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Rum Ritual & Lore
 Rum has long been an integral part of social and religious
ritual from Voodoo to Weddings. In Bermuda it is Roof Wetting
and Ship Christenings. This ceremony involves very few elements:
the roof of a new building or home, the owner and builder who
created it, and a bottle of Black Seal Rum. For a time Bermuda
built the fastest ships on the water made of native cedar. Back
in those ship building days it was rum, not champagne, that was
used to christen Bermuda ’s finely crafted vessels. Builders
of early homes in Bermuda were shipwrights first and foremost
as evidenced in the use of many ship building techniques they
employed. So why not treat a home like a sailing vessel? Christen
a ship; christen a home.
 Why the roof? The roof is really the
most important of a home in Bermuda. Besides being the “crown” of
the structure, it is often the primary source of fresh water.
Rain water is collected on the roof, stored in a cistern under
the house and pumped back up for regular use.
In Bermuda, when
a new building goes up, from a small cottage to a big office
building, a celebration is held. The owners, developers, and
contractor scramble up onto the roof and a liberal dousing of
Black Seal Rum is followed by many toastings, smiles and congratulations
all round. |
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