Samuel Ezra Fisch

Ternbill Initiation 

Line Crossing Ritual of the Gulf Stream 

 

 

This is a new initiation rite following the age-old tradition of the shellback line crossing initiations of sailors of ole. In this old tradition, new sailors are considered polliwogs until they have crossed the equator and been initiated through hazing rituals by initiated sailors and the court of King Neptune, as trusty Shellbacks. The Ternbill initiation rite is for sailors crossing the Gulf Stream for the first time. Like Polliwogs, sailors who have not crossed the Gulf Stream are considered Sparrows until they have been initiated as Ternbills. 

 

 

Preparation, Props, and Supplies 

On the Atlantic coast of North America, initiates prepare themselves with a beach walk. Initiates are asked to contemplate what debris and remnants lay washed up on their inner beaches from distant places, and consider if their shores desire to be cleaned of anything. While searching in contemplation both the shores within and without, they are asked to collect items from both. Initiates must gather dark beach mud with high clay content, shells, palm fronds, and seaweed in preparation for their rites of initiation at sea. Additional bonus materials include beach trash such as ropes, nets, debris, and litter. Upon the shores of their inner beaches, initiates must gather a list with at least one piece of debris or remnant to surrender.  

 

 

Roles 

Initiator: Bermuda Devil. This role is to be taken by the most seasoned initiated sailor in the fleet. Dressed in all black and wearing a sash of coiled black rope with a black mask. The Devil should be decorated with black trash bags, and items from the boat to appear as menacing as possible, and holding a trident or boat hook in one hand and a bundle of rope for binding Sparrows in the other. 

Initiated: Ternbills. All previously initiated sailors. Dressed normally and adorned in a black scarf or headband around their head like a tern, and wearing their Ternbill pendant. Ternbills will have pots, buckets, bottles, or any other noise making devices. 

Initiates: sparrows. All uninitiated sailors. To be stripped down to their skivvies, painted in mud with seaweed in their hair. They will be clothed in scraps of net, trash, and beach debris.  

 

Ritual Rites 

In the Gulf Stream, or if weather demands, across the Gulf Stream, the boat or fleet must go into irons and tie up. All members must board the largest boat in the fleet for the rites of initiation.  

The Sparrows gather on the stern and are instructed by a Ternbill to prepare themselves. Each sparrow is to dress down to their skivvies and have their body painted with the mud they gathered, put seaweed in their hair, and wrap their bodies in nets filled with the items they gathered in preparation. The list of items gathered from their inner beaches must be painted in mud on their bodies. 

The Bermuda Devil takes court on the bow with the Ternbills, and the sparrows present themselves to the Bermuda Devil, who proceeds to bind their ankles with rope while the Ternbills drum on pots, pans, buoys, buckets and other improvised materials while chanting. The sparrows are then brought to the bow and one by one pushed overboard and made to swim under the length of the boat and come up on the stern washed of mud. All participants are to raise as much ruckus and noise upon the emergences of each Sparrow on the stern, and a conch or horn of some variety should be blown. Each sparrow who comes up on the stern is to remove the netting, debris and seaweed and approach the Bermuda Devil, and are presented with their Ternbill pendant. The new Ternbills are to join the ranks of the Ternbills and drum and chant for any remaining Sparrows. When the final Sparrow has been initiated, all the Ternbills cheer and shout, and dancing and celebration should follow.  

 

Badges  

Each Ternbill is given a black head scarf and a pendant.