The doppelgänger, an apparition from German folklore, is a ghostly double of a living person. The word means ‘double-goer’ or ‘double-walker’ in German. To encounter one’s doppelgänger is an ominous portent. Some believe that all living creatures must have a spirit double that is identical in appearance but is a darker and sometimes evil version of themselves. Unlike ghosts, these wraiths appear while a person is still alive and haunt their human twin. Not a modern concept, the doppelgänger can be traced all the way back to the Epic of Gilgamesh (2100 BCE ) and is often equated with the idea of the ‘evil twin.’ It is also known as a ‘fetch’ and described as an apparition of a living person. It is said to cast no shadow, and it is people who are warned to never take advice from these sinister creatures as it will often be intentionally misleading, possibly driving the person mad.
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