Why "Raging Main?"
The Raging Main is a reference to Imperium Neptuni Regis, or King Neptune, "Ruler of the Raging Main" and his domain.
It is referred to in the infamous Crossing of the Line ceremony performed by persons crossing the equator by ship. This Crossing of the Line ceremony is celebrated when a ship crosses the equator in a north-south direction and has unknown origins. It is known that the Carthinaginians held sacrifices to the gods when they crossed the Strait of Gibraltar. The first modern recorded ceremony was in a french ship which in 1529 was bound to Sumatra and where a mass was held upon crossing of Equator.
The first account of such a ceremony on a Portuguese ship was in 1666 by two italian friars that boarded a ship in Lisbon destined to Congo and passing though Brazil. Their description is as follows:
"The Portuguese have an old tradition of having some entertainment when crossing the line, and they take that day off to ask God for a safe voyage. Those who have never made the crossing must pay to the others or give them something to eat and drink, to which even the friars are obliged to. Their rosaries and statues of saints made some money for the reading of masses for souls in the purgatory. If someone doesn't pay this tribute he is tied up by sailors dressed as officers and presented to a court presided by a sailor dressed in a cape. The judge hears him and condemns him to be dipped three times in the sea by tying him strongly in a cable."
In the current days, the navy and some yachts keep the old tradition while cruise ships have more basic of ceremonies and parties.
Once the crossing ceremony is complete and one has been judged by The Ruler of the Raging Main (King Neptune), one is no longer considered the slimy polywog but rather documented by Davey Jones (His Majesty's Scribe) as a Trusty Shellback. These Trusty Shellbacks command the honor and respect (Disobey this order under penalty of King Neptune's royal displeasure.) of all polywogs, mermaids, sea serpents, whales, porpoises, sharks, dolphins, eels, skates, suckers, crabs, gale riders and other living denizens of the sea as they have been duly initiated into the Solemn Mystery of the Ancient Order of the Deep.
In the rare event that the ceremony is performed on the international dateline in addition to the equator (Lat 0, Long 180), one would be considered a Golden Shellback belonging as well to the Order of the Golden Dragon (Crossing of the international date line by ship).
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The Jolly Roger
The "Jolly Roger" on this site belongs to Thomas Tew, Captain of the Pirate ship "Amity".
Thomas Tew was a licensed privateersman from Rhode Island who moved to Bermuda in 1692. Shortly after his arrival he purchased a share of the "Amity" and successfully plundered Arabian and Indian cargo ships in the Red Sea. He was killed in 1695 while boarding a ship owned by the Great Mogul of India.