DAS UNHEIMLICHE () Grou Bomons: 1910. mage, 5 (5-0), 297-928, 1922 SES, 8, 220-75, 24 GS, 10, 39-408, 104 Dido and Kina, 99-130, 1947 GW, 12, 229-08 (6) Broun Taasseamon "The "Uncanny" 1995 GP, 4, 360-407. (Tr Ale ches) ‘The present translation isa considerably totifed version the obe published in 1225, ‘This paper, published in the autumn of 1919, is mentioned by Freud ina eter to Ferencai of May 12 ofthe same yest, it Which he sys he has dug an old paper out of drawer ant eswitng it. Nothing is known as to when it was orginally writen or how much ic wat changed, though the fotmote quote fn Toten and Taboo on p 241 Below shows thatthe subject wae present in his mind at cary as 1913, The pasages eating with the ‘compulsion to repeat (p 234 fE) mtn any fae have formed part ofthe revision, Tey include ssmmaty ‘of much of the contents of Bowed the Pate Paap (13208) ‘and speak of it as ‘already completed’. The same leer % Ferencai of May 12, 1919, announced that a draft of thi Incr work wat finished though it was notin fact peblihed for another year. Purther details wll be found inthe Editor's Note {0 Bownd the Plt Principle, Standord El, 18,8, ‘he fiat section of the prevent paper, wth is lengthy quoe fasion ftom a German dictionary, res apeial dieu or the translator, Tt is to be hoped that reader will not allow themselves to be discouraged by thie preliminary obstacle, or te paper is fll of interesting and important material, and leaves lar beyond merely Inguistctopee, THE ‘UNCANNY 1 is only rarely that a peycho-anahyst fee impelled to ine ‘esigate the aubject of aesthetics even when aesthetics is under: stood to mean not merely the theory of beauty but the theory the qualities offing. He works in other ststa of meat i ‘ned has Lite co do with the subdued emotional poles which, Inhibited in their sims and dependent on a host of concurent ‘actor, usally furnish the material fr the study of sexton, Bute does occasionally happen that he hat to interest hime sei ia some particlae province of that subjects and tis province usually proves to be rather semoe one, and ‘one which has been neglected in the speciale leratare of sextet, The subject of the ‘uncanny"! ea province ofthis hind. Li undoubtedly related to what i fightening—to what aroues read snd horrors equally certainly, to, the word's ot always ‘wed in clearly definable sense eo that ends to concie with What excites fear in general. Yee we may expect that special cove of fecting is present which janis th ut ofa spect some ‘eptual term. One is curious to know what this common core ‘heh allows us to distinguish a “uncanay” certain hogs whch le within the field of wat i fightening ‘As good at nothing is tobe found upon this subject income brchensive treaties on aesthete, which in general pres 0 foncern themselves with what is beautfuly attactre. and ‘sublimne—that is with feelings of 9 posive naure—and with the cicumetances and the objects that cll them fry ratet ‘han with the opposite flings of reps a dstes, T iaow only one attempt in medio-prychologeal literature, a fre but not exhaustive paper by Jentach (1908). But T must confess that have not made avery thorough exatinaton of the Bese stu, especially the foreign Gteratoe, relating to this present ‘modest contribution of sine, or reasons which, a may "(Te German, word, wanted thoughout thle paper by the nahh can’ eel, erally nsec To Bags Soh ane te fe Ganon)casily be guesed, ie i the times in which we lve! so that ‘my paper is presented to the reader without any clan eon. Tin his study ofthe uncanny’ Jenach quite rightly aye tres con the obstacle presented by theft that people vary vy really in cei enivty to thi quality of feeling. The writer tthe presen contsbutin, indeed, me imme pend guy toa special obusenest in the matter, where extreme delicacy of pereepion would be more in place. Tee long since he at Cxperienced or heard of anything which hae give him a9 ‘uncanny impresion, and ie must sare by tandating himsll into that stat of eling, by awakening in himel the poesily