century a small beautiful woman with a strong character Valentina Orlikova, became the first female captain of a large freezing trawler. Today the beautiful Laura Pinasco works as a captain of the largest livestock carrier.
By the way, she started to manage the ship even before her 30th birthday. Now more and more women are at the helm. Not so long time ago the world met Louise Angel, who became a captain of the containership Safmarine Ngami at the age of 29. In 2007 the American company Royal Caribbean International appointed Karin Star-Janson as captain of the huge cruise liner Monarch of the Seas. And we can continue the list of female captains. Moreover, some women express a desire to work in the engine room and it seems like soon the female engineers become the norm of marine life.
Ukraine has its own female master mariner. Tetiana Oleinyk devoted to the sea 40 years of her life. Probably it is a fate. “I was born in the official navy day, so my life destination was predetermined. I proved my mission by working a ship no worse than men”, she said.
