Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Paraskavedekatriaphobia

Friday will be the 13th, I have always been curious of the origin.

Christian:
Over the past millennia Christians have long believed that Friday was unlucky because it was the day when Jesus was crucified. Also, there were 13 people at The Last Supper. Additionally, Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit, on a Friday; the Great Flood began on a Friday; the builders of the Tower of Babel were tongue-tied by God, on a Friday; and the Temple of Solomon was destroyed on a Friday.

Norse:
Thirteen was considered a sinister number in Norse mythology. An evil god, Loki, crashed a party for 12 at Valhalla, a banquet hall of the gods, becoming the 13th guest. This caused the death of Balder, god of light, joy, and reconciliation. Loki tricked the blind god Hod, Balder's brother, into throwing mistletoe at Balder. Mistletoe was the only thing on Earth fatal to Balder.

France:
On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV ordered the arrests of Jaques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templars and sixty senior Templar knights in Paris. Thousands of suspected supporters were arrested elsewhere in the country. Torture techniques were applied to compel the knights and sympathizers to "confess" wrongdoing, most were executed.

Britain:
HMS Friday was launched on Friday the 13th, captained by Jim Friday. The ship was never heard from again. Since then, ships are not usually launched on that date. Also, Friday was execution day in Britain. Some of the sites that I viewed suggested this this is a myth, I could not identify the exact year.

Egypt:
To the ancient Egyptians, life was a quest for spiritual ascension which unfolded in stages, 12 in worldly life, the next being eternal afterlife. The number 13, external life, symbolized death.

Pagan:
The solar calender is represented by a 12 month calender. The lunar calender is represented by a 13 month calender. The lunar calender is associated to female cycle, in pagan relics, the female is considered dominant. A carving of the "Earth Mother of Laussel," a 27,000-year-old relic found in France, is considered as a symbol of matriarchal spirituality. This carving depicts a female figure holding a crescent-shaped horn bearing 13 notches. The solar calendar triumphed over the lunar calendar with the rise of male-dominated civilization. With this development, the 12 base system gained dominance over the 13 base system, making the number 13 taboo.

Upcoming Fridays to worry about:
2008 June, 2009 February, March, November, 2010 August, 2011 May, 2012 January, April, July, 2013 September, December, 2014 June, 2015 February, March, November, 2016 May, 2017 January, October, 2018 April, July, 2019 September, December, 2020 March, November

  • Fear of the number 13 is called Triskadekaphobia
  • The fear of Friday the 13th is called Paraskavedekatriaphobia

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