experiencing it Sil such dificltis make tenuelves power filly fin many other branches of athetes we need ao fon that account despair of finding. instances in which the ‘ualty in queson wil be wnbesatingly reeognined by mot People. "Two courses ate open tow atthe out. Either we can find cut what meaning has came to be atached to the word anny" in the course ofits History; or we can elect all thus properties of persons, things, sen impressions, experience an Situations which aroute in ur the feeling of tncannines, aed then infr the unknowa mature of the wneanny fom what al these examples have in common. Iwill sy a obce that both ‘ours lead tothe same esl the uncanny ie that ela of the ‘ghtening which leads ack to whats known of ol and ong familar How tsi pail, in what citcumatances the fiat fan become uncanny and frightening, I ball thow in wha follows. Let me la add that my investigation was actually ‘begun by colleting numberof inva ease, ned was ony later confiemed by an examination of linguist wage, In thie lscusin, however shall follow the everse course. The German word ‘inf ie obviously the opposite of inte homely) ‘Amis [native the opie of what 5s familar; nd we are tempted to covclude tht what ia canny’ is Bightening preciely Because itis met known and Faniar. Naturally not everyting that enews unfaalay fghtening, Bowever; the relation is not capable of inversion. (naan the Sin World War only jut ence) ica ony sy hata aed a alec ihe Bea a a ake oa ary I ee ate Sucka waa ok Be er en tnt ond hereon f he oc ee tte ne st sk ee at he a eerie opera Bre a (hm he ais of Lacs Blin lg ad a a eet aa "Let us therefore return to the German language. In Daniellander the word ‘heiml. I have laid sires on one or two pastes by ltalicising them! Heinlich ad, wit, Heincket (ph. Hemlsien): 1. Ay ‘inti, ena, eloaging to the howe, ne range, fog, ‘ane, intimate, fend et, (4) (Obsolete) belonging tothe house or the fail, or re. garded ap s0 belonging (cf. Latin fami, fami). Be Healices, the members of the hovichold; Ber ils hes (Gen, x, 45; 2 Sam, mui 23; 1 Chon, xt 25) Wd. vil ‘ov more usually Gere Rat [Privy Gouin} (0) Of animals: tame, companionable to man, As opposed ld, eg. “Animals which are nelther wild nor kiwis ee “Wild animals. that are tained to be Aemlich snd eeu tomed to men.” thee young creatures are brought up fron «atly days among men they besne quite heme Siendey or Seale ‘(the lamb) isso hemi and eats ou of my hast ‘Nevertheles, the stork isa beaut, mach Bed” (0) Intimate, friendly comforeble; the enjoyment of quiet. content, ete, arousing & sense of agreeable Festaoes aed security asin one within the four wall of his house te ks ‘nlc o you in your county where teangers ar ling your Moods? "She didnot feel too demic with him. “Along s igh Acinic, shady path. beside pun, gusog and fablio? ‘woodld brook.’ ‘To desuoy the isthe of the home’ ‘ould not readily find another spot so intimate an lenis this’ “We pitured itso comfortable, 2 nice 0 eony and re, ich An quiet Heinle, surrounded by clese walle tore fal hewsewie, who knows how to make plesing Hains Hwtchkt (domenicty) out of the smallest Mean” The ‘man who tll eeeny had been 0 strange to him ow serned {0 im all the move drilch "The protestant landcowacse do not fee. kimlch among their eathlic inferior "When it 100s frimdch and sil, and the evening quit alone watchs 2 the aration which flows inthe tet above, af deta pals en te en ve ee et Bape exept that afew minor mprnts have tees ae eakeieh 111 ny be semarie thatthe Engi ‘anny’ in aon to soc ul weung of ied an ene iene ver your cl” Que, lovely and ai place refed fee roe! e did tela al he oe a fe compounds) “The place was 0 pene wo lng oo ‘atin! “Their and outing wave of te eerees dea ad lallbyinih? in epecil Undek tae Sci: Among Swabian Swi authrs fo epee tee Se \oylible: How len seme tov agen oes eesing sien he wat at home’ wath the uses oP ‘stm foom and the fein feraen’ When a man fc a ishear tat he ban anal ad the Lodo greae—thet eine istry feng Lite by Bite they grew Sess and