#Superstitious sailors

[laurikarauchscat]

the Goddess

At a pub, ten minutes away from Nilfgaard's Palace gates, a group of sailors are sharing a drink. One of the sailors is employed by a Nilfgaardian noble family, and is telling his friends a story.

He speaks of a stormy night, some months earlier, when his employer had been visited by the Crown Princess at their summer residence on the North Western coast of Etolia.

She had spent the day lounging about with the young lord and lady, sailing out in the morning on a recreational trip up the coast, and was set to return that night.

For whatever reason, the medium sized sailboat on which the three nobles and their retinue had departed, has been delayed upon their return. It was only many hours after the sun had already set, that a watchman from the lighthouse had alerted the Impera on the shore, by this point near apoplectic with rage at the shorebound captains who had refused to brave the night in search parties, that the light of a vessel had been spotted inbound.

There had been, however, one major problem. The vessel had been signalling distress. From the code provided by the aft-light, it had been clear the vessel was taking on water at a pace that would have had it sunk long before it could reach the shore. Even worse, a terrible storm had grown, making it impossible for any vessels to be able to initiate rescue efforts, or, more alarming, for any lifeboats to have been launched from the incoming ship.

A fight had broken out on shore by this point. Ten members of the Impera Brigade were attempting to steal the narrator's skiff. The narrator, despite being a loyal servant of the Empire, had been unwilling to risk the lives of his crew in a rescue attempt that would undoubtedly be futile. Nonetheless, the soldiers had been desperate enough to try forcing a mutiny.

Before things could escalate to a disastrous level, however, the sparring men were interrupted by a newcomer on the key. The Crown Princess herself, still dressed in her sailing frock (now sopping wet), had wandered into the commotion, to gaily inform her men that they were needed further up the coast, to help carry the sailing party's valuables - which, alongside the sailing party itself, had somehow made it ashore in the miserable weather.

"How'd they make it ashore?" One of the listeners asks as he signals for another round.

"Obviously," the narrator says, smacking his lips after having finished his pint, "The Princess controls the seas."

---

Recreation of Miquel Carbonell i Selva's painting "sappho"

[benjhawkins]

Urgent question for the class as I finish this essay for American religions:

Do other denominations believe in transubstantiation or is that just Catholics

[possumteeths]

So many ocean haters. So much beach bitching. Do u not like when u find an alien species that may or may not hurt u intensely??? do u not like being so far from shore that when you go underwater and look, all you see is endless sand patterned by endless waves? Do u not like the unwarranted caress of something slimy that may or may not be alive??? do u not enjoy the sudden change in current that reminds u of ur insignificant mortal life???? Do u not like the turtle who looks at u like :> and the seal that says :3???? The seal that says :3????

[llycaons]

this boat log is freaky

[uamariner]

Sailors' Superstitions

[sharkkweak]

Idea I drew just to get it out of my brain. Hope its legible

[crispy-armpit]

✧ 𝖒𝖞 𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖑 ✧

ʏᴀɴᴅᴇʀᴇ ꜱᴇᴀ ɢᴏᴅ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

𓇼˚₊‧꒰ა 🫧 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚𓇼

⭒ 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺: 10 dollars on a dare leads you to break one superstition that changes your life forever. you begin to learn secrets tied to your family and upbringing, at the cost of your freedom. who is this mysterious Anshumat, and why does he want you?

⭒ 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵: 𝘨𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘺, violence, implied stalking, kidnapping, choking, reader gets called a bride once

⭒ 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵: 1,418

⭒ a/n: yan sea god was inspired by an Indonesian myth called Nyi Roro Kidul! it's a really interesting legend if you want to learn more abt it ^^ also.... man tits...... meow..

will you venture down this path?

growing up, you would stay over at your grandmother's house every summer. her beautiful seaside cottage made the perfect accommodation for a family getaway. throughout your childhood, the superstitious old woman restricted you from doing specific things. rules like never whistling at night, don't open an umbrella indoors, etc.

you'd eventually found out that these were just scare tactics for children to make them listen. but there was one rule that your grandmother seemed to fear the most, a rule that never made sense... never wear white to the local beach. and when questioning her about the rule, she'd tell you the same story every time.

