英语词汇stepping the mast的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

stepping the mast. When a mast is about to be stepped, all those on board the new ship contribute good-luck coins to be placed under it. This old maritime tradition is said to have its origins in the ancient Roman custom of placing coins in the mouths of men killed in battle. The coins were supposed to pay Charon, the mythical ferryman, for transporting the dead men across the River Styx. Today the coins are often placed in corrosion-proof receptacles at the base of the mast, and the mast is stepped, put in place, immediately afterward.

词汇	stepping the mast
词源	stepping the mast. When a mast is about to be stepped, all those on board the new ship contribute good-luck coins to be placed under it. This old maritime tradition is said to have its origins in the ancient Roman custom of placing coins in the mouths of men killed in battle. The coins were supposed to pay Charon, the mythical ferryman, for transporting the dead men across the River Styx. Today the coins are often placed in corrosion-proof receptacles at the base of the mast, and the mast is stepped, put in place, immediately afterward.
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