eels Song themselves "Peenly tag al be noses sore Anh than Tam here? “Tha which comes fo ‘surely doesnot ive quite hme imate [a hoe {emdntbarcl in a neighbourly way) among he people? The cottage where he bad ence st olen ata hi pon yee, bin 0 apy. "The stints horn fund it ftom the tower, 2nd his wie Ine heat ‘Yong onep there sft snd warm, to wonerly ip? =i fom of the word ders Boo gna ie fo pag ss pee goed sof te od fom ing ele oak a ‘ay enfuon wit I (ce below], Ch The Cts [2 Bey ‘hin all in Gx seme i) * as = Wan urd by ei" We ear bated g ‘re dap pod. Onc! alk it ona he nig tat ete might com thea’ “Ohl tg, i ou eal ‘heb Wall, hla yo ih tha he Soa art en xr cts fp3"* (Gung) (a) pecially in Sitesi: ga, chery aloof the weather Concealed, hep trom nih, hat others do no get to aon of or abot i weld fom ete To do someting Anlic i. behind someone's ack; seat away Aint meting and apedtimeny; koko ith hea plssre at someon dacomfe; to sigh at weep kf so behave dint at thong here was amino conceal emi ovata lve slat pes hich goed ma se oblige us to conceal (1 Samy. The hile mb (ory) @ King 3027). Alo "the Ain eae To tno imo pis or Hmlctr'Led the weeds Ine Sere Uowedon.'—"Ar sere, Ami desi and taiose cowards ruck mastem at frank, open sympathose sodhelp towards a hend in morte. “You have sil lear ‘whats emf hole to me ‘The lmlih ae (magi). Wher public venation has’ to stop, thee feiich machinations begin’ ‘Freedom isthe whispered watchword of bimich con sparators and the loud batle-ry of profesred revolutionaries "Ahoy, Armfilefet? T have root that are most him, | dam grown nthe deep earth’ "My hemi prank" 10 he nat. {Even openly and seruptloanly be may sine i Arimlick and Cnocrupolosy? He had acheomate telescopes constacte linmih and secret “Henceforth I dese that there shouldbe hothing Bai ay longer between sso dacover, dale, bray someone's Hein; ‘to concoct Heit be ind ny back tn anytime we sucied HeiiibetThe hand of understanding cam alone undo the powerless spell of the end fol hidden gold)’ Say, here ix the place of cor Cealment «in what pace of hidden Heinle” "Bees wh mate the lock of Heim” (ue calingoway) “Learned in ftrange Hime (mage a) For compounds see above, I, Note expecially the negative ‘wn cee, weird, arousing gruesome fear: ‘Seeming quite tainch and ghomy to hi? The andi, fearfa boars of Sight’ "Thad already longsinc elt an anit even gruesome Fling” ‘Now Lam begining to have an wnleimlicl fering "Feel an anil Horror’ “Usdeinlick and mosonlss ike ‘stone image’ "The uhm mis ele log” "These pale Souths ae aniilih and are brewing heaven knows what ix hic? "Uhm tet mame for ering that ug hase Fenn. aur and iden ut Ba ome gh (Seng "Po vel he vine o surround i with certain ined ‘Unkinch tot eften seed. a6 opposite to. meaning. I (above). ‘What interests ut mot in thi ong extract isto Bind hs among its diferent shades of meaning the word “him? Fibieone which identical with te opie, eile. Wh init cones tobe wdimfick. (CE. the quotation fom Gatshve: "We eal i "uni; you call it heih:) Tn fener we are seminded that the Word rill ie not wna iguous, but bloga to wo sts of ideas, which without being contradictory, are yet very diferent: on the one and it mean (what farted greeable, andl on the oer, what eo cealed and kept out ofsight."Unbemfci customarily sed, we fre told a dhe contary only of the fist signification of ‘Aime Tidrsand not of the cond, Sanders tell us pothing concerning : pradble genetic connection between these two meaning [vim On the other hand, we noice that Scheling say some- thing which tows quite @ new light on the concept of the Une, for which we were certainly not prepared Accord ing to him, everything iain hat onght ¢o have remained ‘Stvetand hidden but has come to ight. Some ofthe doubts that have thus arisen are removed if we cont Grim’ dietonary. (1877, 4, Pare 2 73), ‘We rea: ein; a, and adv vena, ects; MC heim, (ATH) In a slightly diferent senses‘ fst Arimich, well, Gs from fa 3} (0) Hemi 's ao used ofa pace free from ghestly in ences» familia, fend timate (P. 875: p) Familiar, amicable, unreserved 4. Fim il ide of “oma “boning th hows? the frter ite i doped of somahng withdrawn fom the es of stranger Smithing meld, cond thie ea sr espnded aay (@. 