Davy Jones' Locker
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Davy Jones' Locker is an idiom for the bottom of the sea — the resting place of drowned sailors. It is used as a euphemism for death at sea (e.g. to be "sent to Davy Jones' Locker")[1]; Davy Jones is a nickname (word formerly used by pirates) for what would be the devil of the seas. The origins of the name are unclear, and many theories have been put forth, including incompetent sailors, a pub owner who kidnapped sailors, or that Davy Jones is another name for the devil - as in, "Devil Jonah."
The reputation has been widespread among sailors since its popularization and nautical traditions have been created around Davy Jones. He is also very popular in the broader culture. It is considered to be, even today, modern maritime vocabulary.
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[edit] Origin
[edit] Literature
Daniel Defoe mentions the phrase in his 1726 book "The Four Years Voyages of Capt. George Roberts": "Heaving the rest into David Jones' locker, i.e. the sea." It appears not to have yet taken on the later connotations of misfortune.[2]
The earliest known reference to Davy Jones's negative connotation occurs in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle by Tobias Smollett, published in 1751:
- This same Davy Jones, according to 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.[3]
He is described in the same story as having saucer eyes, three rows of teeth, horns, a tail, and blue smoke coming from his nostrils.[2]
In "Treasure Island" (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson, Davy Jones is mentioned throughout the story, for example "Why in the name of Davy Jones".
In 1824, Washington Irving mentions Jones's name in his "Adventures of the Black Fisherman.":
- He came, said he, in a storm, and he went in a storm; he came in the night, and he went in the night; he came nobody knows whence, and he has gone nobody knows where. For aught I know he has gone to sea once more on his chest, and may land to bother some people on the other side of the world; though it is a thousand pities, added he, if he has gone to Davy Jones's locker.[2]
Herman Melville mentions it in Moby-Dick: "There was young Nat Swaine, once the bravest boat-header out of all Nantucket and the Vineyard; he joined the meeting, and never came to good. He got so frightened about his plaguy soul, that he shrinked and sheered away from the whales, for fear of after-claps, in case he got stove and went to Davy Jones."
[edit] Theories
The exact origin of "Davy Jones" is unclear, and many explanations have been proposed. David Jones was a pirate on the Indian Ocean in the 1630s,[4] but most scholars agree that he was not famous enough to gain such lasting global fame. [2] Sources have cited the British pub owner who is referenced in the 1594 song "Jones's Ale is Newe." He may be the same pub owner who supposedly threw drunken sailors into his ale locker and then dumped them onto any passing ship.[2] He could also be Duffer Jones, a notoriously myopic sailor who often found himself overboard.[5]
Others have suggested more supernatural meanings. Some believe the name came from Welsh sailors who would call upon Saint David for protection in times of mortal danger.[2] Some also think it is just another name for the devil.[2] Some call him Deva, Davy or Taffy, the thief of the evil spirit. Some think Jonah became the "evil angel" of all sailors, as the biblical story of Jonah involved his shipmates realizing Jonah was an unlucky sailor and cast him overboard. Naturally, sailors of previous centuries would identify more with the beset-upon shipmates of Jonah than with the unfortunate man himself. It is therefore a possibility that "Davy Jones" grew from the root "Devil Jonah" - the devil of the seas. Upon death, a wicked sailor's body supposedly went to Davy Jones's locker (a chest, as lockers were back then), but a holy sailor's soul went to Fiddler's Green.[2]
[edit] Etymology
Davy may come from Duppy, a West Indian term for a malevolent ghost, or from Saint David, also known as Dewi, the patron saint of Wales, while Jones may have come from the prophet Jonah,[3] whose story is considered bad luck for sailors. Having said that, "Jones" is of course an extemely common Welsh surname [1], and like other surnames of the same form ("Edwards", "Davies" etc) indicative of Welsh ancestry. As Saint David is the patron saint of Wales the name "Davy Jones" may just indicate the Welsh origin of the legend. Some also believe that the name Davy could come from the word "Daeva" which is an evil spirit in Persian mythology that loves to cause harm and destruction.[2]
[edit] Reputation
Jones' reputation causes fear among sailors, and many refuse to discuss Davy Jones in any great detail.[2] Not all traditions dealing with Davy Jones are fearful. In traditions associated with sailors crossing the Equatorial line, there was a "raucous and rowdy" initiation presided over by those who had crossed the line before, known as shellbacks, or Sons of Neptune. The eldest shellback was called King Neptune, and the next eldest was his assistant who was called Davy Jones.[2]
[edit] In popular culture
[edit] Television and Video Games
- On one particular episode of Spongebob Squarepants, Born Again Krabs, The Flying Dutchman takes Mr. Krabs to "Davy Jones' Locker". It is a locker filled with sweaty socks. The Flying Dutchman threatens to lock Mr. Krabs in the locker if he does not change his ways (being greedy and cheap). Mr. Krabs also sells Spongebob's soul for 62 cents to Davy Jones. This in turns sends Spongebob to Davy's locker but he is promptly brought back up because of Spongebob's chattyness. (this happened in the same episode)
- In the Head Hunters episode of the Beetlejuice cartoon series, Beetlejuice and Lydia stop off at an underwater bar in the Neitherworld called "Davy Jones' Locker". There are several other references to Davy Jones too.
