30/01/2025
We learned the most hilarious Dracula fact today, and everyone needs to hear it! 🤣
Did you know that in 1901, Dracula was translated into Icelandic? For over 110 years, Icelandic people read and enjoyed it. “Hey Bjorn, have you read Dracula?” “Yeah! Love it!” Nothing to see here, right? 𝗪𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚! 😮
In 2014, a Dutch author and historian named Hans de Roos noticed something peculiar between the English and Icelandic versions. So, he translated it back—and guess what? 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞. 🙅♀️
From 1901 until 2014, Icelandic people had unknowingly been reading what is believed to be a version of , written (or at the very least heavily altered) by the translator. Other theories suggest the translator mixed Icelandic sagas with an early, rejected draft of the novel. 📚
Either way, de Roos writes that the Icelandic version is “edgier, punchier, and more to the point,” with characters and storylines that stray from the original. 🧛♂️
This makes us wonder: just how long fans have been writing fiction about their favorite characters? Clearly, it’s not a modern phenomenon. While we associate with online communities today, history shows that humans have always rewritten stories to fit their own ideas—sometimes to the point those rewrites become accepted as fact. ✍️
If you’re curious, the English translation of the Icelandic Dracula is now available, thanks to de Roos. The reviews? Absolutely hilarious. I highly recommend checking out the differences between the two versions. 🔎
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