"long ago...

a cruel serpent god who once ruled these waters would rise from the ocean and into the islands, devouring innocent villagers and destroying temples along its path.

the gods and humans were furious at its actions. fed up with the destruction and death, they prepared a plan to thwart the serpent; a binding curse.

the serpent was cursed to spend its days rotting in a hidden island, where it was accompanied by its servants. it was also tasked with granting blessings to sailors passing through the rocky tides, where it weighed the sins of each individual to seal their fates.

but over the decades... the serpent grew bored and lonely. through a loophole, the serpent found a way to abduct humans. you see.. the serpent loves the colour white and pearls. so much so, it would use its voice, so alluring, to lure the poor victims who happened to wear such things. and once in the water, the serpent would drag the human to its temple where they would become its slave.. or worse...

its spouse."

here you are today, telling the same tale in front of your young niece and nephew. "well, that's one way to get bitches." your nephew, Keona laughs. a scoffing Kehlani adds on, "nah, who would want to marry an overgrown slimy snake?"

"hey now, take that shit to grandma. she just assigned me to be your storyteller," you shrugged. "and this story has a real reasoning behind it, ok?"

"what? sexy sea snake destroying villages?"

"no, it's so that little rascals like you..." you drill both your index fingers onto their foreheads, "are easier to find if you ever get lost at sea."

how did i end up here...

facepalming yourself, you sigh. you were disappointed in yourself. how'd you let those little punks reel you in a dare? where was the self-respect? the dignity? seriously, breaking your grandmother's number 1 rule for what? 10 dollars?

you walk along the shore while wearing a flowy white shirt and neck encased in one of your mother's pearl necklaces. the dare was simple: successfully walk down the shoreline without chickening out and boom— an extra 10 dollars into your wallet.

you'd prove to the twins that you weren't scared of a little bedtime story. buuut just in case you did happen to go missing (for reasons that are totally not hungry sea serpent related), you brought essentials in a bag, left a letter for your family, and are currently being watched by the twins.

laughing at yourself for the paranoia, you nearly reach the edge of the walk until you hear a feminine wail from between the hidden rocks. is someone hurt? the sound was coming from beyond your finishing point so it wouldn't hurt to check, right?

signalling the twins to come over, you bend down to their heights, "listen, it sounds like someone's in trouble past those rocks. so I want you both to go grab the first aid kit and call Officer Holden over, 'kay?" they nod and scamper off into town.

approaching the rocks, you peek in to find a naked... mermaid?! observing her, you notice the torn skin on her iridescent tail and warily walk over to her. "uh... hey? hola? salve? hallo? i'm ah— good human! no... nooooo bad.."

you notice the air seems to smell... sweeter?

the woman looks up at you from the sand with pleading eyes, "please— please help me! my name is Coralie, my master, he—"

"woah, it's ok! you're safe, help is coming. uh, your master? did he do this to you? are you an underwater criminal?!"

a distant melodious voice interrupts you. Coralie's previously pained face now warps into a sinister grin as her wound disappears. she crawls towards you as your vision fogs up and your knees buckle to the soft sand. the song lulls you into a deep sleep, your body now being pulled into the shallow waters.

you awake to the bright rays of sunshine and lungs filling in with fresh air. but the next in your line of sight knocked all the air out of your body again.

the luminous, barely-clothed body of an unknown man sat above you. his 9'7 self relaxed on the marble throne, with 2 pairs of eyes fixated on you. what the fuck is that?

you gawk at him, "holy mother of god..."

i'm not dreaming, am i?

his gaze shifts into amusement, "wrong. we gods do not have mothers. we were created."

"you're a... a god?"

