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Friday the 13th
When you think about this date, you think of it as a cursed day that is strewn with rotten luck. If you are familiar with the movies you may conjure images of a zombie-human hybrid; sporting a hockey mask and a machete running around killing camp counselors. You may think of a multitude of reasons why it is a bad day for most of you; I personally have the best luck that day. To know the story of Friday the 13th, you must know the story of the Knights Templar.
It was, for some time, Christians would performs pilgrimages to the Holy Land (modern day Israel) mostly to the city of Jerusalem; on their way they were often robbed on their way. It was brought to the attention of the Pope, and in the year 1119, Hughes de Payns and Godefroy de Saint-Omer; founded the Templar Order (not to, mistaken with the fictional version in the Assassin’s Creed franchise). Templars would take oaths of poverty and chastity essentially becoming warrior monks, they would be asked to fast for a few days, and spends days in prayer and training before taking the oath. These knights were protected pilgrims and would safeguard their money for a fee, in which pilgrims would be able to retrieve said money on their return. This is a banking system still used to this day and may be the first ever evidence of banking. The Order also received large sums of money and land form kings and noble families. This allowed the Order to become rich.
The knights were well equipped warriors, formed as the elite forces of the Christian armies from the 1st to the 4th crusades. They fought so valiantly and defeated so many Muslim soldiers and almost turned the tide of so many battles that the great King Saladin often had them put to death, if they managed to defeat them.
Now that a cliff note-ish rundown of what the Knights Templar are has been provided; we go back to “ Why is Friday the 13th so unlucky?”. On Friday October the 13th 1307, multiple Templars with the current Grand Master Jacques de Molay, were arrested by order of King Philip IV of France. It's well known that the king owed considerable amounts of money to that order. The group was tortured in to confessing to crimes of heresy and blasphemy. The Order was ordered disbanded and by Papal decree, Pope Clement at the time, most would simply be absorbed into the Hospitaller Knights.
It was not until March 18th 1314 that the Templars were burned at the stake with their final request to be tied while looking at The Cathedrale de Notre Dame, which is situated in Paris. Jacques de Molay, defiant to the end, cursed the people that sentenced them to death and will see them before God.
It was not till September 2001 that transcripts of the trial; it was found they all recanted their confessions. Pope Clement had then absolved the Knights and restored them. The knights would meld into creating to Order of Christ. Many conspiracies still revolve around the Knights, from the Holy Grail to hidden Treasures. Some say on Oak Island, off the coast of Novia Scotia, some evidence have arose that the Knights arrived in North America pre-dating the Vikings. Friday the 13th, remains cursed to this day. That day is this Friday. Hold on to your hats!
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