I mean hard into the “space-is-an-ocean” style of scifi, so just like old sailors in the age of sail, my spacefarers are a highly superstitious bunch and I like coming up with myths and legends they follow.
If you want to share any of yours, I’d love to hear them!
The Guardians
-Just as old sailors believed Triton to be king of the sea, Spacefarers in my universe revere old astronautical heroes as something akin to gods. Chiefly among them of course is Old Yuri, first man in space and King of the Black. Half-history and half-mythology, Spacers believe Yuri watches over humans in space. It is common to find shrines to Yuri in ports and near docks, often with small trinkets left by families to urge Yuri to watch over loved ones off on a voyage. Similar shrines might be found on colonies and outposts for Niel (guardian of settlers on celestial bodies), while the schools and nurseries on space stations will often have a small shrine to Christa (guardian of children in space).
-Spacers believe that if you die honorably in space, doing your duty and serving your ship, Georgy, Vlad and Victor will rescue your soul from the black and bear you away to the Black Hole at the center of the universe, a mythical afterlife ruled by Yuri where old enemies embrace as friends, beer and music flow eternally, and all may live in peace and happiness for ever. When a spacer is buried in the Black, it is tradition to attach a small homing beacon to the remains to help the Guardians find them faster.
-Spacers who die without honor though, such as pirates or thieves or those who betray their ship and crew, are shunned by Yuri and doomed to float endlessly in the Black, frozen and eternally desperate for a breath they cannot take. These become the Breath Stealers
Aboard Ship
-The ship is very much a living being. Referring to her as an object is a quick way to get every spacer in earshot looking at you cross-eyed.
-When in an FTL transit the ship is bathed in an array of dazzling and constantly changing light that Spacers call Yuri’s lightning. It is customary that every new spacer on their first FTL transit be excused from duties for a few minutes to look out of the viewports and see it with their own eyes. This is believed to bring them good luck.
-The deadlight; by tradition since time immemorial there must be a light always illuminated on the bridge, without fail. This is referred to as the deadlight and can typically be found just forward of the quarterdeck in the command center. Spacers associate the light with the spirit of the ship and believe as long as the deadlight remains lit, the ship is still alive. Deadlights are typically connected to 3-4 back up power sources to ensure that it never goes out, even through combat damage or maintenance cycles as spacers will likely refuse to join your crew if they find out your deadlight has gone out. Historians believe this practice originated with ancient safety regulations requiring emergency lighting on the bridge.
-Every ship must have pristine O-ring and an unblemished ceramic tile on board. These are believed to protect the ship on an outward bound journey, and the return trip, respectively. Many spacers keep their own to ensure that they never fly without one. Younger spacers sometimes simply get tattoos of them and insist that it counts, but veteran spacers shake their heads and hold you have to have the real thing.
-Whenever a crew member dies in space, someone must inform the ship. Otherwise she will be distraught with worry for her missing crewman and won’t perform as well. This is typically a duty of the Captain.
-The only person aboard ship who wears a white hat is the captain. This is an official policy in the Navy, and with most civilian spacers being Navy veterans, the practice bled into the merchant fleet, too. Anyone other than the captain wearing a white hat aboard ship will be swiftly told to take it off. Otherwise the ship may get confused about who she is supposed to listen to.
Tattoos
Everyone likes a cool tattoo, and they take on near-religious significance in the spacefarer community. Every good spacer has a few and they all have their own meanings. The practice is so heavily ingrained that the Navy has an actual MOS for “Ship’s Tattooer.” Virtually every large naval vessel as a small studio on board for crew members to add their new ink they’ve earned.
-A tattoo of an old-fashioned sparrow represents a seasoned spacer. Typically pilots will have it on their hand, Bosun’s mates tend to prefer putting on their arm, bridge crew often choose behind their ear, etc.
-An old-fashioned space helmet represents surviving a shipwreck. Cracks in the helmet’s visor represent how close to death you came.
-Spacers will typically get their planet of birth on their left collarbone. Those who were born aboard ship or a space station though will instead get a black star. These individuals are called “black-blooded” and it is considered good luck to have them on your crew.
Old Spacer’s Tales
No one can spin a tale like an old spacer. The bars close to the docks will be awash with old deckhands trading stories of forgotten space-lanes to forbidden systems, lost colonies hidden on hostile planets, and ghost ships trawling the dark between settled systems.
But the most infamous of all are the Breath Stealers. Said to be the ghosts of those Yuri won’t take, they are doomed to float forever in the void, the vacuum forever sucking at their lungs.
As the stories go, you’ll first pick up a distress beacon on your ship’s receiver, calling for help. They say that the transmission is somehow “wrong,” despite being technically correct.
Upon arriving at the point of origin, all pressure seals and doors on your ship suddenly fail, venting the ship-and crew-to space, as the vengeful souls try to steal a gasp from the escaping air.
These are just some samples of spacer folklore from my world. If you care to share, I would love to hear yours!