816) ‘On the left bank ofthe lke there lies a meadow eink ithe wood. (Shiller, Wild Tell, 1). Poetic een, rarely bused in modern speech » «ini sed in ‘njuncion ith a verb expresing the act of concealing: “in {he scot of hi tabernacle e hall hide me vile” (Ps xi. 4) ves Hails pate of the human body, padede "he men that ied oe were smitten on tee mick parts” (1 Samuel say) (© Ofiats who give important advice which as tobe kept secretin matters of sate ae called fmf councils; the nds, aecoding to moder usage, has been replaced. by Grin (ecret} >. "Pharaoh called oreph’s name “him t0 wom secrets are revealed” * (Aim councillor. (Gen. xt. "[Qectting to the Oni Engh Dictionary, sina ved wih ecu or hagaal powcaeyRs ‘THE “UNCANNY: (678) 6, Henly, 8 wsed of knowiedge—mystic, alle. sores: Aimich meaning, yeti, dias, ol, forte, (@. 878) Hail in a ferent sense, a6 wthirswn rom, Snowledge, unconscious... Haimich als has the meaning of that which is obscure, inaceaible to knowledge - Do soe ‘ot ee? They donot trust wt they feat the hrm face of the Duke of Fridland.” (Schiller, Wallmtins Lager Scene 2) 8, Tha mation of muting Biden en dngens, tbh i expced in he at paragraph, sil eer dele, that ‘heim ce, each cing uly azribed anh, Thus “At nes {ee ike aman who walk in the night an believes ie eheecy ‘tery corner is hinih and fall of terre for him’. (Kinges, The, 8.298) ‘Ths fenlci word the meaning of which develops in the Aircctionofsimbivatene, until it fnallyecineldes with opps site, unc Unhitich sin aome way or other sub-apetin otic, Lt us bear this discovery in tin, though we ea, ‘ot yetrighly understand it alongade of Scheling’s* defation ofthe Ueimlich IF we gon to examine individual lnstantes of uncannines, these hint wil Beane intelligible to tae " When we proceed to review the things, perio, mpresions, vent and stations which are able to arose in vss feling oF le uncanay in a particularly forcible and defvive form, the first requicement is obviouly to elect suitable example to Sarton. Jentach has taken as a very good instance “dob whether an: apparently animate being i really alive; or cow, vercy, whether ais object mig ot be i face aims 8nd he tele in this connection tothe Satreson made by wax work figures, jgenibualy constricted dolls and awomata Ts these he ads the uncanny eet of ele fi, and of tan. Fextations of insanity, because these excite in the spectator the impresion of automatic, mechanical proceaes at ork Behind the ordinary appearance of mental aesvty, Without ently sccepting this author's view, we will take as» staring point for our owa investigation because in what flows he emt 1a the orignal verion of the paper (1919) ony, the nan Senne” pated hare elec ty Sh 7 ofa writer who has succeeded in producing uncanny efets eter than anyone ese, Jestch writes: in elling sory, one of the tort socea eves fr easly creating tbcanny eect lenve Feder in uocerainy beter 8 ardour Agu in We sory a 2 mtn being oan ntmaton snd fod iin such way tat rattenton i not focued dsetly upon his uncer, 30 {Bathe may not beled to go Sto the mater and cea ap immediatly. That, awe haves, would quicly dapat he pecilaremtnal efi ofthe thing, ETA. Helin has ‘epatedly employed this prychalogl ance with crow in Tints maestren” “This observation, undoubtedly a corre one, refs prmatily 10 the sory of “The Sand-Maa’ in Hofinaan's acer? ich contains the orignal of jmp te doll he pests inthe fnt act of Oftenbach’s operas Tole 9f Hafan Bet anor think-and T hope mot fader ofthe sory wil ages ‘itt hee fe dal Oba, hohe {ppearancc living being, by any mean the oly, indeed {he mot porta clement hat ut be bed eyo or the quite unparalled stmaptere of uncaninssevoked by thestory. Nor ithisstmowpre heightened by the fc that he !utoe hie rests the ede of Olympia with aunt ouch sate and use to poke fun the yung mans dessa his