Friday the 13th – Why So Superstitious?

By: Elizabeth King

Both February and March of this year, have had the 13th day fall on a Friday. In November, there will be a third Friday the 13th for 2015.  What I didn’t realize is how common this actually is! Did you know that any month starting on a Sunday, always has a Friday the 13th in it? I bet you hadn’t put two and two together (I’m admitting I didn’t – thank you Google enlightenment!), but when you boil it down, it makes perfect sense.

So what’s with people being all freaked out by Friday the 13th?

Fear of the number 13 has actually been around a lot longer than the specific fear of FRIDAY the 13th.

Most places (be they cities, buildings or businesses) don’t use the number thirteen as part of their infrastructure. No 13th street, 13th house number, 13th floor or Room 13/Gate 13. Most explanations for this seem to revolve around the idea that the number 12 is a complete number – and boy, do we see examples of this EVERYWHERE:

• 12 inches in a foot
• 12 signs of the zodiac
• 12 pitches in an octave
• 12 months in the year
• 12 Gods of Olympus
• 12 hours of the clock
• 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac
• 12 pairs of ribs in the human body
• 12 cookies in my favourite box… ;)

And the list goes on and on. As a result of this, any instance that goes beyond that perfect and complete 12, seems to make people uneasy. It moves them outside of their comfort zone - raising red flags all over the place – ding, ding, ding - scary!

Couple that fear of the number 13 with some pretty popular bad news literary references to Fridays (for example: the Bible, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Henry Sutherland Edwards' 1869 biography of Gioacchino Rossini, Nathaniel Lachenmeyer’s Thirteen) – and whammo – you have the unluckiest, most feared day(s) of the year – FRIDAY THE 13th!

On a serious note, for some this is not just a superstition to make light of – for some it is a true phobia. The phobia is known as friggatriskaidekaphobia. The word comes from Frigg, the name of the Norse goddess for whom Friday is named, and triskaidekaphobia, or fear of the number 13.
Back in 1881 an enlightened and brave group of 13 (of course!) people started an organization to try and dispel the fear and myth surrounding this unlucky number 13. They called their club "The Thirteenth Club". At their meetings they did traditionally unlucky things - like walking under ladders, breaking mirrors, and spilling salt. As you can see, their efforts went in vain. People still think 13 is unlucky. If you believe one of my psych professors from University – it’s because we want to! For us average folks, we love anomalous experiences – our brain feeds off of the excitement of them.

So…here’s a goodie! Fun fact - 2049 will be the next Friday the 13th that ALSO falls on a full moon – how’s that for a double whammy of superstitious hookyness.


Elizabeth King is currently filling the role of Interim Assistant Manager at Lang Pioneer Village Museum.  She has been working at the Village since May of 2009.  Elizabeth is passionate about history, costuming, reading, vegan culinary crusades and environmental pursuits. When she isn’t in the middle of a project at Lang, she is often found with her head in the clouds.

How to be a Doctor

By Sharon

Ever since I was little, I have been interested in the medical field. The way that doctors have been able to care for both the young and old, as well as do everything in their power to help save the lives of others, is just beyond amazing. So when I was up in the archives at Lang and I came across “The People’s Common Sense Medical Advisor” there was no way I could walk past it without browsing through it first. This book was written by Dr. R. V. Pierce to his patients, whom I believe were looking for ways to treat their illnesses, gain new knowledge of biology and find solutions to their problems from the comfort of their own homes.

This book from 1895 goes through:
-The physiological anatomies of the organs, muscles, bones
-Treatments for allergies, fevers, reactions and diseases
-Marriage, paternal and lifestyle advice
-Testimonials from his patients
-Detailed diagrams and images
-Descriptions of the causes of the diseases

So what are you waiting for? Wouldn’t you like to learn more about the human body and play doctor for the day? Because that’s what this book is all about! You’ll gain the knowledge and understanding of a member in the medical field and all it takes is this one book. In fact, the book can be read online at: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18467/18467-h/advise.html.

I feel like I’m on my way to being a doctor already!

Sharon is a grade 10 student at Trinity College School and guest writer for the Museum.

The Unidentified Musket

By Trevor Merriam

A musket with no accession number and no accompanying details was found in the Lang collection. Having an interest in muskets, I decided to look into it further.

After much research, I determined that the gun in question was a model 1795 manufactured in the year 1807 and made in Springfield Massachusetts. This particular gun would have been used by the American army during the War of 1812. It was probably picked up from a battlefield during the war by a Canadian as a souvenir.  The gun was manufactured as a Flintlock .69 calibre with a 45” barrel. The musket is 60” overall in length and roughly 10 lbs in weight. Our gun was converted to a percussion probably sometime after 1840 by a "do-it-yourselfer". The priming pan has been cut away with a hammer and cold chisel, the flash hole was drilled and threaded to accommodate the drum and nipple. The new hammer was manufactured by a blacksmith or a home forge. The hammer screw has been replaced by a nail simply hammered flat to hold the hammer in place.  A rear sight has been installed and the bayonet lug filed down to make a front sight. The Musket, after being modified, was probably loaded with a solid ball for hunting big game such as deer and could be loaded with shot for smaller game such as fowl.

This musket is an important souvenir of the War of 1812 and went on to be a useful musket for a local farmer or hunter.

Below is a photo of the modified musket. This picture shows the hand-made new hammer held in with a nail. The manufacturer and date are also visible:

The following picture is of a modern replica of what our musket would have looked like originally:

Finally, here is a picture of our modified musket beside the modern replica for comparison purposes:

Trevor Merriam is the Premises Assistant at Lang Pioneer Village Museum.  He has been working at the Museum for 10 years and has a passion for history.