History of Friday the 13th!

 



Friday the 13th: A History of Bad Luck, Old Beliefs and Dark Omens

There is something rather deliciously unsettling about Friday the 13th. For centuries, Friday and the number thirteen have each carried their own associations with misfortune, but when did the two become such an infamous combination? And is there any real history behind the superstition?

The answer is perhaps more interesting than the superstition itself.

The Unlucky Number Thirteen

The fear of thirteen has a long history in Western folklore. One popular explanation comes from Norse mythology. According to a well-known tale, twelve gods gathered for a feast in Valhalla when the trickster Loki arrived uninvited as the thirteenth guest. His presence brought tragedy, resulting in the death of the beloved god Baldr.

Christian tradition offers another familiar association. At the Last Supper, thirteen people sat at the table: Jesus and his twelve disciples. Judas, the betrayer, was the thirteenth guest. Over time, this story became associated with the belief that having thirteen people at a table invited misfortune.

By the seventeenth century, there is documented evidence of the superstition surrounding thirteen guests dining together. The number gradually acquired a reputation for being unlucky in its own right.

Why Friday?

Friday had its own unfortunate reputation in Christian Europe. According to Christian tradition, Jesus was crucified on a Friday, and the day consequently became associated with suffering and death.

Friday was also traditionally a day of fasting and religious observance. In parts of Britain and Europe, it was regarded as an unsuitable day to begin a journey, undertake certain activities or make important decisions.

When these older beliefs about Friday and thirteen began to overlap, the foundations of our modern superstition were laid.

When Did Friday the 13th Become Unlucky?

Interestingly, the idea that Friday the 13th itself was unlucky is considerably younger than many people imagine.

Historical research by folklorists has uncovered references to the superstition in French literature as early as 1834. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the association was appearing in French plays and popular writing.

In America, the superstition gained wider attention during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

One particularly interesting example was the Thirteen Club, founded in New York in 1882. Its members deliberately challenged traditional superstitions by dining in groups of thirteen, often on the thirteenth day of the month. Their first dinner was held on Friday, January 13, 1882.

The superstition received another considerable boost in 1907 with the publication of Thomas W. Lawson's novel Friday, the Thirteenth. The story followed a stockbroker who exploited people's fear of the date to create chaos on Wall Street.

By the early twentieth century, Friday the 13th had firmly established itself as a day of ill omen in popular culture.

And What About the Knights Templar?

No discussion of Friday the 13th would be complete without mentioning the Knights Templar.

On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrest of members of the powerful religious military order. Many were imprisoned, tortured and eventually executed.

It is tempting to connect this terrible historical event with the origins of the superstition. However, there is no convincing historical evidence that the arrest created the Friday the 13th belief. The association appears to have been attached to the event much later.

It is a wonderful example of how history, legend and superstition can become intertwined.

A Day for Superstition?

So, is Friday the 13th really unlucky? There is certainly no historical evidence that the date carries any particular power over our fortunes.

But I think there is something fascinating about the way these beliefs develop. An ancient myth, a religious tradition, an unfortunate number and a particular day of the week gradually became woven together until they created one of the most recognisable superstitions in Western culture.

For those of us with an interest in old folklore and the traditions of the cunning folk, perhaps Friday the 13th is less a day to fear and more a day to remember how deeply superstition is woven into our history.

After all, a little mystery never hurt anyone. Or does it?

Further Reading and References

 


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