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The notion that the day Friday, combined with the date 13th is an unlucky one is the result of certain happenings in Europe back in the middle ages. these happenings so shocked European opinion of the day, that the date of the occurence was seared into the European psyche. With the growth of Eurpean power and the widespread dominance of European ideas in the 19th and 20th centuries, the notion has spread to and gained wide currency in other cultures worldwide.

The genesis of the event can be traced back to the early 10th century. In 1119, shortly after the first crusade, a French nobleman, one Hugues de Payens, accompanied by eight other knights approached Baldwin II, king of Jerusalem, and sought and received permission to provide protection to European Christian pilgrims who wished to visit the holy places in Palestine. They made their headquarters at the Al Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount and they took as their name the Knights Templar.

The new order grew at a fairly brisk pace. In 1129, just a decade after its founding, the order was officially recognised by the Church at the Council of Troyes for, although quiet a few folk looked somewhat askance at the idea of Christian monks bearing arms, the new order had adequate support in high places. Bernard of Clairvaux, perhaps the most influential churchman of his age, came out staunchly in support of the order; which perhaps was not to surprising, as one of the founders was his uncle.

Once the order had received the sanction of the Church, things moved apace; the sky, it seemed, was the limit. Donations of land and money came pouring in from the crowned heads and from the nobility of Europe and the scions of Europe's great families rushed to become Templars. Members of the order were required to swear the oath of poverty, and as such members were also required to transfer all of their worldly goods without exception to the order, it will be no surprise to learn that the order grew wealthier and ever wealthier.

Another decade, and yet more favours from the Church. In 1139, Pope Innocent II issued a Papal Bull, Omne Datum Optimum. The Templars were permitted to cross all borders without hindrance by any authority; they were exempt from any and all tax obligations; and they were declared subject to no eartly authority save the Pope! This was heady stuff; but it is not too surprising since Bernard of Clairvaux, the Templar's champion, had also been very, very instrumental in the ascencion of Innocent to the Papal dignity.

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