Paraskevidekatriaphobia is "Having a morbid fear of Friday the 13th."
Fear of the number thirteen (triskadectaphobia) stems from the fear of the number 13 and the fear of Fridays. Triskadectaphobia has roots in Western culture and in Christian theology.
Here are a few examples of beliefs that have lead to the fear of Friday the 13th: Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Some theologians opine that Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden fruit on a Friday and the Great Flood started on a Friday.
In ancient Rome Friday was the execution day. Read what Katharine Kurtz wrote in Tales of the Knights Templar (Warner Books: 1995):
"On October 13, 1307, a day so infamous that Friday the 13th would become a synonym for ill fortune, officers of King Philip IV of France carried out mass arrests in a well-coordinated dawn raid that left several thousand Templars - knights, sergeants, priests, and serving brethren - in chains, charged with heresy, blasphemy, various obscenities, and homosexual practices. None of these charges was ever proven, even in France - and the Order was found innocent elsewhere - but in the seven years following the arrests, hundreds of Templars suffered excruciating tortures intended to force ‘confessions,' and more than a hundred died under torture or were executed by burning at the stake."
Some historians believe the Christian dislike of Friday is linked to the early Catholic Church's suppression of the pagan religion and women. Friday was devoted to Venus in the Roman calendar and when the Norsemen later adopted the Roman calendar, they named the day after the Norse love/sex goddess....Frigg or Freya. The strong female goddesses were believed to pose a threat to males so some believe the Christian church vilified these love/sex goddesses and "Friday."
The fear of the number 13 goes all the way back to the pagan days. It has been told that Frigg would join a coven of 12 witches... and including Frigg and the coven of witches... there were 13! Historians also believe that the Christian church may have considered the number 13 unholy because it signified 12 witches and the devil.
In later times, Friday and the number 13 were also closely associated with capital punishment. Friday was the conventional day for public hangings in the Britain. Reportedly there were 13 steps leading up to the noose.
Be safe and don't step on any cracks, don't open your umbrella inside and beware of black cats!
So tell us, do you suffer from Paraskevidekatriaphobia?
Discover the New Hampshire Advantage. New Hampshire was chosen as the Most Livable State in America! The Safest State in America, 2010. and the Fifth Healthiest State in America!
________
Disclaimer: Information herein may come from various sources, some of which may not be reliable and may change without any notice. Joan Whitebook does not guarantee or is any way responsible for the accuracy of the information in this blog and information provided is without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Information on this blog represents the opinions and ideas of the author; comments by others may not express the views of the author. Copyright © 2010 By Joan Whitebook, " Do you suffer from Paraskevidekatriaphobia?"
Comments(15)