Doppelgänger

In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger or doppelga(e)nger (/ˈdɒpᵊlˌɡɛŋə/ or /-ˌɡæŋə/; German: [ˈdɔpəlˌɡɛŋɐ], literally "double-goer") is a look-alike or double of a living person, sometimes portrayed as a paranormal phenomenon, and in some traditions as a harbinger of bad luck. In other traditions and stories, they recognize your 'double-goer' as an evil twin.

The word doppelgänger is often used in a more general sense to describe any person who physically or behaviorally resembles another person.

Spelling

The word doppelgänger is a loanword from German Doppelgänger, consisting of the two substantives Doppel (double) Gänger (walker or goer). The singular and plural form are the same in German, but English usually prefers the plural "doppelgängers." It was first used by Jean Paul in the novel Siebenkäs (1796), and his newly coined word is explained by a footnote.

As is true for all other common nouns in German, the word is written with an initial capital letter. In English, the word is conventionally uncapitalized (doppelgänger). It is also common to drop the diacritic umlaut, writing "doppelganger."

Doppelganger (1993 film)

Doppelganger (also known as Doppelganger: The Evil Within) is a 1993 American supernatural thriller film starring Drew Barrymore.

Plot

The story follows Holly Gooding (Barrymore), who moves from New York City to Los Angeles after being implicated in a murder. She is followed by what is apparently her evil twin. While in Los Angeles, she finds a room for rent by a writer and the two begin a love affair. After some strange occurrences, it becomes less and less clear whether the woman is in fact Holly or her Doppelgänger. She finds a roommate to share an apartment, and befriends him.

Patrick (the writer) soon starts to realize something is odd about Holly. As he spends more and more time with her, things heat up and he falls for her. Not knowing that she is as crazy as her brother Fred, who is in a psychiatric hospital after killing his own father. And when Patrick finds out that Holly's mother was murdered and she was the prime suspect, he starts doubting her sanity. But by that time he is too attached to her and does not want her going to jail. So when her brother Fred is attacked and she once more is a suspect he decides he is going to get to the bottom of it no matter what.

Doppelganger (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Doppelgangers are monstrous humanoids, identified primarily by their ability to change their shape and appearance to mimic almost any humanoid creature. They can be used in the game by Dungeon Masters as allies or opponents of the player characters.

Publication history

The doppelganger was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game.

Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)

The doppelganger was introduced to the game in its first supplement, Greyhawk (1975). It is described as a creature with a mutable form, able to shape itself into a double of any person it observes.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

The doppelganger appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where it is described as a bipedal creature able to shape itself into the likeness of any humanoid creature it can observe.

The doppelganger was detailed in Dragon #80 (December 1983), in the "Psychology of the Doppelganger".

Sampo (1960 icebreaker)

History

Sampo is a Finnish icebreaker built in 1960 in Helsinki and now stationed in Kemi. The Sampo has a long and distinguished service record. The massive vessel, which was completed in 1961, was built to operate in extreme arctic conditions. In the northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia it kept lanes free for shipping for nearly 30 years. Its predecessor of the same name (1898–1960) was the first icebreaker in Europe with a propeller in the bow and stern. The ship is now used for tourist cruises.

Town of Kemi bought Sampo from the National Board of Navigation in the year 1987. The price of the vessel was 19 pennies per kilogram i.e. 1 million Finnish Mark (about 167 000 €). Just by making a purchase decision Sampo got the Finnish Tourist Boards reward of Best Tourism Product of the year 1987.

Sampo in tourism

During the late winter 1988 Sampo started its career among tourism. Sampo made its first cruise 14.4.1988 with foreign and domestic media. In the year 1989 Sampo had 1000 passengers and year 1994 the record was 6000 passengers. While doing tourist cruises Sampo also kept lanes free for shipping in the northern Gulf of Bothnia.

Sampo (1898 icebreaker)

Sampo was a Finnish state-owned steam-powered icebreaker. Built in 1898 by Sir W.G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co Ltd in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom and named after a magical artifact from the Finnish mythology, she was the second state-owned icebreaker of Finland and the first European icebreaker equipped with a bow propeller. When Sampo was decommissioned and broken up in 1960, she was also the second last steam-powered icebreaker in the Finnish icebreaker fleet.

Development and construction

Prior to building Sampo, Finland had only one state-owned icebreaker, Murtaja, which was built in 1890 and was one of the first purpose-built icebreakers in the world. However, the 930-ton single-screw vessel was not powerful enough to keep even the southernmost port of Finland, Hanko, open during severe winters and the icebreaking characteristics of its spoon-shaped bow were not as good as was hoped for. A committee, appointed by the Senate of Finland in 1895 to find a solution to the problem, came to a conclusion that a second state-owned icebreaker would be needed.

Sampo (film)

Sampo (Russian: Сампо) is a 1959 Soviet–Finnish film based loosely on the events depicted in the Finnish national epic Kalevala. A significantly edited version called The Day the Earth Froze was released internationally. This version was later featured in the American series Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Plot

The people of Kalevala are a peaceful hard working people, they have everything they need and want bar the mystical Sampo, a magical mill which will make grain, salt and gold and give prosperity to whoever possesses it.

The only person in Kalevala able to make a Sampo is the smith Ilmarinen, however he cannot make it until his sister Annikki has fallen in love. Annikki eventually falls in love with the young hard working Lemminkäinen.

All is not perfect however. There is a dark dismal land called Pohjola ruled over by a wicked witch called Louhi, and she wishes for a Sampo, but her wizards are unable to forge one. Louhi is advised that only Ilmarinen is able to forge a Sampo. Louhi sends her enchanted cloak to bring Annikki to Pohjola as ransom.