In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger; German: Look-alike; is a paranormal double of a living person. It also describes the sensation of having glimpsed oneself in ones own peripheral vision with no chance of the supposed phenomenon having been a reflection. A doppelgänger is often perceived as a sinister form of bilocation and is regarded by some to be a harbinger of bad luck. In some traditions, a doppelgänger seen by a persons relative or friend portends illness or danger while seeing ones own doppelgänger is said to be an omen of death. Although this German word is of relatively recent origin, first appearing in English use in 1851,the concept of alter egos and double spirits appears in the folklore, myths, religious concepts, and traditions of many cultures throughout human history. In Ancient Egyptian mythology, a ka was a tangible spirit double having the same memories and feelings as the person to whom the counterpart belongs. In one Egyptian myth entitled, The Greek Princess, an Egyptian view of the Trojan War, a ka of Helen was used to mislead Paris of Troy, helping to stop the war. In Norse mythology, a vardøger is a ghostly double who precedes a living person and is seen performing their actions in advance. In Finnish mythology, this is called having an etiäinen, a first-comer. In some myths, the doppelgänger is a version of the Ankou, a Breton personification of death. -April.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 23:39:25 +0000
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