Davy Jones Locker?

[R864382]

Her in doors watched Pirates of the Caribbean last night and wants to know who Davy Jones was and why
his locker is at the bottom of the sea. She who must be obeyed does not believe my version of if you die at sea it is where you end up ,any one else got a better answer.Got go do the washing up now.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Davy Jones' Locker is an idiom for the bottom of the sea — the resting place of drowned seamen. It is used as a euphemism for death at sea (e.g. to be "sent to Davy Jones' Locker"); Davy Jones is a nickname (used primarily by sailors) for what would be the devil of the seas.

Origin

The earliest known reference to Davy Jones occurs in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle by Tobias Smollett, published in 1751: :This same Davy Jones, according to the mythology of sailors, is the fiend that presides over all the evil spirits of the deep, and is often seen in various shapes, perching among the rigging on the eve of hurricanes, ship-wrecks, and other disasters to which sea-faring life is exposed, warning the devoted wretch of death and woe. He is described as having saucer eyes, three rows of teeth, horns, a tail, and blue smoke coming from his nostrils.

The term appears to have been common among sailors, as the name Davy Jones appears often in popular nautical literature.

As is common with slang, the exact origin of "Davy Jones" is hard to discover. These explanations have been proposed:

• A pub owner named David Jones who used to incapacitate hapless drinkers in his ale locker, and send them off aboard ships.

• Duffer Jones, a notoriously myopic sailor who often found himself overboard.

• Davy comes from Duppy, a West Indian term for ghost, or from Saint David, also known as Dewi, the patron saint of Wales, while Jones comes from the prophet Jonah.

• A euphemism for a "Devil Jonah"; Jonah being a term referring to any bad luck on the ocean.

• David Jones, a pirate on the Indian Ocean in the 1630s. - Jan Rogoziński, The Wordsworth Dictionary of Pirates, Ware, Hertfordshire, 1997

The last two do not explain the locker.

The name may have originated in Wales, as David Jones is a common name there.

The expression has been part of sailor slang for over two centuries and today Davy Jones is seen as the embodiment of the devil who rules over the evil spirits of the sea. From whales of tales about men and the sea to bedeviled barkeeps and saints of Wales, one thing is certain Davy Jones and his locker is chock full of colorful history and superstition. And somewhere between the devil and the deep blue sea lies the truth of the origins of Davy and his dreaded locker wherever dead men tell no tales.

It wasn’t just sailors that went down into Davy Jones’ locker; ships that were believed to be inferior or sank earned a place in his locker. Another twist to the Davy Jones folklore is that if a sailor was in general a good chap he would go to a place called Fiddler’s Green. Fiddler’s Green was said to be an underwater paradise similar to the paradise the merfolk lived in. Here we can see the ties of the Davy Jones folktale to the Northern European countries. For in common fairy folklore of Northern Europe a green refers to Fairyland where people would go after they died.

Variations

Davy Jones is sailor slang for the evil spirits of the ocean.
Davy's Locker or Davy Jones' Locker is the deep ocean's bottom.
To be sent to Davy's Locker is to perish at sea.
To send someone to Davy Jones is to kill them.
To see you to Davy Jones is a threat to kill someone.
To be in Davy's Grip mean to be close to death or frightened.
To have the Davies or the Joneseys means to be frightened
To awaken Davy or awaken Davy Jones is to cause a storm

Dave / Davey / David etc is generally called Dai in Wales ( Pronounced Die )

K.

[R864382]

Thanks for your prompt replies now I have an excuse to play the Dubliners, Clansy Brothers and the Spinners that is if i can find where SHE hid them.Back to the hoovering.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates',Story Davy Jones' Gift by John Masefield 1874 Set in Cardiff in a pub{ The Albert , st marys st} The Devil and Davy jones play red and black {cards } for people souls The devil get all landsman, and davey jones gets all the sailor folks, but get bored with all the same souls so gamble each other with dice, the first who pass the pub is a bishop but the devil wont' play for him, untill davy jones offers him an Admiral, but the devil not lucky, and davey jones wins.The devil get mad and play him for the next person A Reefer,one of apentice fellows,the devil want him bad so davy jones get a round in Burnt brandy a new jug with clean glasses. and play for him.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Mr Amigo, that was a great post and and intro to the following -

It is a poem, relevant to this posting - can be moved to poetry corner if so desired.

