History Main / NumerologicalMotif

|| '''5''' || FiveManBand, FiveBadBand, FiveRaces, FiveTokenBand || FiveRoundsRapid, ElementNumberFive || FiveStagesOfGrief ||DefconFive, FiveStagesOfGrief, FiveFiveFive, BigFivePersonalityTraits ||

'''60''' - Number of seconds in a minute and number of minutes in a year. Comes from combining Base-10 and Base-12 counting systems as this is the least common denominator between them. This originated back in Ancient Babylon.

'''39''' - [[ThirteenIsUnlucky 13]]×3. The sum of the first five odd prime numbers. 3^1+3^2+3^3. Known for its association with [[The39Clues a certain set of clues]], [[Film/The39Steps an Alfred Hitchcock movie]], and as a badge of shame in certain parts of Afghanistan. Can you get more random?

'''40''' - In ancient literature, synonymous with ''"lots"''. Big in Literature/TheBible: "40 days and 40 nights", etc.

'''9''' - 9 is the apex of the single digits, and thus the apex of worldly power. Appearances of this are usually sources of great power, since it's essentially a trio of {{Power Trio}}s. Very big in Myth/NorseMythology, which may be why Tolkien, fan of the Vikings that he was, made [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings 9 Ringwraiths]] (and 9 Walkers). The magic square of numbers 1 through 9 is sometimes an important symbol. Also, there are 9 orders of angels in Judaeo-Christian theology, and 9 layers of Heaven and Hell in Dante's Divine Comedy.

This is taken even further in German, where it is pronounced very similar to sex (as in intercourse), also adding a dirty connotation (and source for double entendres). In Swedish the two words are pronounced and indeed spelled the same, leading to many a juvenile joke.

'''24''' - The number of hours in a day. Very unlucky in China, because it sounds like "easy to die" in Chinese.

Some Neo-Nazis use the number 88 as a code for the phrase "Heil Hitler," H being the eighth letter of the alphabet. A further group used to call themselves ''Combat 18'', 18 here standing for AH, Adolf Hitler.

In music, the octave is the fundamental interval, and there are 88 keys on a piano.

'''1''' - This is the number for TheHero, and it represents his standing alone as the best. 1 also represents the beginning, and the primal source of power. This is why a hero will succeed if there's only OneBulletLeft or a MillionToOneChance - 1 is just that [[ConservationOfNinjitsu powerful]]. The Ace, representing the number 1, is also typically the strongest card in standard poker.

'''9''' - 9 is the apex of the single digits, and thus the apex of worldly power. Appearances of this are usually sources of great power, since it's essentially a trio of {{Power Trio}}s. Very big in NorseMythology, which may be why Tolkien, fan of the Vikings that he was, made [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings 9 Ringwraiths]] (and 9 Walkers). The magic square of numbers 1 through 9 is sometimes an important symbol. Also, there are 9 orders of angels in Judaeo-Christian theology, and 9 layers of Heaven and Hell in Dante's Divine Comedy.

Also notable in GreekMythology; the Olympian gods form a set of 12 called the Dodekatheon (later imported to Rome as the Dii Consentes). The exact roster varies depending on which source you check, but 12 is a recurring theme for the principal gods.

* Scott Lynch's novel ''[[GentlemanBastard The Lies of Locke Lamora]]'' plays with this trope. The city of Camorr has 12 official gods, and a nameless 13th god worshiped in secret by thieves and swindlers.

There were also 13 states at the time of the US Declaration of Independence, as commemorated by the 13 stripes on the flag. The $1 bill has several 13s: 13 stripes on a shield, 13 stars, a branch with 13 leaves and 13 berries, a sheaf of 13 arrows, and the phrase "E Pluribus Unum" which contains 13 letters. (The fact that 13 constantly crops up in American symbolism has led numerous conspiracy loons to theories of ever-increasing inanity. They always overlook the simple explanation of 13 states.)

From a mathematical standpoint, 6 is an important number, since it is the first number that is divisible by both 2 and 3, and thus may be used to represent stability and order (see 12, below). 6 is the smallest [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_number perfect number]], which is of little practical importance, but by the same equality of 1+2+3=6, and also 1x2x3=6 also the third [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangular_number triangular number]]. Curiously, 6 is also the first number for which [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finite_field several mathematical constructions]] break down, due to being the smallest number that is not a power of a prime.

