Friday the 13th Lore
Friday the 13th is a date that has a lot of superstition and mythology attached to it. Some people believe that it is a day of bad luck, misfortune and fear, and they may avoid doing certain activities such as flying. The fear of Friday the 13th is so common that it has a name: friggatriskaidekaphobia and also paraskevidekatriaphobia.
This belief may have originated from Norse mythology, where Loki, the god of mischief, caused the death of Balder, the god of light, by joining a banquet of 12 gods and making the number 13. Deceived by Loki, the blind god Hodr was tricked into shooting his brother Balder, the god of light, joy and goodness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow, killing him instantly.
Another possible source that contributed to popularizing the superstition is the 1907 novel, Friday, the Thirteenth by T.W. Lawson which depicted a Wall Street panic caused by a dishonest broker on that date.
In pop culture, the 1980 Friday the 13th American horror movie franchise with the main character, Jason Voorhees, who was thought to have drowned as a boy at Camp Crystal Lake due to the negligence of the camp staff. Decades later, the lake is rumored to be "cursed" and is the setting for a series of mass murders. Jason's hockey mask has become one of the most recognizable images and is associated with Friday the 13th.
However, not everyone sees Friday the 13th as a day of bad luck. Looking back into history, we also find evidence that both Fridays and the number 13 has been associated with good fortune. In some cultures and pagan traditions, Friday and the number 13 are associated with positive aspects, such as fertility, femininity and the moon.
One example is the Venus of Laussel, a limestone carving that dates back to around 25,000 years ago. It shows a woman with a large belly, holding her womb with one hand and a horn with 13 marks on the other. Scholars believe this sculpture is a goddess and a symbol of fertility. The 13 marks symbolize the number of moons or the number of menstrual cycles in one year, both of which are signs of celebrations of female power.
Both goddesses were so revered and loved that when Christianity began to spread across Europe and as they tried to get rid of them, they faced fierce resistance from the people of the old religions, who refused to abandon their beliefs and practices. The Christian authorities responded with persecution and propaganda, labeling the goddesses and their followers as witches, heretics and evil-doers. They tried to erase their memory and influence, but they did not succeed completely.
Fortunately, today there is more awareness about how female goddesses and women have been oppressed and silenced by misogyny throughout history. One of the positive trends in the modern era is the increasing attention and appreciation given to the role and contributions of female deities and women in the past. By learning more about these stories, we can gain a more balanced and diverse perspective on the past. Maybe this can help to change the story of this unlucky date and the female goddesses that are linked to it. Instead, let us celebrate Friday the 13th by manifesting good fortune with gratitude!