Welcome to Marginalia.
While our stated goal is to keep everyone up to date with the services we provide here at the circulation desk, the general idea is to present that information in a light-hearted, but relevant manner.
With another Friday the 13th on the horizon the staff at Marginalia Presents thought it might be fun to take a quick look at the mystique surrounding the event.
Triskaidekaphobia means a fear, or avoidance, of the number 13. Isador Coriat apparently coined the term in his 1910 book Abnormal Psychology. He also published numerous articles on the subject, and was a founding member of Boston Psychoanalytic Society.
The idea itself has two main points of origin. In Norse mythology, Loki arrives uninvited at a dinner party for 12 other gods in Valhalla and then tricks the blind god Hoor, a son of Odin and Frigga, into shooting (and subsequently killing) the noble Baldur with a poisoned arrow. However, the most well known version looks to Da Vinci’s late fifteenth century masterpiece The Last Supper with the idea that Judas was the 13th guest.
The number 13 has also been noted for its nonappearance. In some elevators the floor indicator will skip directly from 12 to 14. Many cruise liners do the same thing with their decks, and a few hotels, motels and inns avoid using it altogether.
On the other hand, some people simply dismiss the claim entirely. For example, Dan Marino, a NFL Hall of Fame quarterback, was the last Miami Dolphin player to wear 13 on a jersey before the the team retired the number, in his honour, back in 2003.
With that in mind, let’s switch over to a lucky number and take a look at seven things you can still do in the law library during the pandemic.
- Book a study space; email: loandesk@uvic.ca
- Re:Quest books and articles
- Send a print job: https://libguides.uvic.ca/technicalhelp/printing
- Order an Interlibrary Loan
- Access the McGill citation guide online (for registered law students via WestLaw)
- Tap into research help at lawref@uvic.ca
- Get free smiles from your friendly law library staff: anytime@glad to be of service.smile
Bonus Trivia: Did you know that paraskavedekatriaphobia is the term for those of us who have a phobia about Friday the 13th?
Marginal Presents:
Text: david eugene everard
Editorial assistance and infinite patience: Marisa Lousier and Sarah Miller