Sand Dance

Tradition and superstition believes amongst the captains of the Flairboats that hunt for spitworms , demand from their crew that they do a specific set of movements to ward off evil and to focus the men and women on board.

History

The moves on board of the ship are remnant from the past. The dance has a stacatto thudding sound as result and the spitworms kan feel that over great distances. The idea is that the thudding scares the spitworms.

Show spoiler

The sand dance doesn't scare the spitworms, but the vibrations urges them to produce more Crystelec.

Execution

the dance is simple and straightforward. the men and woman line up on each side of the ship's midsection. they take a step forward with their left foot and then jump up with their arms high up. They try to make as much noise when they land. It is often accompanied with loud screams. The next step is bending the knees in a wide stance and stamping three times with the right foot. The thumping is done in unison on the hardwood deck. during the stamps they slowly turn moving a feet clockwise. A handclap overhead, three stamps with the left foot. turning anti clockwise. All participants now face each other and the space between them depends on the size of the ship. The span the gap with a number of left foot forward, right foot follows step. Then the opposing sailors high five each other and shout a specific yelp (every ship has a different yelp)

Components and tools

bare foot and a sailor specific garb in the ships specific color

Participants

all the lower rank sailors before they take the ship out of a harbour.

Observance

this can be seen on any ship destined for spitworm regions, that leaves the port

Primary Related Location

Sanyak Sea