Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence: Module 1 ESS First Year Landship Worksheet
THE HISTORY OF THE BARBADOS LANDSHIP
The Landship is an institution, which is unique to Barbados. It owes its origins to Moses Wood, who
founded it between 1863 and 1868, marking its 150th anniversary in 2014. Wood was a Barbadian who
had served in the Royal Navy, and on his retirement, he sought to recreate some of the camaraderie
and discipline of the navy, along with some of its pomp and splendor.
Landship members dress in naval uniforms and have naval ranks and titles, which include Lord High
Admiral, Captain, Boatswain, Quarter Master, Doctor, Matron and Engineer. Female members were
inducted after World War 1 and dress as nurses. They are referred to as stars, a term believed to have
come from the Universal Negro Improvement Association founded by Marcus Garvey.
Ships have names such as Cornwall, Vanguard, Director, Duke, and Rodney. Nautical terms are applied
to all activities; the meeting place is known as the “dock” and at the start of a parade, the ship is said to
set sail. As the name suggests there is no actual vessel, and all manoeuvres take place on land. By the
1870s there were Landships all over Barbados, parading in full regalia on a variety of social occasions.
The manoeuvres consist of a combination of marching and dancing to simulated naval conditions, which
include “rough seas”, “man overboard”, “sailor hop”, and “wangle low”. Orders are given by the officer
in charge, while the music and rhythm is provided by the ships’ “engine”, the Tuk Band. One of their
popular dances is “plaiting the maypole”, where dancers holding long coloured ribbons, dance around
the maypole (perhaps the ship’s “mast”) until the ribbons are intertwined; then they reverse the
process. Eight ribbons or strings are attached to the maypole and are said to represent our African
heritage and the eight legs of Anansi the spider.
The Landships are also friendly societies where members pay contributions, and when funds permit
there is an annual bonus, as well as sickness and death benefits. The Landship also had its own
magazine, The Barbados Landship Review. The movement, which is an activity of working class people, is
today at its lowest numbers, and is finding it difficult to recruit young members. Nonetheless, the
Barbados Landship, a combined crew from several decimated ships, can still be seen sailing in various
parts of Barbados on festive occasions.
Assignment:
1) Find the meaning of the words and phrases underlined in the passage above.
2) Write one complete sentence of your own on each of the underlined words and phrases above.