[edit] Movies
Davy Jones is the main villain in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), played by Bill Nighy.
He is portrayed as a mutated cross between a man and an octopus, with a wriggling beard of tentacles and two crustacean-esque limbs. The movie also extrapolates on the origins of Davy Jones. He appears along with his crew of half-human, half-sea creature sailors aboard The Flying Dutchman. In the movie, the story follows that Davy Jones was once an average sailor who fell in love with a beautiful woman as "changing and harsh and as untameable as the sea." When he could not have her, the pain was so much that he cut out his still-beating heart, and sealed it in a chest, so that he would never have to feel love, compassion or the pain that can come from feeling them again. The locker itself is mentioned by "Bootstrap" Bill Turner ("Then it's the Locker for you!"), presumably indicating the bottom of the sea. In the scriptwriter's commentary on the movie's DVD, one of the writers state that Davy Jones' Locker is not death per se, but spending an eternity with the thing you hate or are afraid of most. For instance Will Turner is placed with his father.
[edit] Music
"Davy Jones' Locker" is the song title for System 7's "The Power of Seven," Buckethead's "Bermuda Triangle" and Drexciya's "True People: The Detroit Techno Album." The band The Ocean Blue released a CD entitled "Davy Jones' Locker". The pop-punk/Indie band Kings of Town's first single is called "Davy Jone's Locker", and is inspired by the mysterious, demonic aura that seems to follow Davy Jones.
On the Beastie Boys album "Licensed to Ill", the track "Rhymin' & Stealin'" mentions Davy Jones locker with the line "My pistol is loaded - I shot Betty Crocker; Deliver Colonel Sanders down to Davy Jones' locker".
Iron Maiden mentions Davy Jones on their "No Prayer for the Dying" album, in the song "Run Silent, Run Deep"
The Devil Makes Three has a song called "The Plank," with a chorus that mentions Davy Jones' Locker: "To all our enemies, we'll see you in hell. We're gonna walk 'em off the plank into the wishing well. Down to Davy Jones' Locker where the fishes sleep. I won't be praying for you so don't be praying for me."
Australian punk band Frenzal Rhomb talk about Davy Jones in their song "Ship of Beers". In the song, the ship of beers that the band are sailing is sinking and they claim "...it won't be long 'till Davy Jones can claim me - hopefully he'll feel like a cleansing ale after all he's only human." This talks about exchanging their souls for a beer.
On his album, "Food & Liquor", rapper Lupe Fiasco makes mention of Davey Jones' Locker in the song "Pressure" featuring Jay-Z. He goes on by dropping this line..."Stones in the pocket will drag em down to Davy Jones' Locker" [2]
Clutch makes reference to Davy Jones' Locker at the end of the track "Big News I": "Them bones, them bones, them dry, dry bones. Come down to the locker of Davy Jones."
The song The Legend Of Davy Jones: Forty Fathoms Below appeared on the 2006 CD Disney’s Ultimate Swashbuckler 10-Song CD Collection, which was part of a CD/DVD combo pack, packaged with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, and offered at Wal-Mart stores.
In the Tom Lehrer song Irish Ballad, a violent young girl "Weighted her brother down with stones and sent him off to Davy Jones."
[edit] References
- ^ Davy Jones's Locker. Bartleby.com. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. (2000-01-01). Retrieved on July 16, 2006.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Dunne, Susan (2006-07-07). Davy Jones's Legacy. The Hartford Courant.
- ^ a b Brewer, E. Cobham (1898-01-01). Davy Jones’ Locker.. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Retrieved on April 30, 2006.
- ^ Rogoziński, Jan (1997-01-01). The Wordsworth Dictionary of Pirates. ISBN 1-85326-384-2.
- ^ Shay, Frank. A Sailor's Treasury. Norton. ASIN B0007DNHZ0. Retrieved on July 16, 2006. Some have said That Davy Jones is satan's jail keeper on the seas. When a wicked sailor died at sea his soul was send to the locker where it would be imprisoned. He was said to walk around as if he was half-asleep, with rusty keys.
