The Knights Templar were formed in 1118. At a time that European Christians believed that killing for Christ was a ticket to Heaven. This was the era of the Crusades when European knights attempted to conquer the Holy Land. One day, someone thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if we combined a priest with a warrior?” And thus the Knights Templar were born. They took their name from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Their aims were chastity, poverty, and obedience. (They did not do well with that second one.) At first the organization’s goal was to protect pilgrims going to Jerusalem, but because that was too defensive, they soon added warring with Islamic leaders in the Middle East. They wore black or white robes with a red cross and they were badasses.
Kings and pilgrims showered them with donations because that was like paying their way into Heaven. The Knights became incredibly wealthy and built castles, churches, and banks. The Catholic Church patted them on the back. But that wealth was awfully tempting to kings who went into debt with their royal spending. One of them was King Philip IV of France who was in need for more finances to do his kingly stuff. So, he declared that he had found secret documents that supposedly proved that the Knights participated in black magic and sexual rituals.
On Friday, October 13, 1307, the King had 600 suspects arrested. Many of them simply worked for the Knights Templar. They were accused of activities like heresy, devil worship, homosexuality, fraud, and spitting on the Cross. They were jailed and fed only bread and water. And they were tortured in a medieval sort of way. Techniques like “strappdo” which is when they tie your hands behind your back and then pull you up off the floor by your wrists. Ouch! The rack was used to stretch victims. Tar was put on feet and then set afire. Would you believe many of the suspects confessed to the charges? In 1310, fifty of the guilty were burned at the stake and more was to come. Pope Clement V was at first opposed to the witchhunt, but soon put a finger in the air and went with the flow. He ended up dissolving the Knights Templar and giving all the money not grabbed by kings to the Knights Hospitaller.
Centuries later it was claimed that their very bad Friday the 13th was the origin of the belief that any 13th day of a month that fell on a Friday was unlucky. Historians have labeled that a myth, but it’s as good a guess as any. Another contender is the Last Supper. If you consider Judas to be the 13th person at the table, that makes the #13 unlucky and Jesus is crucified on the Friday. Another contender is the Norse myth about the death of the popular god Balder. The twelve gods were at this banquet and Loki the trickster was unlucky 13. He was responsible for the party game that resulted in Balder’s death. And it supposedly was on a Friday. Or it could have been something else. The first clear reference to the day occurred in France in 1834. Marquis de Salvo wrote an article about a noble killing his daughter on Friday the 13th. “Ce sont toujours ces vendredis et ces nombres, treize qui portent malheur!” (“It is always Fridays and the number 13 that bring bad luck!”). That same year, a play had the line: “Je suis né un vendredi, treize décèmbre, 1813, d’où viennent tous mes malheurs!” (“I was born on a Friday, December 13, 1813, from which come all my misfortunes.”) In 1907, J.W. Lawson wrote a story where a stock broker creates a panic on a Friday the 13th. This is believed to be the catalyst for public recognition of the unlucky day. With all that said, allow me to point out that Friday the 13th is not actually more unlucky than any other day. Unless you make it that way.
https://www.history.com/articles/why-friday-the-13th-spelled-doom-for-the-knights-templar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trials_of_the_Knights_Templar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th
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