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You are here: Home / Language / Why Were Early Sailors So Superstitious and What Rituals Were Followed For Good Luck?

Why Were Early Sailors So Superstitious and What Rituals Were Followed For Good Luck?

May 16, 2020 by Karen Hill

Life-and-death situations always give rise to superstitions, so early sailors took no chances and followed many good-luck rituals beyond prayer.

One such ritual was to raise or “step” the main mast on a silver coin from the year a ship was built to keep the wind “happy.”

As a backup, horseshoes were nailed to the mast to keep storms at bay.

Sighting a dolphin brought good luck, but killing them could be disastrous.

Killing a gull was unforgivable, since it was believed that these birds carried the souls of sailors lost at sea.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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