Sea Travel and Superstitions

St Christopher is the patron saint of travellers and legend has it that he was made a saint through carrying a child across a river. The baby got heavier and heavier until St. Christopher realised he was carrying the Christ child who was the world. Often people will wear a St. Christopher medallion when embarking on a journey for protection. St. Christopher is also the patron saint of sailors.

There are many ways to get from A to B and journeys may involve crossing over the ocean, flying or travel over land. All forms of travel have superstitions associated with them and sailors in particular can be very superstitious. Considering the perilous nature of their journeys and their survival in times of storm and tempest often being at the mercy of the elements, it can be understood how they would fall back on superstition as a means to have some control over their future.

The Sea and Superstition

The sea, they believed, grew angry when there was a woman on board and therefore a female on a ship of male sailors was thought to be an omen of bad luck for the crew. Sailors would step onto a boat with their right foot first to avoid disaster. They might pour wine on deck as an offering to the sea gods to bring them luck on their journey and once they'd left port, they would not look back as this would bring bad luck on the sailor and on the ship.

Once they'd set sail, seeing dolphins swimming, or swallows at sea were signs of good luck. A sailor would never kill a gull or an albatross as this would bring bad luck neither would they repair a flag on the quarter-deck or hand a flag through the rungs of a ladder.

Some old sailors believe that cutting your hair or nails at sea will bring bad luck while having children on board ship is an omen of good luck. Whistling on board a ship is likely to bring a storm, according to superstition.

Sea however is not the only way to travel and other forms of transport also have their omens and superstitions.

Sailors and Superstition

Just as sailors would not look back once they'd left port, according to superstition, anyone embarking on a journey should not turn back for to do so will mean bad luck for the rest of the day. If such an action cannot be avoided, you should have something to eat and drink and then set out on the journey again to avoid misfortune.

And if you are traveling on a train, you might notice some people will suddenly stop talking while passing under a railway bridge. This is because it is thought to be unlucky to do so. Equally some who walk under a bridge at a station will remain silent until they reach the other side.

For all those wishing for luck and protection on a journey wearing a St Christopher medallion is believed to protect everyone on the road, from danger.