The very first time that I had ever heard of a "fetch" was quite a few years ago when I read it in a book written by a professional journalist named Patricia Kennealy who was a witch of Irish descent and also spoke ancient Gaelic. She mentioned it only briefly in one chapter of her book, but it caught my attention.
So what exactly is a "fetch"? A fetch, based in Irish folklore, is a supernatural double or an apparition of a living person. The sighting of a fetch is regarded as an omen, usually for impending death.
The fetch is described as an exact, spectral double of a living human, whose appearance is regarded as ominous. As such, it is similar to the Germanic doppelgänger and to some conceptions of the British wraith. My Wiccan High Priestess friend of many years, Lady Sabrina Rhiannon, described it as a type of metaphysical form of "projecting".
Now that being said, I have a true story to share with all of you. Several years ago, my husband was shoveling snow in our driveway and left the garage door open. I was working on a project in the living room and never left the couch.
After my husband was finished shoveling the snow outside, he walked into the living room and asked me, "What were you doing in the garage?" I said, "I never went out into the garage. In fact, I never left the living room." Then he said, "Well, I saw someone and it looked like you!" He had a rather confused look on his face, as did I.
I decided to share this little story with Lady Sabrina Rhiannon in order to get her thoughts on it. My husband is agnostic and does not believe in the spiritual or metaphysical realm which is why I thought it even more strange because he was so certain that he saw me that night and he would have never said anything if he had not been convinced it was me he saw.
Lady Sabrina Rhiannon believes that what my husband actually saw was "ME" projecting and most likely not a "fetch" as that is usually associated with a type bad premonition.
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(Patricia Kennealy: March 4, 1946 ~ July 21, 2021)
Interesting story. So does the adjective "fetching" as you look quite fetching in that dress, come from fetch?
ReplyDeleteThe etymology of fetch and the origin of the term is unknown. It may derive from the verb "fetch";the compound "fetch-life", evidently referring to a psychopomp who "fetches" the souls of the dying, is attested in Richard Stanyhurst's 1583 translation of the Aeneid and the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary suggested this usage may indicate the origin of the term fetch.
DeleteAn interesting read, thank you.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
When you first mentioned "fetch" I immediately thought of the German doppelganger. I'm glad you included it in this very interesting post.
ReplyDeleteThe story of your husband seeing a projection of you in the garage is intriguing. These things seem to happen very unexpectedly.