Why is the number 13 reckoned unlucky by the English?

14 ⤊

Why is the number 13 reckoned unlucky by the English?

The usual explanation is 13 at the Last Supper ...
but I've heard some alternative explanations ... that it may have something to do with the Major Arcana of the Tarot, with the mermaids of the North Sea, or with Philippe Le Belle and the Knights Templar (shades of Dan Brown). What do you reckon? Is the Last Supper theory just a Christian repackaging of older and/or less respectable beliefs? Which theory do you think is the right one and why?

2007-03-26 12:07:33 · 18 answers · asked by Cosimo )O( 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore

I'm astonished at the variety of explanations you have furnished ... and several of them are very plausible. It's going to be tough to select a best answer ... I think I will do it on the basis of which explanation I am personally most persuaded by. Many thanks to you all. If anyone is interested, here is the link to the question and answers on Answers Italia which prompted my question ...
http://it.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApckStZTDDH.V5I_4AKxetDxDQx.?qid=20070326143340AAipmC9&show=7#profile-info-3563d579abd2af06ae15b992332b0706aa

2007-03-27 09:31:28 · update #1

2007-03-27 09:34:21 · update #2

18 answers

In the patriarchal solar calendar, there are twelve months for the twelve signs of the zodiac. In the previous calendar, which was feminine and lunar, there were 13 months based on the number of moon cycles in one year. When the Indo-Europeans destroyed the goddess-worshiping cultures, the solar replaced the lunar calendar, and 13 was only then considered bad and unlucky.

2007-03-26 14:36:16 · answer #1 · answered by fatboycool 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋

There are lots of explanations and whichever one you choose to believe (if you believe that 13 is an unlucky number) is really up to you.
The Last Supper theory (that at the Last Supper, Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th to sit at the table) is similar to the Norse tale (the number of Norse gods (there were 12) at a banquet that was crashed by the evil spirit Loki (making 13) who killed one of the guests with a poison arrow.)
When a group of 13 objects or persons is divided into two, three, four or six equal groups, there is always one leftover, "unlucky" object or person.
There are lots of varying reasons why the number 13 is significant going right back to pre-christian times (the Code of Hammurabi, a collection of laws written around 1760 BCE, doesn't have a thirteenth law) involving everything from the phases of the moon to menstruation but I doubt that anyone will ever discover the original reason.
Its worth remembering that in Judaism and Sikhism the number 13 is considered favourable.

2007-03-26 12:34:05 · answer #2 · answered by warrobcol 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋

Fear of 13 is known as triskaidekaphobia! It's said it comes from Norse mythology. Odin's son Balder (god of peace and light), went to a banquet. Loki (god of discord) was the uninvited thirteenth guest. Loki tricked Hoder (darkness) to kill Balder in revenge. The superstition then gained momentum after the Last Supper, when 13 included Judas, who was the first to quit to table and hang himself. Therefore, the superstition arose that if 13 people dine together, he who leaves the table first will die. Therefore, no royal dinner ever has a number of 13 at a table, should one die!

I think the Christian theory is just a repackaging of the Norse myth. A lot of Christian practices are not really Biblical, such as the Christmas tree and Christmas itself. I can't really say which one is right.

2007-03-28 04:29:57 · answer #3 · answered by Blodeuedd 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋

In numerology, the number 1 is a good number;diminent and male oriented. The number 2 is evil and feminine. The number 3 is holy and 4 is twice evil. The other numbers have meanings too. 6 is a number of the devil, 7 is a devine and mystic number (found in the book of Revatations, for instance). One can determine "their" number by assigning a number to eacj letter of the name and adding the numb ers until the digits form a single digit. The name DON would be 4+15+14=33 ...3+3=6....

For the number 13
1+3=4; an evil number.

2007-03-26 12:21:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋

I thought it had something to do with Norse Mythology. I could be wrong

Norse mythology also has a superstition surrounding thirteen at a dinner table and the bad luck that ensues. In fact, it is believed that the Christian story of the Last Supper may find its origin in this particular myth. Apparently twelve deities sat down for a meal at a gods' feast only to have Loki, the god of mischief and disorder, come along and crash the party. He rose the number to thirteen, causing one of the gods to die during the meal.

2007-03-26 12:09:57 · answer #5 · answered by Samantha 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋

The Knights Templar were killed on Friday the 13th. Friday is ruled by Venus and 13 is the number of the Goddess, so it could also be something to do with the suppression of the sacred feminine.

2007-03-27 23:36:46 · answer #6 · answered by Holistic Mystic 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋

I heard it was, as you say, because of there being 13 people at the last supper. Also, the 13th card of the major arcana is the card for death.
As far as I'm aware, Jesus is reported to have been crucified on a friday but not specifically friday 13th.

2007-03-26 12:17:13 · answer #7 · answered by Big Mack 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋

I found this by serching it:

Alexander wanted to be a God and accordingly made a 13th statue on the place of his capital. He died and people considered that his will to be a 13th God (12 gods, one for each month were known) was the reason of his death. After that this number was considered as unlucky.
According to historians, there were 13 people at Christ's Last Supper and Christ was crucified on Friday 13th. So, Friday 13th is considered as Unlucky.

2007-03-26 12:15:09 · answer #8 · answered by jblackbelt1 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋

I think it just comes from history and unfortunate events having fallen on the 13th of the month. Sorry to be vague, but it all varies from culture to culture.

In Japan, the number 4 is considered unlucky- they even have two pronunciations for the number, 'yon' and 'shi', which they use depending on the circumstance. 'Shi' loosely means 'death', so you won't find many parking spaces with the number 4, and my very own apartment is number '5' instead of 4. Weird.

2007-03-26 15:08:38 · answer #9 · answered by Phil K 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋

I really don't know, but it is a bit silly that 13 is differnet to 12 or 14. Added together it is 4 a stable number

2007-03-27 05:30:07 · answer #10 · answered by jupiteress 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