The vardøger is a spectral double from Norwegian folklore.
Etymology
The word vardøger is a Norwegian term defined as "a preminatory sound or sight of a person before he arrives". In Finnish Lapland the concept is known as etiäinen.
Description
The creature materializes as a spirit predecessor, preceding the subject in a location or activity with his footsteps, voice, scent, or appearance and overall demeanor, resulting in witnesses believing they've seen or heard the actual person, before the person physically arrives.
Theory
This phenomenon is close to the doppelgänger, with a less sinister connotation. It has been likened to being a phantom double, or form of bilocation.
References
- The Vardogr, Perhaps Another Indicator of the Non-Locality of Consciousness, Society for Scientific Exploration
Further reading
- Doubles: The Enigma of the Second Self, Rodney Davies, 1998, ISBN 0-709-06118-8
- Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home: And Other Unexplained Powers of Animals, Rupert Sheldrake, 2000, ISBN 0-609-80533-9