Mariner's Jig

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 All circle 4H round and back
9-16 Heel and toe twice, Step, close step to right Repeat to left
17-24 Turn opposite person RH and dance RH across
25-32 advance and retire for 2 steps and travel on to meet next couple (clockwise facing couples making arches)

(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)

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In its most common usage, a mariner is a sailor who works aboard ships or boats, particularly in oceanic navigation. Mariners are skilled in operating and maintaining vessels, navigating across waterways, and handling cargo, equipment, and emergencies at sea. Historically, mariners were pivotal in exploration and trade, connecting distant parts of the world and contributing to the discovery of new territories. Figures such as Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan are renowned examples of mariners who shaped history.

The concept of the mariner has also been immortalised in literature and mythology. A notable example is Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", in which a sailor recounts his haunting sea voyage and the spiritual consequences of killing an albatross. The mariner's tale is often interpreted as a moral allegory, exploring themes of penance, redemption, and humanity's relationship with nature.

In modern science, the term Mariner is associated with NASA's Mariner space probes, a series of missions launched in the 1960s and 1970s to study planets in the solar system. These probes provided groundbreaking insights into Venus, Mars, and Mercury, with Mariner 2 achieving the first successful mission to another planet and Mariner 4 delivering the first close-up images of Mars. The Mariner program was instrumental in advancing planetary science and paving the way for future exploration.

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