In computing, bits (a single digit in base 2, or binary) are collected in groups of 8 to form bytes (which can represent a number between 0-255 in base 10; the "normal" number system), and larger units of memory are made up from whole bytes. This is why the 8-bit systems were followed by 16-bit, 32-bit, and 64-bit systems. 24-bits aren't unheard of either: some computer systems had a 24-bit address bus, and 24-bits was the standard for storing a single pixel of an RGB colour (one byte for each colour channel[[note]]More recent formats use 32-bits, since they also have an "alpha channel" which defines the transparency of the pixel, and RGB colour tends to be written in a more human friendly hex format[[/note]]). There's also a trend of PlotCoupons coming in groups of ''8'' in VideoGames; most notably the 8 non-bonus worlds of pretty much every ''{{Mario}}'' game; as well as ''VideoGame/MegaMan's'' 8 Robot Masters.

There were also 13 states at the time of the US Declaration of Independence, as commemorated by the 13 stripes on the flag. The $1 bill has several references to the number 13: 13 stripes on a shield, 13 stars, a branch with 13 leaves and 13 berries, a sheaf of 13 arrows, and the phrase "E Pluribus Unum" which contains 13 letters. (The fact that 13 constantly crops up in American symbolism has led numerous conspiracy loons to theories of ever-increasing inanity. They always overlook the simple explanation of 13 states.)

'''14''' - 7x2=14, so it could be seen as twice as lucky or twice as magical. However, 14 is also seen as even more unlucky than [[FourIsDeath 4]], because it sounds like "die for sure". However, 14 is a lucky number in Macedonia.

16 is 4x4. Also, 16x16 is 256, which is used in programming (see Real Life under ArcNumber)

'''19''' - The last year of teenagerhood. Very significant yet mysterious in Franchise/TheDarkTower, and also appears an unusually high number of times in the Qu'ran, and popular within the Baha'i Faith, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19_(number)#Religion according to That Other Wiki]]. It is also impossible to produce 19 via multiplication of whole numbers, only subtraction, division, and addition.

'''21''' - Being 7x3, 21 is almost ''always'' considered an auspicious number. It is also a number of full adulthood in some cultures where children stay at home longer (such as the U.S.), and the best hand in Blackjack. It is very popular in fiction for marking out random figures, as a longer number that has positive connotations and is easy to remember, e.g. [[SherlockHolmes 221b Baker Street]], [[Film/BackToTheFuture 1.21 Gigawatts]], ''21 Jump Street''.

32 is an intriguing number mathematically, too; 1^1+2^2+3^3, and also 2^5, = 32. Furthermore, 32 is a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_number happy number]].

'''39''' - [[ThirteenIsUnlucky 13]]x3. The sum of the first five odd prime numbers. 3^1+3^2+3^3. Known for its association with [[The39Clues a certain set of clues]], [[Film/The39Steps an Alfred Hitchcock movie]], and as a badge of shame in certain parts of Afghanistan. Can you get more random?

'''[[JustForFun/FortyTwo 42]]''' - [[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy The Answer To Life, The Universe And Everything]]. In Japanese, it's homophonic with the word for "dying," and thus has many of the same unlucky connotations as FourIsDeath. Interestingly, it's also the product of 7x6, 3x14 and 2x21[[hottip:*: and 6x9 in base 13]].

'''49''' - 7x7. Effectively and ultra 7. However, in Japanese, [[FourIsDeath "4" sounds like "death"]] and "9" sounds like "pain", so 49 means die painfully. The unluckiest number of them all.

'''52''' - 13x4. The number of weeks in a year, the number of cards in a deck.

'''69''' - Beloved by dirty minded middle schoolers everywhere.

'''18''' - The number of adulthood in the United States, when one can vote and go off to war. Other than that, it usually has connotations for being unlucky, which is why fictional teens who die in auto accidents tend to do so two days before their 18th birthday. In neo-nazi circles, 18 is a common identifier. The first and eighth letters of the alphabet are A and H, {{Adolf Hitler}}'s initials.

'''39''' - [[ThirteenIsUnlucky 13]]x3. The sum of the first five odd prime numbers. 3^1+3^2+3^3. Known for its association with [[The39Clues a certain set of clues]]. In some parts of Afghanistan, the number 39 is considered a badge of shame.

In computing, bits are collected in groups of 8 to form bytes, and larger units of memory are made up from whole bytes. This is why the 8-bit systems were followed by 16-bit, 32-bit, and 64-bit systems, but note that the 24-bit level is not unheard of: some computer systems had a 24-bit address bus, and 24 bits is "millions of RGB colours". There's also a trend of PlotCoupons coming in groups of ''8'' in VideoGames; most notably the 8 non-bonus worlds of pretty much every ''{{Mario}}'' game; as well as ''VideoGame/MegaMan's'' 8 Robot Masters.

