T.C. Lethbridge & 'the all-seeing eye'18th Mar 2007  In the opening words to Boats and Boatmen (Thames & Hudson, 1952), T.C. Lethbridge humbly suggests that such a study should really be undertaken by a seaman who had also studied history and anthropology. However, he astutely acknowledged that this kind of mariner was extremely rare and therefore he felt justified in taking on the task of documenting the traditions of the boatbuilder. The most intriguing passage in this insightful tome is the chapter dedicated to superstition and ritual and one particularly aspect that intrigued me were the notes regarding the oculus, or ‘all seeing eye’ – a design once painted on the bows of many fishing vessels from the Mediterranean up to the fleets that fished the waters in the Outer Hebrides. Lethbridge’s observations shed light upon an ancient logo that has prehistoric roots.In Britain, ships and boats are generally acknowledged as being feminine and as a consequence are referred to as ‘she’, however this gender reference is not universally acknowledged. In France vessels are referred to as both male and female, so how did this cultural anomaly occur? In Ancient Egypt, the sun god Re ruled supreme and was considered the protector of all ocean-going vessels. It was understood that the sun moved across the morning sky in ‘the boat of dawn’ and in the evening in ‘the boat of dusk’. Even to this day, many fishing boats in and around the Mediterranean have sun discs painted on their bows in acknowledgement of their protector. Many Scandinavian rock carvings, attributable to the Bronze Age also depict a sun symbol being carried in a ship. The oculus, or ‘all seeing eye’ that appears on fishing vessels is a direct descendent of the sun symbol and is a representation of the Ancient Egyptian sun god Re. By displaying the icon the vessel takes onboard the attributes of its protector and hence becomes a living entity. But why is it that in Britain - where boats are perceived as being feminine - the oculus still occurs? In Ancient Egypt, Isis and Osiris - the mother and father of Horus were – associates of the moon and the sun respectively.  In Roman times, the Greeks acknowledged the moon goddess Isis as the protectoress of all sea-going vessels. The Ancient Egyptians however, perceived the moon as a male deity – ‘the sailor’ – and like the sun was carried in a boat across the sky. It appears therefore, that at some point in history, Isis - the moon goddess - was supplanted by Re - the sun god - as the guardian of ocean-going vessels. It is therefore Isis to which we refer when we acknowledge a ship as being feminine. However the oculus is directly attributable to the male deity Re. Occurrences of the oculus in British waters are now rare, but the sign of the fish – a symbol associated with the Christian faith – is more common. Lethbridge suggests that the fish symbol is an evolution of the all-seeing eye of the oculus. On closer inspection, this certainly seems to be the case.  The picture is further confused by Tacitus’ observation that Teutonic Peoples, perceived the sun as being feminine. It appears, that where traditions collided, as in France, the anomaly of boats being labeled as both male and female occurs. This argument is born out by the old northern superstition that considers it a bad omen to have a woman onboard ship. The reasoning behind this fallacy: if the ship’s deity is female, it is likely that she may become jealous by the presence of another woman in her domain. Likewise, sailors of yore also considered the company of a priest onboard to be a bad omen. This representative of a heavenly god stood contrary to the forces that governed the fate of the vessel. Lethbridge acknowledged that the study of boats was almost as old as the history of man; yet he observed that the basic design had changed little over the centuries. In his sleeve note he suggested that, “The shape of a boat is the result not only of local conditions, but also of a long and proud tradition; and the men who put to sea in them, whether in search of fish, trade or adventure, form an integral part of the complex pattern of the sea-faring.” welbourn TEKH – Grantham – March 2007 NB. Click on images for an enlarged view. |
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