Number 13: Coincidence Or Bad Luck – Are We Still Superstitious?

A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com - We are told that 13 is an unlucky number.

Thirteen symbolizes disharmony, disaster, death, ruin, curse, betrayal, contradiction, and non-fulfillment. As the number following the lucky twelve, it has often been considered sinister, unlucky, and holy. In the near East is the number of the underworld, the number destroying the cosmic order.

The date Friday 13, 1307 was a bad day for the Knights Templar. They were arrested by Order Of The King Philippe IV of France and condemned.

Or perhaps was Friday the 13th intentionally chosen as the date of a "pre-dawn raid" to arrest the Templars?

The number 13 has been avoided for centuries. Architects omitted the 13th floor from office buildings to this very day. Do they still do it today?

Is it possible that the folklore associated with the number 13 is nothing but fantasy or superstition? Was this number 'demonized' or 'punished' because it was sacred in pre-Christian times?

Coincidence Or The Number 13's Bad Luck?

According to Pindar, the great Greek lyric poet, and other sources, King Oenomaus of Pisa, who had an incestuous love for his daughter Hippodamia, killed his daughter's thirteen suitors.

We cite Phyllis G. Jestice in "Holy People of the World":

"near the end of Philip's life, the orator Isocrates wrote, "Having united Greece… the only thing left you would be to become a God" (Epistles 3.5.) On the morning of his assassination in 336, at the grand festival celebrating his planned invasion of Persia, Philip's fateful – and fatal – entrance into the Aegean theater was proceeded by thirteen statues on wagon bases: twelve Olympians, and Philip himself, whose statue was no smaller than that of the gods…."

The statues of the 12 Olympian gods followed by a figure of Philip himself enthroned are also mentioned in another version saying that it happened at a luxurious celebration he organized for his daughter's wedding to the king of Epirus, Alexander's uncle. The lavish wedding ceremony concluded with a procession bearing statues of immortals now accompanied by the thirteen's "god" - Philip.

It was not the best day for King Philip, or perhaps the number 13 was fatal and did not bring him much luck. While entering the town's theatre, Philip was assassinated by Pausanias of Orestis, one of his seven bodyguards.

This historical event took place a very long time ago. In the meantime, the number 13 continuously influenced people's life.

Can The Number 13 Be A Lucky Number?

Thirteen can be a lucky number too, but we have to add to number 12 a great personality like, for example, King Arthur and the twelve Knights of the Round Table, or Charlemagne and the twelve Paladins (or Twelve Peers) who according to legend, are the notable members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century.

Numerous talismans are decorated with the image of the number 13, and in many traditions, Friday is a holy day.

The Number 13 Has A Few Biblical Associations

Not all the numbers have many references in the Bible. Thirteen was the sacred number of the Mexicans and Yucatan people, and it had an astronomical connection in their beliefs because the stars and the Sun were considered Gods by them.

In Yucatan, there were 13 "Snake Gods." In the Nahua people's beliefs, such as the Aztecs, Chichimecs, and the Toltecs, the heavens were constructed and separated into 13 levels. Each level had from one to many Lords (gods) living in and ruling them.

In Tibetan and Mongolian cultures, the 13 also plays a significant role in Tibetan cosmology, religion, and history. Based on ancient records, the early kings would begin to rule at the age of thirteen in Tibet, divided into thirteen districts. Likewise, in Mongolian culture, thirteen was also considered a lucky number, especially among travelers. In religious contexts, the Mongolians used the number thirteen to categorize the primordial gods of their society.

In Egyptian beliefs, this number was also significant, as there are thirteen steps for Egyptians to take between life and death.

The Number 13 In Norse Mythology

In Norse mythology, a dinner party's story tells about a banquet in Valhalla, where a trickster god Loki makes an unpleasant appearance. He crashes this feast and kills one of the guests (Balder) with an arrow. This major event in Norse mythology caused the number 13 to be considered unlucky, and this superstition spread to many countries.

Many people consider themselves superstitious. It is relatively common to see people avoid the number 13 in and around elevators, hotels, airlines, and other places. They even know the unluckiness of having thirteen guests at the dinner table.

In non-religious or non-mythical environments, the number 13 is also prominent. In Germany and France, there are often street numbers 12, except the number thirteen. It happens that the Americans choose to omit the number thirteen and put superstition on the number. Frequently this is the case with Friday the 13th and the lack of the 13th floor in many hotels.

Hebrew ancient lore did not reckon the number 13 as unlucky; this idea arose from the fate of Judas after the Last Supper of Jesus, yet not for some centuries, but since the notion was started, it has been prevalent among all Christians. ¹

13 was a number central to certain sacred geometry traditions because it reflected a pattern that could be seen to exist in man, nature, and the heavens.

Updated on May 13, 2022

Written by – A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer

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