Modernity and Tradition at Sea: Filipino Seafarers and their Superstitious Beliefs

The architectural and technological modernity of contemporary ships belies the prevalence of the multitude of superstitious beliefs which are held and honored by crew members in their daily lives. This article focuses on the superstitious beliefs of Filipino seafarers, in particular, and how these beliefs connect them to their more localized homeland communities, while serving at sea, thereby bridging the divide between workplace modernity and community-based traditions. We explore the ways in which the expression of community-based superstitious beliefs combines with traditional occupational attitudes to connect the localized values of seafarers to the complex shipboard cultures associated with the global shipping industry. The data presented in this article are derived from interviews and fieldnotes associated with voyages made on two cargo ships in 2017 and 2018. These are contextualized with broader fieldwork notes made by the authors on a further 12 shipboard voyages on cargo vessels in the period 1999–2015.