|
Triskaidekaphobia
from http://www.squidoo.com/triskaidekaphobia
The Fear of 13
The word triskaidekaphobia comes from greek: 'tris' meaning 'three', 'kai' meaning 'and', 'deka' meaning 'ten', and 'phobia' as we know meaning 'fear'. It is the fear of the number 13.
A specific fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia.
Related phobias include arithmophobia or numerophobia, which is the general fear of numbers, and hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia the fear of the number 666. Also, Tetraphobia, is fear of the number 4, a number considered quite unlucky in Korea, China, and Japan.
If you are interested in the names of (many) other phobias, visit the Phobia List.
Triskaidekaphobia is a fear of the number 13. It is usually considered to be a superstition. A specific fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia.
Origins
The superstition has been linked to the fact there were 13 people at the last supper of Jesus. It has also been linked to that fact that a lunisolar calendar must have 13 months in some years, while the solar Gregorian calendar and lunar Islamic calendar always have 12 months in a year.
Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13. We have all heard of it, and many have heard rumors as to its origin, but do we really know the extend to which this superstition reaches worldwide, and for how long this fear has existed? From the vikings, to the disciples, to the Knights Templar, to the Lunar Calendar, there are many theories of the origin of Triskaidekaphobia.
Powered by Flickr
Possible Origins of this Worldwide Phobia
• The counting method of ancient man may be the source of the fear, in that man counted on ten fingers and two feet (presumably covered in an article of clothing, like a shoe). Anything beyond that countable dozen was "unknown" and therefore suspect. In English, we have distinct names for the numbers one through twelve.
• Or perhaps it came from the Last Supper a meal for which 13 people sat a the table. Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th to sit at the table.
• It may also be linked to that fact that a lunisolar calendar must have 13 months in some years, while the solar Gregorian calendar and lunar Islamic calendar always have 12 months in a year.
• There is also a Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla, their heaven. In walked the uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous Loki. Once there, Loki arranged for Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow, killing him.
Fear of Friday the 13th
paraskavedekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia
"It's been estimated that [U.S] $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do," said Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina.
FYI:
People avoid...
13th floors
13th seats on airplanes
13th
Occurances and Examples of the 13 Superstition in Action
• In America, many tall buildings have no floor numbered as "13". Watch the elevator buttons as an indication of this.
• On some passenger aircraft there is no seating row numbered "13".
• In Formula One and many other racing categories, no vehicle carries the number 13.
• Microsoft will be skipping the name Office 13. Office 12 (a.k.a Microsoft Office 2007) will be followed by the next release whose working title is Microsoft Office 14.
• Hospitals and hotels routinely have no room number 13.
• On streets in Florence, Italy, and in much of France the house between number 12 and 14 is addressed as 12 and a half.
• In Scotland, there is no terminal 13 in any airport, instead there is a terminal 12B.
• On the Universal Studios sound stages in California, there is no sound stage numbered 13.
What examples have you heard?
Let Mr. P know via e-mail.
More to Come Monday!
|
|
Next......
