Friday the 13th Myth: The French Literary Connection
While the number thirteen and Friday were feared separately for centuries, they were rarely combined in writing before the 1800s. In 1834, the French literary magazine "Revue de Paris" published an article titled "Le Chateau de Carini" by Italian author Marquis de Salvo. The article featured a Sicilian count who declared, "It is always Fridays and the number 13 that bring bad luck!"
The ingredients of a superstition
When Friday met thirteen
Global rivals of the unlucky day
The mind behind the magic
diego Marquis de Salvo's 1834 article in Revue de Paris combined Friday and thirteen through a Sicilian count who feared both.
In which year did a French magazine publish the first known written connection of Friday and thirteen?
Who wrote the 1834 French article that first joined Friday and thirteen as a bad omen?
Who wrote the influential 1907 novel "Friday, the Thirteenth" that popularized the superstition?
What industry is thrown into chaotic ruin in the 1907 novel "Friday, the Thirteenth"?
Lucky thirteen: The Thirteen Club's founder, Captain William Fowler, fought in 13 Civil War battles and entered his first business on the 13th day of the month.
diego Sort historical facts from spooky myths to discover how the Friday the 13th superstition started.
An intense or irrational fear of Friday the thirteenth. An 1869 biography of composer Gioachino Rossini contains the earliest written English reference to this combined superstition.
diego Presidents Defying the Curse
The presidents who defied the curse, (they walked away) Reagan and Bush survived, (they made it home)
Which of these US presidents was an honorary member of the anti-superstition Thirteen Club?