'''9''' - 9 is the apex of the single digits, and thus the apex of worldly power. Appearances of this are usually sources of great power, since it's essentially a trio of {{Power Trio}}s. Very big in NorseMythology, which may be why Tolkien, fan of the Vikings that he was, made [[TheLordOfTheRings 9 Ringwraiths]] (and 9 Walkers). The magic square of numbers 1 through 9 is sometimes an important symbol. Also, there are 9 orders of angels in Judaeo-Christian theology, and 9 layers of Heaven and Hell in Dante's Divine Comedy.

'''[[JustForFun/FortyTwo 42]]''' - [[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy The Answer To Life, The Universe And Everything]]. Interestingly, it's also the product of 7x6, 3x14 and 2x21[[hottip:*: and 6x9 in base 13]].

'''47''' - [[Franchise/StarTrek 42 adjusted for inflation]]. Also, The47Ronin, and Agent 47.

'''[[JustForFun/FortyTwo 42]]''' - [[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy The Answer To Life, The Universe And Everything]]. Interestingly, it's also the product of 7x6, 3x14 and 2x21.

'''47''' - [[Franchise/StarTrek 42 adjusted for inflation]]. Also, The47Ronin.

'''18''' - The number of adulthood in the United States, when one can vote and go off to war. Other than that, it usually has connotations for being unlucky, which is why fictional teens who die in auto accidents tend to do so two days before their 18th birthday. In neo-nazi circles, 18 is a common identifier. The first and eighth letters of the alphabet are A and H, [[Adolf Hitler]]'s initials.

'''18''' - The number of adulthood in the United States, when one can vote and go off to war. Other than that, it usually has connotations for being unlucky, which is why fictional teens who die in auto accidents tend to do so two days before their 18th birthday.

'''52''' - The number of weeks in a year, the number of cards in a deck.

'''12''' - 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 are all factors of this number, making it an early highly composite number. It symbolizes completeness as a result, and is easy to divide into smaller groups. It also has heavy mystic implications--for example, the 12 signs of the zodiac (Western and Eastern alike). It can be used for time symbology as well, as 12 o'clock is [[WhenTheClockStrikesTwelve midnight]] and noon; the end and beginning of a day, or the apex of a day. It is also often the largest number for which a stand-alone word or symbol exist, and being so heavily associated with harmony and completeness, it's surprising no major culture has a base-12 counting system.

|| '''3''' || PowerTrio, ComicTrio, TokenTrio || MeleeATrois || LoveTriangle, TriangRelations || RuleOfThree, ThreeExamplesAndAName, Administrivia/ThreeRulesOfThree ||

6 is the atomic number of carbon, and thus irreplaceable for life as we know it. The fundamental molecules of life are furthermore made up from only 6 elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur.[[hottip:*: With selenium being close runner up, as it actually occurs in one amino acid that can be expressed within the genetic code.]] Still, the imagery at this point invariably depicts 6 as a negative number, and only evil characters attach themselves to it. 6 is considered evil in the Bible because it falls short of 7, the perfect number.

'''10''' - Since most people are born with 10 fingers (which are the basis for beginning to count), 10 is a comfortable number to express, either via powers of it or the number itself. It's extraordinarily popular for grouping, to the point that people will try to make things fit into a group of 10 whether or not they'll fit.[[hottip:*: The Pythagoreans wanted the number of astronomical objects to be a perfect 10, or tetractys, so they made up Counter-Earth to complete the list.]] The entire Persian/Arabic numeral system (the one most Westerners use, because it's better than the Roman system) is based entirely on the number 10, as is the metric system. Tropes spawned of this shoehorning include ExtyYearsFromNow. In certain numerologies, 10 is also used as shorthand for 'lots'.

'''19''' - The last year of teenagerhood. Very significant yet mysterious in TheDarkTower, and also appears an unusually high number of times in the Qu'ran, and popular within the Baha'i Faith, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19_(number)#Religion according to That Other Wiki]]. It is also impossible to produce 19 via multiplication of whole numbers, only subtraction, division, and addition.

'''[[FortyTwo 42]]''' - [[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy The Answer To Life, The Universe And Everything]]. Interestingly, it's also the product of 7x6, 3x14 and 2x21.

'''15''' - Little can be said about this number, although in Japan it is often associated with strawberries. This is because the Japanese word for strawberry, Ichigo, sounds like the way the number is written in arabic numerals (15 = One Five = Ichi Go). Ichigo is also a fairly common name (the most notable Ichigo probably being the main character of Manga/{{Bleach}}). Expect characters with this name to have associations with the number, the fruit or both.

'''19''' - The last year of tenenagerhood. Very significant yet mysterious in TheDarkTower, and also appears an unsually high number of times in the Qu'ran, and popular within the Baha'i Faith, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19_(number)#Religion according to That Other Wiki]]. It is also impossible to produce 19 via multiplication of whole numbers, only subtraction, division and addition.