"is it not obvious enough from my appearance? would you like to see another version of me?" the towering deity begins to warp into a feminine body as if it was melting and moulding itself. "is this preferable?" her new voice is flirtatious, genuinely curious.

then, she tries to warp into a third body. the transformation looks more painful than the one prior, it barely shifts halfway into a gruesome beast before returning back to its first body. he huffs while grasping his golden collar, "this... is not my original form. I have been cursed, long ago, to never set foot on human lands. this island is both my kingdom and prison."

you shakily stand up the marble floor, now noticing Coralie standing beside the throne with a pair of legs. slowly processing his words, you piece together the clues from his story and your memories of the abduction. this couldn't be...

"you are.. you're the sea serpent god! I can't believe grandma was right— shit, shit shit—"

he smirks at your panic, "correct. I am Anshumat; shapeshifter deity of the raging tides, granter of safe travels—"

"murderer and enslaver." you complete.

Anshumat roars, "correct again! you're on a strike, dear y/n. though trust me, my servants are treated well."

"..how do you know my name?"

"oh you poor thing, granny never told you? I know everything about you— a name is barely anything."

"told me what?"

"she used to be my cupbearer. until she escaped with that bastard traitor. isn't that right, Coralie?"

she nods, "yes, master."

"please sir, let me leave. my family— they'll search for me! I have a cat at home! I haven't even finished my favourite show.. so please..." you try to list more life goals.

he chuckled, "oh you are so amusing. and why would I do that? we've barely just been engaged, dear."

"what do you mean engaged?"

"I've been watching you since you took your first breath on earth, y/n. so imagine my surprise— to see you wrapped up in my favourite colour, like a pretty bride. you're my sacrifice."

fear tingles your spine, "wait, that was just a dare! i didn't really mean it!"

"doesn't matter. you will be my pearl."

"no! I have a family, a partner—"

"i said... it doesn't fucking matter." he slams his fist against the throne arm, "and you'll be seeing the head of that twat soon enough."

you don't give him a glance before you're turning your back and run down the staircase of the grand temple. careful not to trip, you focus on the flight of stairs, painfully aware of the loud footsteps approaching behind you. it doesn't take a second for Anshumat to pull on the collar of your shirt and slam you onto the staircase.

he sits atop you, lower region heavily grinding against your stomach. "get off me! don't you have hundreds of other options?! why me?!" you scream.

his bedazzled skin blocks your view of the sun, furious eyes glowing under his shadow, and sharp teeth bared into a snarl. "you do not get to leave me again. you will stay, and worship me. this island will be our eternal paradise."

large hands pressing against your throat, you struggle before darkness begins to cloud your vision.

"this time, you will live."

[niko-sasaki-dbd]

A detail I love about Episode 4, is the symbol that appears in the music ball Charles finds and the meaning it has when it comes to his own story.

The relief in the ball, is a lyre, Orpheus' symbol. It was the musical instrument that he received as a gift from the god Apollo, who was considered his father in some versions of the original myth.

Note: In The Sandman Universe, Morpheus and the Muse Calliope are Orpheus' parents.

CHARLES: I found one of those at a maritime museum once. The Case of the Drowned Diver, wasn't it, Edwin? Superstitious sailors would use them to calm the seas.

Orpheus was well known as a talented musician; his music could intrigue people's minds with supernatural ideas and had the power to broaden their thinking to new and unusual theories.

When he joined the expedition of the Argonauts, he saved them from the Sirens' music by playing his own, more powerful and beautiful melodies. Later, it was also his music that allowed Jason to accomplish the purpose of his journey.

It makes sense that sailors used his symbol on an object designed to calm the seas and guarantee their safety while navigating.

When it comes to Charles, in particular, the way he ends up using the music ball (in the absence of a more technical name for that object) is both literal and metaphorical.

On one hand, he uses the music ball to put Angie, a sea monster, to sleep, thereby solving the case of The Lighthouse Leapers. On the other hand, he uses the instrument to save Edwin and himself from The Night Nurse—not just by literally pushing her into Angie's mouth with the ball in her hands, but by causing her to meet Kashina. This meeting prompts her to remember Kashi's words later, when Charles tried to save Edwin from returning to hell by pointing out it was a mistake, and again when he asked her to open a portal to hell so he could bring Edwin back.