mise. The man these ofthe sons om the conse, Something diferent, srethng which give itis names abd hich is always reintuced a eal momen i the theme ode ‘Sand Man who cars oat lens ees, “his fantastic tle opens with the ehilboed recalecon of the student Nathasiel In ait af is preset happiney he ‘ange banish the memorie seated wit he myron nd tering det of hi beloved father On cota evenings ‘nother ted to snd the cidren to bed early, waning then {hat the Sand-Man was coming andy ute enough, Natal ould not ilo ear the hey tread of vnc, with whom Tis her would then be eccuped for tie evening, When etioned about dhe Sand-Man, his mothe, i tae, dened ofc’ Since Wr Crib Eko, 2 (A tani ot -tie Sarn eed EpFola of ics tee oy FM Caen oda, an BE}that such a person existed except a a fgure of speech; but his nurse could give him more definite information: He's a wicked tan iho comes when clldren won't go t0 bed, and throws hana of sand in thei eye so that they jmp out of their heads all bleding. Then he puts the eye ima sack and cartes them off to the halfmoon to feed hie children. They sit up there in their net, nd this beaks are hooked ike owl’ bake And they we them topeckup naughty boyy and gs eyes with “Although litle Nathaniel was senable nd old enoagh not to credit the figure of te Sand-Man with such grcome att bute, yt the dread ofhim became xed in his heart. He deter mined to find out what the Saad-Man looked kes and one ening, when the Sand-Man was expected again, he hid in his Ther ssudy. Hercogeized de vsitor asthe lawyer Coppel, a repulsive person whom the elildren were fightend af when Ihe occasionally came 19 2 meal; and he now identified thie ‘Coppel with dhe dreaded Sand-Man. Ae regan the est of the scene, Hoffinann already leaves wr in doubt whether what ‘we are winessng ste fist delirium ofthe paniostricken boy (ra succesion of vents which are tobe regarded in the tory 8 Belg real His Sther and the guest are at work ata braier with glowing flames. The litle eavestropper hears Coppeliss fall oat: yes here! Byes hee” and betrays hime by screat Jing aloud. Coppi snes him and eon the point of opping ‘it of re.hot eal rom the fre into his eve, and then of trom ing them into the breve, but his father begs him of and saves 1s eye Alter thi the boy fill nto a deep swoon; and long tne brings it experience to an end, Those wi decide ia favour ofthe rationalise interpretation of the Sand-Ma wil ‘ot fal to recognize inthe child's phantasy the persinting nl ‘hoe of hi urs’ sory. The bite ef and that ae to Be thzown {nto the eil’s eyes torn into bts of roshot coal fom the flames; and in both case dhey are intended to make his eyes Jump out In the coune of another vise of the Sand: Man ‘year late, hie father i ile in bi tidy by an explosion, The EEwyer Goppelis disappears fom the place without leaving trace behind ‘Nathaniel, now a student, belive that he has recognized thir phantom ot horrr rom his childhood in an iunerant optician, fn Ttalian called Gieppe Coppola, who at his univerity town, offs him weatherglases for sal. When Nathaniel refuses the man goes on: ‘Not weathergaue? not weather {ates also got fine eyes, fine eyes!” The students teror fb Siuyed when he nds that the prefered eyes are only harmless spectacles, and he boys a pocket spy-gls from Coppola. With {eid he looks ators into Profesor Spalansaai's house opposite tnd there spin Spalanrani's beautiful, but strangely lent tnd motonles daughter, Olympia. He soon fill in love with ter so violently tha, because of her, he quite fongete the clever Gnd senble gi to whom he is betrothed. ue Olympia ean Sintomston whos clockwork har been made by Spalanain, Sh whowe eye have been pat ia by Coppola, the Sand-Man. The student surprises the two Maers quarreling over thee handiwork, The optician carries of the wooden eyelet dol ‘nd the mechaniian, Spalanzani picks wp Olympia bleeding tye Bom the ground and drow them at Nathaniel’ brea, ‘ying that Coppola had stolen them fom the sudent Nathaniel succun to fesh attack of madness, and in his