Chilling history of feared Friday 13th - torture, curses and terrifying phobia

13 October 2023 , 07:00

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The dreaded date of Friday the 13th has a lot of historical meaning behind it (Image: Getty)

For those that believe in superstition, every time a Friday 13th comes around you'll likely stare at your calendar with some trepidation. Those of a nervous disposition may have been somewhat relieved last year to find there was only one, but in both 2023 and 2024, there are two instances - with one being today, Friday 13 October.

Across the world, the date is synonymous with bad luck, but if you asked people why the day is so notorious, they might not entirely be sure. The unlucky event has even made its way into popular culture, with many songs giving it a mention to horror films even going by that title.

So why exactly is this specific date considered to be so unlucky? Here, The Mirror takes a look back at the ancient curse and how people have come to develop a phobia, called Friggatriskaidekaphobia.

Why is Friday the 13th unlucky?

A Friday the 13th 'curse' is said to be connected to an ancient religious military order known as Knights Templar, or Knights of the Temple (Getty)

There are competing theories about why Friday the 13th is widely believed to be unlucky, but trisadekaphobia - fear of the number 13 - is a long-established phenomenon. Fear of Friday the 13th has its own term, too: paraskevidekatriaphobia, or Friggatriskaidekaphobia - 'Frigga' being the name of the Norse goddess who inspired 'Friday'.

Such fears are believed to have biblical origins. In particular, there were 13 people in attendance at the Last Supper - that is, Jesus and his 12 disciples - on Maundy Thursday. The number 13 has therefore been associated with Judas Escariot, who betrayed Jesus.

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Another theory about the origins of Friday the 13th as an unlucky omen connects it to the demise of the Knights Templar, a Catholic military order in the Middle Ages. Hundreds of Knights Templar were arrested on Friday, October 13th in 1307 by the French king Philip IV.

The Knights Templar, it is said, were arrested on the orders of Pope Clement V, who accused them - apparently without foundation - of financial and moral corruption. These charges were based, it seems, on confessions extracted under torture.

Jacques de Molay, the order's Grand Master, reportedly issued a curse on those who persecuted the Knights Templar as he faced burning at the stake in Paris. Some have it that this curse meant that every subsequent Friday the 13th would also deliver misfortune.

However, some other countries have different dates which are considered to be unlucky. In Italy, Friday the 17th is thought to be an ominous date, as is Tuesday the 13th in Spanish folklore.

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