The fear of the number 13 goes way, way back in time. For example, the Code of Hammurabi (of "an eye for an eye" fame) enumerates the laws of that long-ago day, but skips the 13th law, jumping straight from law 12 to law 14. Since then, many cultures and religions have co-opted this "13 is bad" thing as their own and woven it into their mythologies. EG Some Christian legends say 13 is bad because Judas Iscariot was the 13th diner at Jesus' "Last Supper." Alas, the Code of Hammurabi predates Jesus by almost 2000 years, so the "unlucky 13" thing was going on way before then.
Even today, you've probably seem similar silliness in elevators that omit a 13th floor, or at race tracks where there's no number 13 gate for the horses or dogs. (Oh yeah, that'll fool the laws of probability!)
OK, so the "13" thing goes way back, and no one really can say why. But what about Friday being a bad day?
The earliest written evidence for a fear of Fridays in general goes back to the 14th century's Canterbury Tales, but here too, there's been lots of back-filling in religions and cultures to claim bad Fridays as their own. For example, another Christian myth says Fridays are bad because Jesus was crucified on a Friday. But the calendars in use then were completely different from today, and no one can really say even what year it happened, much less what day.
So we have a very ancient "bad 13" thing and a somewhat newer "bad Friday" thing. Who put "bad Fridays" together with "bad 13s" to come up with a really, really bad "Friday the 13th?"
Oddly, there is no written evidence at all for a "Friday the 13th" superstition before the mid 1800's. As a codified thing, it's a brand-new myth.
But there are many oral traditions that vaguely indicate the older roots of a "Friday the 13th" superstition. One explanation that seems plausible to me is Viking mythology, where the 13th Norse god was Loki; among other things, a murderer who once showed up as the 13th guest at the funeral of one of his victims.
Loki was actually an interesting character. One of his best tricks was the ability to transform himself into a salmon: Imagine, a god who's also rich in Omega 3s! Lots of gods care for your soul, but Loki is also good for your heart!
OK, that's the Norse "bad 13" thing. Another Norse god--- actually goddess--- named Frigga adds in the "bad Friday" thing. In fact, our word "Friday" comes from her name. "Friday" is a contraction of "Frigga's Day":
Friday is named for Frigga, the free-spirited goddess of love and fertility. When Norse and Germanic tribes converted to Christianity, Frigga was banished in shame to a mountaintop and labeled a witch. It was believed that every Friday, the spiteful goddess convened a meeting with eleven other witches, plus the devil - a gathering of thirteen - and plotted ill turns of fate for the coming week. For many centuries in Scandinavia, Friday was known as "Witches' Sabbath."
And if you're wondering, yes "Friggin'" as a substitute for the other F word does come from Frigga, "the free-spirited goddess of love and fertility."
So, you take the Norse "bad 13" (murderous Loki as the 13th god; and who showed up as the 13th mourner at his victim's funeral) and combine it with Frigga's "Friday" (including her own association with an evil 13th guest) and you have Friday the 13th as being a bad, bad day. Especially, I guess, if you're a nympho goddess or a part-time salmon.
Anyway, in addition to the above links, these sites may help your water-cooler conversations today:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triskaidekaphobia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraskevidekatriaphobia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friggatriskaidekaphobia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Canterbury_Tales
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammurabi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frigga
And even if you don't buy any of the above, you have to admit that Loki is pretty cool. A salmon god: Take that, Charlie the Tuna!
Born on a thirteenth, I've always liked to think of Friday the thirteenths as a good day for me. In fact, I might get lucky tonight! (shame on me)
ReplyDeleteYou're probably going to mention Pi Day tomorrow, so I'll give it advance mention. I said something about it in my blog, Mushrooms to Mototcycles. go to rogersgeorge.blogspot.com
Aha, Pi day--- March 14, or 3.14. Hard-core enthusiasts celebrate it at 3PM, which adds the "15" if you're using 24-hour notation.
ReplyDeleteNo, that's wasn't on the agenda for tomorrow--- thanks for mentioning it!
There's another informal celebration on March 14th, too. It started in 2003 and is sometimes called "Valentine's Day for Guys." (It's one month after the Feb 14th Valentine's Day, which is mostly for women.) It's risque, so I hesitate to explain it further, even though a quick check on Google shows almost 700,000 pages devoted to it.
(PM or email me if you're desperate to know. ;-) )
I want to add a little bit of confusion: in Italy the bad day is "Friday the 17th" and 17 is the bad number. Boh?
ReplyDeleteI discovered last year that in China they do the missing floor in hotels thing too - only there it's the fourth floor as the word for four also sounds like the word for death.
ReplyDelete