Ship naming traditions reach back 4000 years

摘要

Few modern rites have a 4000-year old tradition, but the rituals of ship naming and launching are one of the few traditions reaching that far back in history. The practice of using wine, or later champagne, as the toast to new ships can be traced back almost as far, and was first employed as a substitute for the spilling of blood. A Babylonian narrative from the third millennium BC recounts the completion of a ship, and the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans invoked the gods to protect seamen. Ship launching participants in ancient Greece wreathed their heads with olive branches, drank wine, and poured water on the vessels as a symbol of blessing. Shrines were carried on board Greek and Roman vessels and were often placed at the quarterdeck, a practice continued to the Middle Ages and that continues to endow the quarterdeck with special ceremonial significance. Later, Viking ceremonies were marked by human sacrifice and incantations by high priests to appease the gods and protect the crew, while Ottoman ceremonies were accompanied by prayers, the sacrifice of sheep, and appropriate feasting.