Are you trembling in your bed? Is your rabbit’s foot dusted off? Have you got your four-leaf clover clasped tightly in your hand? Friday the 13th terrifies some people. Have you ever wondered why?
Apparently biblical catastrophes happen on Fridays. Adam and Eve were tossed out of Eden on a Friday. Noah’s flood started on a Friday, and of course, Jesus was crucified on Good Friday. People decided Friday was an unlucky day.
I don’t like this theory much. Friday is named for the Viking Goddess Freya, so how did Adam and Eve, Noah, etc all know the catastrophes happened on a day that hadn’t been named yet?
Of course, for criminals sentenced to be hung, then Friday was definitely unlucky. That’s the day the executions happened.
Okay, that’s Friday covered.
So what’s wrong with the number 13.
Lots of cultures believe it’s unlucky for 13 people to gather in one place. There were 13 people at the last supper, but the superstition goes beyond Christianity. Hindus share the same belief, as do the Norse. That’s when Loki comes into the picture.
Art by Ben Lai
When the 12 Norse gods went into conclave, they didn’t invite Loki. He turned up anyway. Intent on causing trouble, he incited the god, Hod, to kill Balder and plunged the gods into mourning. Mankind suffered for it
So, time I climbed on my feminist high horse. There are twelve man-made months in a year, but a woman has thirteen menstrual cycles.
In Goddess worshipping culture, the number 13 was revered, but patriarchal priests deliberately vilified it. Looks like I’ve got a new lucky number.
What happens if you combine unlucky Fridays with the evil number thirteen?
You get streets of houses where the odd numbers run 7,9,11,15. No Thirteen. I grew up on one of them. Apparently flights are cheaper on Friday 13th too. Fewer weddings happen on those Fridays, and fewer house sales are completed.
It seems Friday 13th had hidden depths.
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