Where did the saying “A woman on a ship is bad luck” come from?

The saying “A woman on a ship is bad luck” is believed to have originated from ancient maritime superstitions. It was believed that a woman on board a ship was bad luck because of the potential disruption she could cause to the crew’s morale. In ancient times, women were not allowed to be part of a ship’s crew as it was thought that they would create distractions and disrupt the order of the ship. In addition, it was believed that women would bring bad weather, storms, and other disasters with them on board. This superstition likely originated from the fact that women were not seen as being capable of handling the harsh conditions of the sea and therefore were thought to bring bad luck.

In the past, women were not allowed to be part of a ship’s crew as it was thought that they would create distractions and disrupt the order of the ship. This superstition was so strong that it was even written into law in some countries. In the United Kingdom, the Merchant Shipping Act of 1854 prohibited women from serving on merchant ships.

Today, the saying “A woman on a ship is bad luck” is no longer taken seriously and is mostly seen as a superstition. Women are now allowed to be part of a ship’s crew and are considered to be just as capable as men. This superstition is now seen as outdated and has been replaced with more modern beliefs about luck.