by knoxvillage1982
London was the world's largest city by population from about 1825 to 1925. By 1890, the city had approximately five million inhabitants.
Busy traffic on London Bridge (c. 1900) - Credit: John L. Stoddard In his Author’s Note for The Secret Agent (1907), Joseph Conrad describes London as:
a monstrous town more populous than some continents and in its man-made might as if indifferent to heaven’s frowns and smiles; a cruel devourer of the world’s light. There was room enough there to place any story, depth there for any passion, variety there for any setting, darkness enough to bury five million of lives.
2. Page 209. " we reached the wall of the churchyard "
by hector
"The Churchyard at Kingstead" - Credit: Nick Jewell 
Highgate Cemetery - Credit: Tom Thai The "churchyard at Kingstead" does not exist, but there is an extremely famous cemetery nearby that Stoker probably had in mind. Highgate Cemetery lies just across Hampstead Heath from Jack Straw's Castle, and is world famous as the resting place of Karl Marx, George Eliot, Michael Faraday and Douglas Adams, among many other famous deceased.
3. Page 214. " In trance she died, and in trance she is Un-Dead, too "
by victoriahooper
In this extract from The Land Beyond the Forest, Victorian writer Emily Gerard records local superstition concerning the vampire, noting that there are two different types, then describing how a vampire can be destroyed:
"There are two sorts of vampires - living and dead. The living vampire is, in general, the illegitimate offspring of two illegitimate persons, but even a flawless pedigree will not ensure anyone against the intrusion of a vampire into his family vault, since every person killed by a nosferatu becomes likewise a vampire after death, and will continue to suck the blood of other innocent people till the spirit has been exorcised, either by opening the grave of the person suspected and driving a stake through the corpse, or firing a pistol shot into the coffin. In very obstinate cases it is further recommended to cut off the head and replace it in the coffin with the mouth filled with garlic, or to extract the heart and burn it, strewing the ashes over the grave.
That such remedies are often resorted to, even in our enlightened days, is a well-attested fact, and there are probably few Roumenian villages where such has not taken place within the memory of the inhabitants."
4. Page 217. " find this great Un-Dead, and cut off his head and burn his heart or drive a stake through it "
by victoriahooper
Wooden Stake - Credit: mugley at Flickr The most common method of killing a vampire in Eastern European folklore is a stake through the heart. A stake is a piece of wood or metal sharpened at one end, which is driven into the ground as a marker or peg. For killing vampires, wood is usually preferred. Different woods were considered more appropriate in different cultures, with ash, hawthorn and oak some of the favourites. In Russia and northern Germany, the stake might be driven through the mouth instead, and in some parts of Serbia the stomach was targeted. Piercing a bloated corpse was another method of preventing it from becoming a vampire. In some cultures, particularly Romania, the head might also be removed and stuffed with garlic.
An article about 'vampire' skeletons found staked in their graves in Bulgaria.
Though the stake-through-the-heart method is generally adhered to in adaptations of Dracula, it is often ignored in other vampire fiction, with beheading or burning being more popular options. Many such stories will make a point of dismissing this, along with other elements of vampire folklore such as aversion to garlic and holy objects, lack of reflection, vulnerability to sunlight, etc. A notable exception is Buffy (the vampire slayer) who regularly stakes vampires and even carries around her own personal, trusty stake named ‘Mr. Pointy’, which has been passed on to her by another slayer.
5. Page 218. " buy a pig in a poke "
by victoriahooper
The Pig? - Credit: AJ Ashton To buy something inferior without fully examining it first. Variants of this phrase can be found far beyond Scotland. It derives from a con trick, whereby an unsuspecting customer bought what they thought was a pig in a sealed bag ("poke"). On opening it, they would discover they had actually purchased a less valuable cat or dog.
The French equivalent is acheter un chat en poche (to buy a cat in a bag).
This same con trick is also the origin of another well-known expression: to let the cat out of the bag.
6. Page 224. " never did cypress, or yew, or juniper so seem the embodiment of funereal gloom "
by hector
Cypress Trees - Credit: satemkemet The Tuscan, or "graveyard", cypress has long been associated with mourning, and is found in cemeteries across Europe. In classical mythology, the cypress is associated with Hades, god of the Underworld.
The yew's leaves are highly poisonous, which may have led to associations with death. Yew trees live a long time, with some trees dated at over a thousand years old. They are frequently found in English and French churchyards. In the British Isles, sacred associations may have predated the arrival of Christianity, and some churches are thought to have been built beside already venerated yews.
Junipers belong to the cypress family. Juniper trees are not commonly associated with churches or funerals, however some older specimens can look painfully contorted and half-dead, which may be what Stoker has in mind.
Churchyard Yews - Credit: Dave Bleasdale7. Page 226. " the passion masks of the Greeks and Japanese "
by victoriahooper
Greek Tragedy and Comedy Masks. Roman Mosaic, 2nd century AD - Credit: antmoose/Wikimedia Commons Ancient Greek and Japanese theatre masks are often grotesque in appearance, with wide, leering or horrified mouths. In theatre, the over-exaggerated facial features allow the characters and their emotions to be seen and understood by audiences in large theatres, as well as helping to distinguish between different characters. They could also add to a sense of comedy and tragedy. In festivals and ritual, the mask can represent a particular hero, god, spirit or legendary animal, and evoke or convey different atmospheres and emotions. Masks could also be used as votive offerings, left at a particular god’s shrine or temple.
Images and further information on Japanese masks
More about ancient Greek theatre
8. Page 228. " trembling like an aspen "
by hector
Populus Tremula - Credit: Hugo.arg Aspens are deciduous trees of the poplar genus, found in the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere. They can grow up to 30 metres tall. The constant quivering of the leaves of the Eurasian Populus tremula has led it to be called Old Wives' Tongues, and has encouraged healers to prescribe the leaves as a treatment for fever. The North American Populus tremuloides is known as the Quaking Aspen.
Interestingly, given this passing reference in Dracula, aspens are said to ward off evil spirits, and aspen wood was a favourite choice for those making stakes to kill vampires. This may be related to the belief that Jesus's cross was made of aspen, or to the Slavic legend that Judas Iscariot hanged himself from an aspen tree (which, it is said, is why the aspen has been trembling with horror ever since). These stories might be more credible if aspens were indigenous to the Middle East.
Legends of Aspen
9. Page 234. " we took the Underground to Fenchurch Street "
by hector
Fenchurch St Station - Credit: Mrsteviec This is a curious line, as Fenchurch St railway station is not part of London's Underground network. It is not clear whether this is a mistake on Stoker's part, or a joke, or whether he is deliberately reshaping London to give it a fantastical feel, in the same way that Philip Pullman takes liberties with Oxford in His Dark Materials. To reach Fenchurch St via the Underground, they would have travelled to Mark Lane tube station on the Circle line, which opened in 1884 and closed in 1967.
10. Page 238. " I put the forked metal to my ears and listened "
by hector
Transcription using cylinder phonograph, 1897 Phonograph recordings could be played back through a horn or through stethoscope-like earphones – the "forked metal" – as pictured.
In the drawing, the phonograph is on the left, powered by the treadle below. The machine on the right is a typewriter, for transcription of the recording. The drawing is dated 1897, the year of Dracula's publication.
Taken from www.bookdrum.com
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