Are we a really superstitious people or are we simply repeating what we have been hearing for decades regarding this popular belief, which associates this date with bad luck? From the old news according to which every Friday the 13th accidents increased, hospital emergency rooms were overcrowded and everything was plunged into a kind of distrustful and fearful atmosphere; to the countless horror movies titled Friday 13th , produced in Hollywood, where the protagonist is a ferocious serial killer, masked; There are many people who, even in our times, give this day a particular negative aura. Of course, none of this is true. Hundreds of investigations have shown that there is no reason to believe that every Friday the 13th , bad luck haunts our lives. So don't worry and enjoy this new weekend that begins. But where did the legend begin? Here we tell you…
On Friday the 13th October 1307, by order of the Church, several members of the Order of the Templars were arrested , ancient protectors of Christianity. The Inquisition launched a manhunt for the Knights across Europe and simultaneously arrested them that night. The reason? He had information that the Templars they gathered to organize pagan celebrations and practice heresy. Those who were caught ended up killed or burned at the stake.
Legend has it that, on that day in 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrest of Jacques DeMolay , a leader of the ancient Knights Templar . Knowing, DeMolay appeared before the sovereign with the intention of dialogue, however he was arrested and tortured along with his people to provide information. DeMolay was also executed, along with the other imprisoned Templars. But before he died, he cast a curse:the Pope and King Philip They would die before they were a year old. This curse was effectively fulfilled and both characters died in the following months. Since then, the followers of the Templars proclaimed Friday the 13th like a damn day.
Since those times, this belief became a popular superstition that has spanned the centuries and, to this day, this date is considered "bad luck". Also, the number 13 has a stigma stemming from some coincidences. For example, the guests at the Last Supper were 13; Norse legends and Kabbalah count 13 evil spirits; chapter 13 of the Apocalypse corresponds to the Antichrist and the Beast; In the Tarot, this number refers to death.
Furthermore, a Scandinavian legend tells that, at a dinner of Norse gods, the god of lies, Loki, showed up uninvited, and became the 13th diner During the agape, Loki persuaded Balder, brother of the god of light, joy and reconciliation, to throw him a mistletoe, which would end up causing his death.
From this legend another myth was born:if 13 people sit at a table, one of them will die. The superstition related to this number is called "triscaidekaphobia", or irrational fear of the number 13. And the specific one for Friday the 13th It is known as “paraskavedekatriafobia”, “friggatriscaidecafobia” or “tocaidecamestafobia”. The one referring to Tuesday the 13th is called “trezidavomartiofobia”.
However, as it concerns superstitions or beliefs, the number 13 is "good luck" in Italy, curiously where the Vatican, the seat of the Catholic Church, is located. In Spain, Greece and Latin American countries, it is Tuesday the 13th, and not Friday the 13th , which is considered, among those who believe in it, bad luck. Tuesday derives from the Latin Martis, a day consecrated to Mars, a planet that in the Middle Ages was called "the little malefic".
According to Greek mythology, Mars is the god of war, so Tuesday would be ruled by destruction, blood and violence. On the other hand, the legend says that on Tuesday the 13th there was a confusion of languages in the Tower of Babel.
As we can see, the mythology around Friday the 13th It is wide and very interesting. However, none of that serves as a handle to suggest with the idea that, just because it is Friday and the 13th falls, we are going to go wrong in some of our efforts. Today is a day like any other and as the self-help books say:the good or bad luck that one has is the result of our own actions.