Bananas have been cultivated in the Indus Valley as far back as 2000 B.C. The banana's nickname is "Fruit of the Wise". Ironic... especially when you consider it is a favorite food of monkeys, who enjoy hurling bodily waste products towards visitors at the zoo.
Bananas are Bad Luck for those zoo visitors of course, but a maritime superstition says they are bad luck for boats as well! The origin of this superstition is uncertain, but many believe it was started around the 17th century when a transatlantic crossing was a very risky endeavor. Storms, shipwrecks, pirates, and disease all claimed the lives of those attempting this dangerous voyage.
Scurvy was a limiting factor for ocean
travel. The ancient Greeks knew about scurvy. From the 15th to 19th
centuries, sailors knew to help fight against scurvy it was imperative
to have fresh fruit aboard. The ultimate cause of scurvy was not known until 1932.
Often vessels would stop along the way in tropical islands to gather provisions such as food and water. There, crew would purchase wooden crates of bananas from the locals and bring them aboard the ship. These crates would have all manner of critters in them. Specifically, within the bunches of bananas, there were spiders. Spiders that are extremely poisonous. It didn't take long for sailors to realize that bringing bananas on board caused others to become sick or even die.
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