In Orpheus' story, when Eurydice died from a snakebite, he charmed the ferryman Charon and Cerberus, the guardians of the River Styx, by playing the lyre and singing. By doing so, he also softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone, which gave him the chance to bring Eurydice back to the world of the living.

It's curious that the lyre symbolizes the power of persuasion for Orpheus, as this is a quality in which Charles takes great pride (he is indeed very convincing). Still, I hope that's where the coincidences end.

That's all for now. To everyone who knows about Orpheus' myth and the different versions of his story, I apologize for not quoting specific authors here.

[princessdave]

Steve, a superstitious jock who just realized he’s only won fights in his Scoops uniform: I’m telling you Robin, it’s science

Robin: how are slutty sailor uniforms going to help us beat Vecna?

Steve: what were you wearing when you cracked the Russian code?

Robin: oh shit

Kas!Eddie: *immediately passes out when he sees season 3 babygirl Steve come into the upside down*

[aelisinsims]

here are my successfully converted fishing boats, converted from ts2 to ts3

download - simfileshare .package and .sims3pack files

original by psychosim

what they look like without shaders

list of fishing boats I've converted:

irma - green hull, white wheelhouse diane - blue hull, pale yellow wheelhouse lilith - dark brown hull, red wheelhouse maude - entirely yellow mamie - brown hull, yellow wheelhouse kynda - yellow hull, white wheelhouse coral - entirely in teal (nameless in my files, sorry!)

notes:

the darker boats might look a bit pixelated (lilith with her dark red wheelhouse for example), but the white/pale wheelhouses all look pretty good.

the fishing boats might go invisible from far away on lots specifically, the ones i put down in caw are visible no matter the distance. to put them down on lots, turn on moveobjects and give them a small underwater mountain to sit on, so they don't turn into sunken fishing boats.

please let me know if you experience any other issues.

for some of the boats i wrote in fun facts about old sailor's superstitions in the description. they're old, but we certainly abide by these superstitious rules on my ship still. good thing i don't even know how to whistle.

[ltwilliammowett]

Superstitions of Scotland's fishermen

Perhaps due to the dangers of their profession or their interdependence, fishing communities developed their own unique customs and folklore. They were close-knit and conservative, and their names, food and way of life differed from those of the neighbouring population. There was often rivalry even between different fishing villages, and they rarely married outside their own community.

Because of the dangerous nature of their work, they were unusually superstitious, as were all those involved with the sea. There were words that were considered very unlucky, for example the word minister was never mentioned - he was called the man in the black coat, and the words hare, salmon (red fish), rat (long tail), pig (curly tail) and salt were among the most forbidden words. If the men came across a hare, a dog or a red-haired man, they refused to set sail, and if they found a rabbit, a hare, a pigeon or a dove on board, they certainly did not disembark. The antidote to bad luck was to touch cauld iron.

Other customs were associated with sailing and fishing. For example, it was bad luck to cast the nets on the port side, to taste the food before the first fish was caught or not to take the blood of the first fish. In some places, fights were instigated so that blood could be spilt before the fleet set sail. Some boats were considered unlucky in themselves because they had the wrong names or did not behave according to the rules. One way to avoid bad luck was to never row against the sun (anti-clockwise) when leaving the harbour.

Rituals and spells were said to influence the weather. It was believed that you could whistle up the wind or untie it with special knots in a rope - one knot would cause a breeze, the second a hurricane and the third a storm. The weather was always expected to change on a Friday.

In some areas, other days of the week had special significance, bringing either good or bad luck. For example, most communities did not fish on Sunday, even though it was considered a lucky day. It was believed that work started on a Saturday took seven more Saturdays, while work started on a Monday was quickly completed.

Before a young man could become a fisherman, there were initiation rituals where he had to prove himself, and even today, customs and superstitions still influence the life of a fisherman. Echoes of the old customs can still be found in the villages today. However, as you may have just realised, this type of superstition is confined purely to Scottish fishermen, these types were also regularly found on ships. The reason for this was that many sailors came from the fishing villages as well as their compatriots, and so their superstitions and rituals were taken on board and spread.