Hell's Pavement

“When I’m discharged at Liverpool ‘n’ draws my bit o’ pay,
I won’t come to sea no more;
I’ll court a pretty little lass ‘n’ have a weddin’ day,
‘N’ settle somewhere down shore;
I’ll never fare to sea again a-temptin’ Davy Jones,
A-hearkening to the cruel sharks a-hungerin’ for my bones;
I’ll run a blushin’ dairy-farm or go a-crackin’ stones,
Or buy ‘n’ keep a little liquor-store”
So he said.

They towed her in to Liverpool, we made the hooker fast,
And the copper-bound official paid the crew,
And Billy drew his money, but the money didn’t last,
For he painted the alongshore blue,
It was rum for Poll, and rum for Nan, and gin for Jolly Jack;
He shipped a week later in the clothes upon his back;
He had to pinch a little straw, he had to beg a sack
To sleep on, when his watch was through,
So he did.

John Masefield

Full version of Davy Jones's Gift at: http://www.horrormasters.com/Text/a1046.pdf

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Kieith At Tregenna,Thank you for your comments,Allways like that sea yarn ,as I use to drink in that pub, with Terry {tiger} Sulliavan. He worked at the shipping fed {The Cardiff pool} with The World famous Mr Bill Inkey . But the Devil or Davy Jones never played darts or cards with us? Not as far as I can remember, and the bar maid dont know how to make Burnt brandy, But could pull a nice pints of brains dark or S.A.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Know the Albert well, was both Deputy and Acting Manager at some stages at the Royal Hotel on St. Mary Street, Cardiff for my sins. Virtually opposite the Albert. I was at the Old Royal during the inaugral years of the Captain Scott Society. I remember it well - located between the brewery and the rugby ground: HEAVEN. K.

THE ONLY TIME IN MY LIFE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PRINCE OF WALES AND THE QUEEN: Amongst many other pubs. K.

A Welsh night for charity ( Memory Lane)

The sound of Wales will echo through a Cardiff hotel as clients sample traditional Welsh food and music in a venture which will provide special hospital equipment

Staff at the city’s Royal Hotel have got together to stage a dinner-dance on May 20 and present the proceeds to the spina bifida unit at the University Hospital of Wales, Heath, Cardiff.

The evening features a Welsh menu, Cardiff Male Voice Choir and harp music before more modern music for the dance.

Mr Keith Greenway, Vice-Chairman of the organising committee and Senior Assistant Manager, said about 20 of the staff would be actively involved without pay and others were planning to contribute half a day’s pay. They hope to provide between £600 and £1000 for the hospital.

Royal Hotel Welfare Committee, Objective achieved. 20th May 1983.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Will continue Her Name “Was Terra Nova” in history section, she deserves no less. K.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Kieth at Tregenna, It is a very small world? I had a few halfs of beer in the Royal over the years, a good friend of mine Dave, use to take his lady friends to that hotel very often,The Royal has had a massive makeover, it was closed for a few years, but open now The Albert of Davy jones fame is still there ? name change. but no {Devils} the ice hockey team has moved down the bayYou must have met many famous people who stay at that hotel? it was used in many films and programs. The figure head of scotts ship is in the museum ? But we are having a new maritime museum soon so may move there, I have a few bits of Cardiff history which I will give them.keep educating me

[Keith at Tregenna]

Would the museum be at the Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay?

Latest that I heard was the following: The Pierhead Building is a Grade 1 listed building of the National Assembly for Wales (NAW) and is adjacent to the Senedd building in Cardiff Bay. It stands as one of the city of Cardiff's most familiar landmarks. It was built in 1897 as a replacement for the headquarters of the Bute Dock Company which burnt down in 1892. In 1897 the firm was renamed Cardiff Railway Company, and in 1947 the building became the administrative office of the Port of Cardiff.

The National Assembly for Wales acquired the long term lease in 2002 and until recently it was the location of “The Assembly at the Pier Head”, the Visitor and Education Centre for the NAW. Now the building is closed whilst designs are prepared and works carried out for the development of the building as an Exhibition and Function Centre. MNA (Wales), along with Associated British Ports and Butetown History and Arts Centre, have been invited to provide input into the future use of the building.

So far members of the Committee have attended two meetings with the NAW and the Designers where suggestions for the use of the building have been discussed. Further meetings are being arranged. It is expected the building will re-open in September 2009 on completion of the alterations.

A family that I am researching for would like to both loan and have on display a relatives artifacts and hope to do so locally. The good captains belongings would be a coup for Cardiff and I await further news of a museum. Not living at the mo locally, I may have missed any new new's and would love to know more if pos.

Thanks Keith.