Why was it bad luck to allow women on ships?

Question

What was the reason that women weren't allowed on ships

in ancient times? Were they considered 'Jonahs'?

Answer 1

realistically? - few women, ship load of lots of men that have been at sea too long - assumed bad combo.  though in truth, during the colonial area and later, captains took their wives and sometimes kids to sea with them often enough and it didn't seem to cause problems.

mythically?  women were supposed to have the magic power to be able to whistle and call up a storm.  You can see why that would be considered a bad thing on a tiny boat in the middle of the ocean.  Hence the term 'whistling up the wind'.

Answer 2

The Ocean was considered female along with the great denizens of the deep, and to bring aboard a woman would cause an offense to the powers that be,  a curse would follow the  ship.  However, there is a book out on women who not only went to sea, dressed as men, but were openly pirates as well.

Answer 3

Because the men would fight over the woman.