The mysterious roots of superstition around the number '13' considered ominous across cultures
Rooted in religious beliefs and linked to historic tragedies, the ominous connotations associated with Fridays falling on the 13th of any month have also made it into pop culture spawning a hit horror franchise. Thankfully, this so-called inauspicious day is a rare phenomenon on the calendar and does not fall every "13th" of any month giving us a sense of relief to people who dearly believe in this superstition. But beyond myths spun around it and the fictional masked killer that has become its face, the terror that Friday the 13th invokes has historical roots.
The superstition about the day and date coinciding has evolved over time and across cultures since the number "13" has been regarded as unlucky for different reasons in different parts of the world. According to CNN, the first reason has been traced to a book called “Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things,” where author Charles Panati mentioned how this cursed belief originated in Norse mythology. In the book, Loki, the god of mischief, gate-crashed a banquet in Valhalla, bringing the number of gods in attendance to 13. Deceived by Loki, the blind god Hodr was tricked into killing his brother Balder, the god of light, joy, and goodness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow.
The infamous number also marks its presence in Christianity as part of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ. It was said that the meal initially featured 12 diners until a last-minute change came in the form of a 13th guest who was none other than Judas Iscariot, the archetypal traitor who soon betrayed Jesus to the Romans.
The despised and feared number received support from advocates like Captain William Fowler, who tried to spread awareness to people regarding the false claims and superstitions about the number. To dispel the myths, he attended Public School Number 13 in Manhattan and gained the membership of 13 organizations. Not just that, The man had constructed 13 buildings in New York and had fought in 13 Civil War battles. It was also said that Fowler decided to start an anti-suspicion club in its honor and held the Thirteen Club’s first dinner on Friday, January 13, 1882, reported Smithsonian Magazine.
Despite the number gaining notoriety in pop culture through horror movies, pop icon Taylor Swift has lent her support to "13," by revealing that she considers that it has brought her good fortune since birth. Her fans first got a glimpse of her love for the number during the "Fearless Tour" in 2009 and 2010 when Swift sketched "13" on the back of her hand before each performance.
Swift talked about how the number holds a dear place in her life as she said, "I was born on the 13th. I turned 13 on Friday the 13th. My first album went gold in 13 weeks. My first No. 1 song had a 13-second intro. Every time I’ve won an award I’ve been seated in either the 13th seat, the 13th row, the 13th section, or row M, which is the 13th letter." according to an interview with TODAY.