The Journey of Friday the 13th From Templars to Terror
The idea that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day is strongly engrained in Western culture, often prompting feelings of discomfort and superstitions. This date, when the 13th of the month falls on a Friday, has traditionally been connected with poor luck and ominous events. The origins of this superstition are multifaceted, involving historical facts, religious beliefs, and mythology. One of the most fascinating stories connects Friday the 13th to the demise of the Knights Templar in the early 14th century. This article investigates the roots of the Friday the 13th superstition, its relationship with the Knights Templar, and its portrayal in modern pop culture.
The superstition surrounding Friday the 13th is the result of two long-held beliefs: 13 is an unfortunate number and Friday is an awful day. The fear of the number thirteen, known as triskaidekaphobia, has ancient roots. In Norse mythology, a well-known story includes a dinner party of 12 gods in Valhalla, which is disrupted by the appearance of a 13th guest, Loki, who causes mayhem and eventually kills the adored god Balder. Similarly, in Christian belief, the Last Supper was attended by 13 people—the 12 apostles and Jesus—on Maundy Thursday, with Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, entering as the thirteenth guest. Jesus was later executed on Good Friday, which may contribute to the perception of Friday as an unlucky day.
Friday has been regarded unlucky in many civilisations for ages. In mediaeval Britain, Friday was known as “hangman’s day,” since it was traditional to execute criminals on this day. Sailors regarded sailing on a Friday to be unlucky. Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, written in the 14th century, mentions Friday as a day of sorrow.
Despite these traditions, the identification with Friday the 13th as a particularly terrible day appears to be a very recent phenomena. There is little historical evidence to show when the superstition originated, although it appears to have grown in popularity in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
One of the most intriguing ideas relating Friday the 13th to ill fortune centres on the Knights Templar, a mediaeval Christian military order. The Knights Templar, founded around 1119, grew to be one of Europe’s most powerful and wealthiest organisations, and they played an important part throughout the Crusades. They built a network of banks and purchased enormous tracts of land, gaining both influence and envy.
The critical event took place on Friday, 13th October 1307. King Philip IV of France, who was deeply indebted to the Templars and concerned about their growing influence, ordered the arrest of hundreds of Knights Templar, including their Grand Master Jacques de Molay. The charges against them included heresy, blasphemy, and a variety of other serious allegations, many of which were collected by torture. This mass arrest signalled the demise of the Knights Templar. Over the years, many were slain or forced to confess to bogus charges, and Pope Clement V eventually disbanded the order under pressure from King Philip.
This stunning fall from grace on Friday the 13th is frequently recognised as the root of the superstition. Historians, on the other hand, disagree about the veracity of this connection. There is scant contemporary evidence linking the events of 1307 to the idea of Friday the 13th as a bad day. The link between the Knights Templar and superstition appears to have gained popularity much later, maybe in the twentieth century, via novels and other works of fiction.
In popular culture, Friday the 13th has become linked with terror and disaster, transcending its historical and religious beginnings. The superstition has been perpetuated and exacerbated by literature, film, and media. The Friday the 13th horror film franchise, which began with Sean S. Cunningham’s 1980 picture, has made a substantial contribution to the modern mythos of Friday the 13th. The series follows the fictional character Jason Voorhees, a masked killer who exacts retribution on people he holds responsible for his misfortunes. The franchise has produced countless sequels, remakes, and products, solidifying Friday the 13th as a cultural icon of horror.
In literature, Thomas W. Lawson’s novel “Friday, the Thirteenth”, published in 1907, portrays the narrative of a stockbroker who exploits superstition to incite a Wall Street panic. This work is one of the earliest documented examples of Friday the 13th as a harbinger of bad luck, indicating that the superstition was gaining momentum in common consciousness at the time.
Furthermore, Friday the 13th is frequently associated with urban tales and folklore, providing as a setting for narrative that centres on themes of fate and disaster. The date has been the subject of statistical research to establish whether it is indeed a bad day. While some studies indicate an increase in accidents or hospital admissions on this date, others find no substantial association, blaming any observed rise on confirmation bias.
In the age of social media, Friday the 13th continues to captivate the public imagination. It inspires memes, hashtags, and trends, with people sharing their experiences and superstitions about the date. The continuing interest with Friday the 13th reflects a larger human tendency to seek patterns and meaning in dates and numbers.
Friday the 13th is a powerful example of how myths and superstitions can develop throughout time, combining historical events, religious symbols, and cultural narratives. While the connection to the Knights Templar lends mystique to the myth, there is little historical evidence to substantiate it. The superstition appears to have crystallised in its current form during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, aided by literature and media.
In current times, Friday the 13th is a cultural touchstone that influences entertainment and popular conversation. Whether perceived with genuine anxiety or as a humorous homage to tradition, the day retains relevance in modern life. It emphasises the pervasive power of superstition and narrative in human civilisation, reminding us of how history, myth, and media interact to form our conceptions of luck and fate.
