Welcome to #RandomHorrorFacts! Horror has been my love since I was a child. The creepy, the witchy, the demonically inclined, possession, all of it was my go to! Ever wonder what incidents spawned your favorite horror book or movie? Well, let’s dig in and find out!
The Superstitious Friday the 13th
In Western Civilization, Friday the 13th has been a popular superstition. The occurrence happens at least once a year on the Gregorian calendar and many believe it to be an unlucky day. But what exactly spawned the superstition?
The number 13 has its roots in superstitions stemming from Norse myths. The one story in particular was where Loki, the infamous trickster god, was not invited to a dinner party. The total number of guests were 12 until he arrived. Once he was a part of the party, things started to head south as they often did when Loki was around and he soon had convinced Höðr to shoot Balder with a mistletoe tipped arrow. Balder died and the story says that the earth went into darkness to mourn the loss of Balder. Another story plucked from myths comes from the Christian story of Jesus’ last supper that also emulates the same dinner party of 13 and Jesus dying 2 days later.
However, none of the myths and stories that situate around either the number 13 or the day Friday have the occurrence of the date being Friday the 13th. Recent studies also show that as opposed to the superstition of accidents occurring more frequently on this date, they actually occurred less frequently. The only incident that was marked and dated was Friday the 13th of October in 1307 when the Knights of Templars were rounded up for trials and executions. However, there wasn’t any superstition prior to the 19th century for the date.
Friday the 13th movie franchise
Camp Crystal Lake and Jason Voorhees have long been associated with Friday the 13th because, well, that’s the name of the movie franchise this fictional person and setting were created for. Initially titled A Long Night at Camp Blood, this 80’s slasher movie went on to make a 12 movie franchise with crossovers into other horror series such as A Nightmare on Elm Street. Based around the running plot of revenge, Jason Voorhees isn’t actually part of the first movie! It was in fact his mother taking out years of pent up anger and rage out on camp counselors that were more into having sex than watching the kids, which is why her son died years before. Or, so it seemed. At the very end of the movie, Jason comes back to take revenge for the death of his own mother. It has always remained unclear whether or not he was a ghost at first or if he had in fact survived his initial drowning, but hell hath no fury like Jason, and to hell he was sent multiple times.
What exactly does this have to do with the superstition? Well, just as it is titled, the first movie takes place on Friday the 13th. As all 80s slasher films, the movie had a message for its viewers. Its message: Don’t go camping on Friday the 13th. Don’t go camping and have sex on Friday the 13th.
Did the movie franchise help build the superstition? Maybe or maybe not. Superstitions have a way of being fabricated just like myths, fables, legends, or any other good old horror story.