Writer's Parlour

The occult, the eerie, and the stories that haunt us.
Explorations of dark folklore, supernatural themes, and unsettling ideas.
Plus handpicked horror reads and reflections from the shadowed side of fiction.

Spooky black and white landscape of of a forest.jpg

The Witch’s Number 13: Superstition, Ancestors, and the Stories That Bind Us

Why is 13 the witch’s number in Europe, but meaningless in African traditions? In Europe, witches were bound by superstition and scapegoating. In Nguni cultures, they were bound by intent and the will of the ancestors. This blog explores how fear, malice, and storytelling shaped the figure of the witch — and how The Girl Who Knew The Medicine reimagines that legacy in a modern South African setting.

Cailynn Brawffe

Oct 13, 20254 min read