Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/02/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]In a message dated 2/14/04 2:16:16 AM, dkhong@pacific.net.sg writes: << Friends Please permit my cross-cultural ignorance but why is Friday 13th such a "bad luck" day? Dan K. >> Ironically paganism and Christianity converge to give us one hell of a day.... In Western tradition 13 is considered an unlucky number. Some buildings over 13 stories tall, don't list floor 13, don't have an apartment 13... why 13? 13 at the last supper of Christ. PreChristianity gives us an interesting parallel with the Norse mythology of a supper at Valhalla, with 12 seats for 12 gods. Enter Loki, god of strife and that makes the number to 13. Attempts to rid the feast of Loki ends up with the esteemed Balder being killed. (origins of judas?) Romans considered 13 to be the number of death and destruction. After the arrival of Christianity, in the Western world, 13 became associated with witchcraft/paganism (bad according to Christians), 13 being the number needed for a witches coven. Friday the 13th? Christ was supposedly crucified on Friday the 13th. The Norse (aGain!) give us Friday as being "witches sabbath," perhaps from the tradition of goddess of LOVE and Fertility Freyja, symbolised by the Fish and whose day of offering/reverence was Friday. Upon adoption of Christianity the goddess (like lots of goddesses) got labelled as a witch (and her love and fertility aspects became connected with SEX.i.e.EVIL) and she was banished. To retailiate, on Fridays she would meet with 11 other witches, as well as the devil (might as well have the heavy hitters to help) and they would plan misfortune and axis of evil type events for the week to come. - -kim ps--13 colonies started the United States. A witches number or not? - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html