Everyone has been confronted by their doppelganger at one time or another, a person so similar in appearance that they could be twins. However, the origin of this word is much more unsettling than sharing a likeness with a stranger.
German novelist Jean Paul coined the phrase doppelganger in his 1797 book Sibenkas, though the concept is older than written language. It translates from German literally as “double walker.” In Egyptian mythology, it’s called a Ka, while in European traditions, it is known as a fetch or a twin stranger. Whatever the vernacular, be weary if you see one, for it can be a harbinger of death and misfortune.
Historical accounts of this phenomenon are common. Abraham Lincoln claimed to see his double in a mirror, albeit aged and beleaguered. Goethe wrote in his autobiography that he encountered his double, passing him on horseback and wearing strange clothes. Then, nine years later, while riding in the exact location, he noticed he wore the same clothes his twin had worn. Percy Bysshe Shelley encountered his twin stranger on several occasions. It even spoke to him, asking, “How long do you mean to be content?” He drowned at sea less than a month later. Then, there is the case of Admiral George Tyron. On June 22, 1893, Tyron gave a bizarre order to his helmsmen, bringing his Flagship, the HMS Victoria, into a collision course with another vessel. The Victoria sank, claiming his and hundreds of other lives. At the same time as the sinking, Tyron’s wife was throwing a party where she and multiple guests reported seeing him in attendance.
One of the most well-known cases is Emilie Sagee, first documented in Robert Dale-Owen’s book Footfalls on the Boundary of Another World. The events occurred in 1845 at Pensionat von Neuwelke, an elite girls’ school. Emilie Sagee was a competent and well-liked teacher, though she had a reputation for moving from school to school.
One day, while writing on the chalkboard, Sager’s double appeared, quietly mimicking her actions, though she held no chalk. The entire class of seventeen girls witnessed the event. On another occasion, Sagee was working in the school garden in plain view of another class. When the class teacher momentarily stepped out of the room, Sagee’s double walked in and sat behind the teacher’s desk. Several students approached the double and tried to touch it. They likened the experience to passing their hands through a spider’s web.
Curiously, Emilie Sagee could not see her doppelganger. When questioned about the event, she confessed that she had intended to check on the girls when the other teacher stepped out but did not leave the garden. Emilie Sagee did not stay long in Neuwelke.
Famously, King Umberto I of Italy was eating at a restaurant in 1900 when he discovered that the proprietor was nearly identical to him in appearance. As they spoke, a series of bizarre coincidences was revealed. They were both born in the same town on the same day. Both married a woman with the same name on the same day. He had opened his restaurant on the same day as Umberto’s coronation, and the parallels continued.
On July 29, 1900, the restaurateur was shot and killed in a robbery. That same day, Umberto was assassinated, shot four times.
While there are some examples of twin strangers bringing luck, good fortune seems to be the exception to the rule. So, if you’re considering playing a “find my doppelganger” app, maybe think again. And if you see yourself walking down the street, consider a detour.
Jason Roberts is a Seattle-based author noted for his acclaimed western horror series The Dead Wind Trilogy as well as other works of cosmic horror infused with historical fiction. His web-based series, Dark Distractions, examines paranormal mysteries, unexplained phenomena, and all things strange.
