Rabbits

[Wansworth]

Worked on a crappy dredger a good many years ago and what could be called the induction speech by the captain was not to mention rabbits on the ship ,and he was really serious.Apparently really bad luck would follow.Well the captain was a bit odd and rana tight ship,two mess decks left the deckhands,me an Australian student in a spacious dinning room whilst the “officers” all four cramped up in theirs.The worrying bit was if the ship had to go anywhere outside the Solent the Captainhid in his cabin till we arrived.The only properly sane officer was the 1st who knew about navigation,thank god.

 

[webcraft]

- W

 

[Graham376]

We heard the same tale from French friends, they were quite serious about never mentioning rabbits on a boat. My wife is rather partial to them, we wondered whether to invite them on board for a meal but never got around to it.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Think it’s something to do with a superstition that the Devil may come on board disguised as a rabbit, Why a rabbit?

 

[LittleSister]

I seem to vaguely recall this aversion to using the word 'rabbit' being a no-no prevalent on Portland.

There's nowt so queer as folk.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Think it’s something to do with a superstition that the Devil may come on board disguised as a rabbit, Why a rabbit?

It is to do with pagans celebrating procreation and fertility through rabbit symbolism. On vessels it is puritan in nature as pagan celebrations transferred to christian celebration, such as easter, is rejected by by many christians that have a more pure belief in christianity. Hence, the rabbit being rejected as a discussion topic on a vessel. It's hypocracity considering the amount of sodomy that was probably going on in the old merchant navy.

 

[Slowboat35]

Rabbits make holes, and holes are bad news on ships?
I've heard it said thet the French get around this restriction by calling them 'polop polop', apparently an onomatopoeic reference to the way they move. Is this so?

Priests and women are also said to be bad news on board. Priests because they worship the wrong God and no sailor would dare risk offending Lord Neptune. Women? Likely to cause strife among jealous sailors? Who knows?

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I've never been aware of the reason before, but am well aware that mention of the long eared one is bad news at sea. Only boy scouts learn their bowline tying like that.

 

[jamie N]

The version that I've matured with, and still refrain from, is that concerning "Green Rabbits", of which the very mention will augur great ill fortune.
To this day, I respect it, despite having never encountered a situation where the utterance of "Green Rabbits" could ever be contemplated or seen as rational?

 

[peter bush]

I have heard about not mentioning rabbits on Portland. It was something about a warren collapsing a cliff face on to a miners canteen whist they were all in having their midday meal break.

 

[Clancy Moped]

Are they cheaper from the butcher or the pet shop?

 

[Wansworth]

Are they cheaper from the butcher or the pet shop?

You have a way with words?

 

[Poignard]

 

[Poignard]

"RABBITS
Naval slang name given to articles taken, or intended to be taken, ashore
privately. Originally "rabbits" were things taken ashore improperly (i.e.
theft or smuggling - the name arose from the ease with which tobacco, etc.,
could be concealed in the inside of a dead rabbit) but with the passenger of
time the application of the word has spread to anything taken ashore; an air
of impropriety nevertheless still hangs over the use of the word, whether or
not this is justified (it seldom is). Hence the phrase "Tuck its ears in",
often said to an officer or rating seen going ashore with a parcel."

Royal Navy Diction & Slang

I remember the term 'rabbits' also covered little private jobs done for yourself, or others, using naval facilities and materials.

 

[R.Ems]

It is to do with pagans celebrating procreation and fertility through rabbit symbolism. On vessels it is puritan in nature as pagan celebrations transferred to christian celebration, such as easter, is rejected by by many christians that have a more pure belief in christianity. Hence, the rabbit being rejected as a discussion topic on a vessel. It's hypocracity considering the amount of sodomy that was probably going on in the old merchant navy.

Why, do you think more men were 'gay' back then? or do you hold the view that the Merch was a magnet for those wiith such persuasions? (I have nothiing against it myself)

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Why, do you think more men were 'gay' back then? or do you hold the view that the Merch was a magnet for those wiith such persuasions? (I have nothiing against it myself)

Not sure what you are suggesting, I have not mentioned "gay" or homosexuality, just sodomy. I think you are looking for a problem to complain about, where none exists.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Not sure what you are suggesting, I have not mentioned "gay" or homosexuality, just sodomy. I think you are looking for a problem to complain about, where none exists.

Straight men don’t do that to each other. We call men who have sex with men ‘gay’ or ‘homosexual’. Possibly bisexual I guess. Hopefully with no rancour, it’s no big deal.

 

[oldharry]

Brittany Ferries Sy Malo ferry, Bretagne a few years back: I needed some fresh Duracell batteries so I applied to the onboard shop. "oh no sir, we can't sell those aboard".

Me: "why ever not?"

"It's the crew sir, they are mostly Bretons. They would refuse to sail because of the Duracell rabbit logo"

Apparently this actually happened when the deck crew discovered the rabbit logo, and the entire stock had to be taken ashore before the crew would work the ship! That , in the late 20th century....!!!

 

[Slowboat35]

Chiara, I think not. In those days sailors - "Jolly Jack" - were often considered/depicted as "gay", that is "gay" in it's true sense; happy, carefree. Nothing to do with being homos.

I wonder what credible evidence there is for homosexuality being common, leave alone rife in those days? In a society where such behaviour was considered utterly beyond the pale to the point that it was a capital crime I find it hard to imagine that it was anywhere near as prevalent as many modern commentators (often, if not usually with axes to grind , as it were) like to claim.
The modern Royal Navy pre lumpy-jumpers suffered little from this though even their view of the RFA and the Merchant Navy is not as kind.

Has there ever been a credible study done of this?

 

[wully1]

Superstition and religion (a really crap superstition) are banned on my Fyne shup.

Well not really…You can talk about them if you like but standby for some piss taking if your serious about them. But since I don’t hang out with god -botherers or Woo nutters it’s unlikely you’d be aboard in any case.