[non-plutonian-druid]

So heres the thing about Dredge.

I think its a huge missed opportunity that the main character is the husband and not the wife.

the backstory doesnt come out fully until the end, but when it does, what you learn is this:

some amount of time ago, the player character was married. over the course of the game, you pick up notes from a woman, and at the end you learn that she was your wife.

*was*, because Cthulhu ate her.

you were a fisherman, and obsessed with the ocean, and she was not. you were superstitious, and she was not. And one day, she messed up and did something unlucky, and then she was lost at sea one night when she was on your boat.

it fucks you up so bad that you lose all your memory and end the world trying to save her.

so, obviously you're torn up about her, but also, it kinda didn't have anything to do with you. She fucked up and she got got. whoops! Oh well. It also didn't change very much about you: you're still a superstitious fisherman obsessed with the sea, except you're sad now.

But if you were the wife? If he died instead?

you were happily newlywed, but if you had one issue with your husband, it was that he was too married to the sea. He was too obsessed with fishing. He liked his boat too much, and he had all these sailor superstitions that you don't take seriously.

then one day, you ignore his superstitions. and a horrible eldritch force that you've never even dreamed of KILLS HIM.

your husband is DEAD and it is YOUR FAULT.

and it breaks you. So much that you take his boat, set sail, and spend your life at sea. Just like him. Embroiled in superstition and ocean magic. Just like him. Just like your least favorite parts about him. and you spend the rest of your life trying to undo the horrible thing you did, and only ever manage to end the world.

wouldn't that be so much fun?

[chocodile]

Are there ghosts in your amaranthine world..? Or ancient sailor’s curses?

I may be interested in inventing a character… is that allowed? I’m not much of an artist but I could write something for you!

"Ghosts? How absurd! An educated wizard like myself would never entertain such superstitious nonsense!"

(...Now, if you'll excuse him, he's gotta go research ancient eldritch powers hidden beneath the earth's surface and finish working on a potion made out of his unicorn buddy's magical blood. You know, reasonable, scientifically grounded stuff like that!)

So, to answer your question: Real ghosts = not canon, curses = yes canon, and could resemble a haunting. More explanation of how that would work under the cut:

You can attach enchantments to objects, so there would be nothing stopping you from attaching a baneful curse to something instead. A lasting enchantment generally requires a power source or some kind of upkeep to keep it "charged"... ones worn by a living creature can draw upon the body's own magical energy field... but can also be powered by the "background radiation" present in unusually magically charged environments. There are absolutely "cursed" forests where travelers suddenly find all the food in their rucksack spoiling overnight, areas of ocean where compasses stop working and the wind won't blow, that sort of thing.

So, you could also have a magically charged area that was "haunted" and caused visitors' minds to start playing tricks on them, perceiving illusions, hearing murmurs and clips of nonsense speech, experiencing objects falling over/moving on their own, etc. Any naturally generated "haunted" location would be pretty basic in its illusions, though. Something with more structure (recognizable figures, coherent speech) would have to be an enchantment engineered by a wizard on purpose, and would take quite a lot of skill.

Non-wizards often refer to locations with unsettling or dangerous enchantments as cursed or haunted, though wizards who understand the underlying magical mechanics behind those phenomenons might roll their eyes at that framing, insisting it's no different than when the town healer enchants a necklace to ward off sickness--just undirected and on a larger scale.

ALSO to answer your other question: You are absolutely welcome and encouraged to invent a character if you are so inclined! I would love to see what you come up with!

[existentialcrisis-9-5]

A Lucky Charm

Sailors tend to be superstitious, and sailors of the stars are no different. It’s tradition to bring a good luck charm with them when they go on a long voyage for safety. 

Unfortunately, that means me.

And I think my luck ran out.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first chapter to my fic is now out!! Enjoy!

[cosmermaid]

I wonder if there’s going to be a resurgence in maritime superstitions after this Oceangate debacle.

