Irish Folklore - The Dreaded Fetch

Ahh its a Fetch

There is an ominous saying in Ireland: “To see a Fetch is to see a soul departing.”

In Irish folklore, the Fetch is an apparition - a double or doppelgänger - of either the witness or someone the person knows. It can be seen as either a harbinger of death or a sign of spiritual transition.

The word “Fetch” may come from the Old Irish feithid, meaning “apparition” or “phantom.” As well as the German doppelgänger, it also has similarities to the Norse vardøger.

The Fetch is not bound to just one region and can be found throughout Ireland. It is often described as a quiet, pale double of a living person that eerily lacks any emotion. It can be seen in cities or in the wilds - sometimes spotted among a crowd, walking at a distance, or fleetingly glimpsed passing by a person’s home.

The time at which the Fetch is encountered is important. It is believed that if you see your spooky double around dusk or midnight, it means that your death is imminent. However, if the double appears in the morning rather than the evening, it could be a sign of a long life.

Sightings

The Fetch of Lord Beresford

In Co. Waterford during the 18th century, Lady Beresford allegedly saw the double of her husband standing at the foot of her bed - he was away at the time. It was later that day that she received a message to say her husband had passed away, around the time of her sighting.

A Visitor in the Mist

In a village near Enniskillen in Northern Ireland, an elderly gentleman said that one misty night he was disturbed by a repeated knocking at his door. Looking through the window, he saw it was his son, who he believed was many miles away in the city of Dublin. When he finally opened the door, no one was there, and his dog whimpered and refused to go near the threshold. It was the next morning that the dreadful news arrived - his son had died in the night of a fever.

The Mirror Fetch

There is a report from County Clare in the 19th century of a young lady who was dressing for a local dance. She claimed to see her reflection in the mirror blink independently from her own actions. Terrified, she notified her mother. The young woman later passed away from a heart condition. The locals said that the mirror had ‘shown her Fetch’.

The William Carleton Account

William Carleton was an Irish writer who included a story of a Fetch in his book Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry (1830s–40s). He retells the account of a local parish priest who claimed to have seen the double of one of his parishioners about the village. The man had failed to attend Mass that Sunday - it was only later that the priest learned the fellow had recently passed away.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. I do hope you didn’t find it too scary, and that you’re still able to look in the mirror today.

My new book, Threads of Shadows, has just been released. Like its predecessor, it is a horror novel told through short stories. So if you enjoy ghosts, monstrous entities and strange folk magic - inspired by folktales - please give it a try. Links Below.

Stay spooky, my friend.