The number 13?

[fikkie77]

I've been wondering for a long time what's up with the number 13 in Randland.

 

 

13 dreadlords and 13 myrddraal for the 13x13 trick

13 trapped Forsaken

13 Black Ajah in the High Council

13 Towers of Midnight

13 Aiel clans (if you count the Jenn)

13 months in a year

13 Aes Sedai in the largest circle possible with only women.

 

At first I thought it had something to do with the Shadow, but not all references are of the Shadow.

Does anyone have any idea where this comes from?

[Edynol]

It's a lucky number except on Fridays?

[Durinax]

I think it used to be a sacred pagan number before it became an unlucky christian number, but I dont think that helps

[Barid Bel Medar]

I think it used to be a sacred pagan number before it became an unlucky christian number, but I dont think that helps

 

I think it is just an example of how the number became important. Like we got the history of it mixed up. And why people now think of 13 as an unlucky number, in some cultures anyway.

 

Like Callandor = Excalibur etc...

[RandA lThor]

might just be that he wanted a good number that fit for a lot of things and he chose 13 since it is generally known as an unlucky number, most of the things you listed are bad, and the other things may just be a coincidence like the months, may just be 1 more month than usual to change things up.

[1Brotherbill]

Simple. Because it is Taylor Swifts lucky number.

 

But I have a feeling it just boils down to the fact that most people can identify with the number in either a positive or negative way.

 

12 is a big number but 13 now that is a big number with some history behind it.

[FarShainMael]

It certainly has:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen

[master]

its not as bad as martins love of seven. seven gods, seven kingdoms, seven kingsguard, seven members of the council, etc. etc. etc. some authors just like certain numbers. nothing bad about it.

[Mr Ares]

its not as bad as martins love of seven. seven gods, seven kingdoms, seven kingsguard, seven members of the council, etc. etc. etc. some authors just like certain numbers. nothing bad about it.

In Martin's case, the significance of the number seven exists in world - it is precisely because of the Seven that the number crops up a lot. It's part of the worldbuilding. In WoT, on the other hand, the number 13 just seems to crop up a lot without any wider significance or reason for it.

[fikkie77]

Which is why I asked the question. Jordan rarely uses something for no reason at all. Which means he must have known for himself why the number 13 is so important.

[TristanWebb]

The number is important in western culture for no real reason. The cultural significance of it is enough to justify its use. You may as well ask why the mythological references are there.

[LazyMonk]

Jordan wanted for himself a number with possible mystical meaning, and even beter, one which is manifeted in nature (like π and the golden ratio φ).

'13' answers one of these, but the real natural ones are cumbersome irrational numbers, so he took another.