Like, it’s pretty common knowledge that historically, sailors are or were a very superstitious bunch. And how could they not be? On the sea you can take every safety precaution there is, and things can still go wrong. You can still see things in the water or in the darkness of the open sea that you’ll never be able to explain or understand. This is a common experience of naval sailors to this day, you can find plenty of Ask Reddit threads about it.

The sea cannot be tamed. It is the most powerful force on this planet. You can do everything right and it can still take everything and never give it back.

And now you have five dead rich men that will never resurface. All because Stockton Rush tempted fate in every possible way. He did everything wrong in regards to concrete safety precautions. He boasted. He named his submersible after a sunken ship. He married somebody descended from people that the sea had already claimed.

Maybe this part is just me being a bit of a romanticist, but the titan is actually a very different vessel from the Titanic. Despite the arrogant boasting surrounding the Titanic’s maiden voyage, and the arrogance of the Captain, the Titanic was a large vessel that was crafted with care and attention to detail. The Titanic had purpose. It was built with fail safes in mind to prevent sinking. It was meant to be a luxurious experience for those on board. Even third class cabins, though small, were meant to be elegant, clean and comfortable for those staying in them. And the sea took it’s time claiming the titanic, almost as if it was savoring it.

But the Titan was none of those things. It was an idle vessel for people who had no need to be there. It was small. Uncomfortable. Built with carelessness, with no attention to detail what so ever. And it had the gall to name itself after the magnificent liner that it came to crawl over. It didn’t fail on it’s maiden voyage in such a dramatic fashion. Instead the ocean crushed it like an annoying gnat that kept coming back.

[ravers8fantasy]

🌸Piston hondo Headcanons🚄

Hooray yipee!! we have made it to major league, everyone say helloo hondaaa- wait, I mean hondo.

I definitely think he has the best car out of the boxers idk theres smth about him

Is goated at those arcade motorbike racing machines and rhythm games

He hates claw machines, he always loses on them but somehow ends up playing them over and over and over- oh there goes his money

Outside the ring he is quite charitable with all the money he has earned from boxing (inspired from that one old nintendo comic where he was revealed to be a pretty good guy)

Likes to say he is respectable in the ring.... But his ass is competitive so sometimes he slips up

Its a running joke that his fans either call him 'sonic' after the blue hedgehog or 'honda' after the car brand

Because of this, most of his gifts from fans are sonic keychains which he lovingly attaches to every.single.bag. He owns (which is alot)

Got dragged to a karaoke one time with the others and ended up doing a very drunk and very bad rendition of baby one more time by Britany spears

I think his alchohol tolerance is abysmal, after one or two drink's the 'asian flush' kicks in and if you dont get him back home in time he WILL fall asleep

Has a collection of little things he has won from different gachapon, this started when he was around 10

He has always been pretty fast even as a kid, he did and still does run into stuff sometimes (like the locker situation I mentioned in my major league locker room hcs😈)

Very superstitious, firmly believes ghosts are real and will do anything to prove it (has dragged the others to do those abandoned house ghost hunting things)

I think he would be musically gifted, play's drums and bass as a hobby

He has a great appetite, is noted for his ability to make convayor belt sushi places run out of sushi temporarily (inspo from his rematch title defense cutscenes)

He ended up getting banned from one for eating so much sushi to the point the chefs were getting worried for his digestion

Likes doing adventurous stuff: rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, archery etc

LOVES action films, especially the ones with sports or fighting involved ( he is also a fan for tragic romance but, no one knows that because he's too shy to admit lawl)

Started sleep talking one time whilst having a dream he was sailor moon and woke himself up by shouting "moon prism power, make up!"

Because of his accent he cannot pronounce the letter 'r' and it really annoys him sometimes he just refuses to talk because of it

Has secretly tried on Don's toupee when he wasnt looking, he thought he looked like Elvis presley and started giggling to himself

His parents own a family run resturant, Hondo in highschool worked there and used the money he got to help pay his boxing training

Very humble dude and very chill outside the ring and apart from his severe competitiveness, he is considered one of the nicest out of the boxer roster

Okay thats all hope you enjoyed also if I make any mistakes sorry😭😭