Stoker/Van Helsing

Bram Stoker’s given name was Abraham. Professor Van Helsing, Stoker’s famous vampire hunter from Dracula, is also named Abraham. Why did Stoker give Van Helsing the same name as himself? Did the author regard himself as a heroic (and incredibly erudite) figure like Van Helsing? Or could it have been a writerly inside joke, the 19th century equivalent of an Easter egg? I don’t believe either of those is correct. I think Bram Stoker actually was a learned vampire hunter and that Dracula is a thinly disguised autobiography. Screw Occam’s razor. I’m sticking with the explanation with the most possible assumptions for this Bram/Abraham thing.

Next week, I’ll discuss whether William of Occam was in fact a shapeshifter.