History AluminumChristmasTrees / Literature

** One might think that a fumble-fingered executioner failing to sever a person's head completely was invented from whole cloth by JKR. As it happens, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Ketch Jack Ketch]] did it twice.

** Also in ''The Last Continent'', the regatta where people run along a dry river bed carrying boats is actually happens in Alice Springs, Australia.

* Aluminum in ''Literature/WaxAndWayne'' is an extremely expensive metal prized for its AntiMagic properties. While real life aluminum doesn't stop someone from magically influencing your emotions, it ''was'' more valuable than gold due to its rarity, until modern smelting techniques made it common. Basically, practical smelting of aluminum requires large amounts of electrical power; something not easy to come by before the late 19th century.

* ''Literature/CodexAlera'' had a culture that form clans based on bonding with a animal species. While some are familiar animals (Horse Clan, Wolf Clan, Fox Clan), there are also the Gargant Clan and Herdbane Clan which are elephant-sized hairy quadrupeds and 2-3-meter-tall birds with axe-like beaks, respectively. Sounds like typical made-up fantasy animals? Nope. They're the (exitinct) giant ground sloth[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megatherium]] and terror bird[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phorusrhacidae]].

* In ''LightNovel/{{No 6}}'', Nezumi is crossdressing in a performance of a Shakespearean play and is well known for it. Those who aren't familiar with [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]] will think that this is just {{Fanservice}} aimed at {{Yaoi Fangirl}}s, but Shakespeare's plays were originally written for all-male theatre companies since women weren't allowed to act on stage during his lifetime, so every female role was played by a man.

* ''Literature/AmericanGods'': The House on the Rock is a real place in southern Wisconsin and is, if anything, even weirder than described in the book. The carousel is real (but you probably won't be allowed to ride on it). So are The Streets Of Yesterday and The Drunkard's Dream. And the whale. And the Infinity Room. And the Santas, if you visit around Christmas (they vanish into the ether come January). There's also some beautiful artwork, rooms full of dolls, self-playing orchestra instruments (trust me, you will never think of Ravel's 'Bolero' the same way again) enough narrow dark corridors to make a claustrophobe suicidal, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick and a surprising dearth of bathrooms.]]

* You might be forgiven for thinking the dire wolves from ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' are a D&D reference, but ''Aenocyon dirus'' a real canid that went extinct roughly 9,000 years ago.

** Also, in Elizabethan England, people were really fond of sugar and had the expected dental hygiene practices of Elizabethan English (i.e. none), with predictable results for their teeth. Those who could not afford their dose of sugar sometimes coloured their teeth to gain the proper look.

* The titular house in ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'' was based on a real farmhouse on Prince Edward Island, which still exists today.

* ''Literature/AubreyMaturin'': Hold on: a black bosun onboard HMS ''Sophie''? Multiracial crews with sizable Muslim, Jewish, and Lascar minorities? ''East Asian'' crew members? And all living in relative harmony? Surely P.O'B. is writing a bit of PoliticallyCorrectHistory? As it turns out, nope. He wasn't. The Royal Navy's global reach and perpetual manpower shortage meant that it would recruit whatever seamen were available, wherever they were (a fact also explained at the beginning of ''Literature/BillyBudd''). It helps that the best captains and crews would largely ignore race--as long as you were a good seaman, you were in.
** This is arguably an example of EaglelandOsmosis. Many modern audiences, both American and otherwise, don't seem to understand that racial segregation of the kind that existed in the United States and South Africa either didn't exist in other countries or was more loosely enforced.
*** For that matter, it didn't exist in the form we usually think of in America of the mid- to late 1700s either, according to records of the time. The War of Independence was a time of surprisingly relaxed attitudes towards sexual morality (including LGBT), interracial relationships (with not only African Americans but -- gasp -- ''Irish'' people!!!), female-owned businesses, prostitution, drinking (''lots'' of drinking) and gambling. Slavery was often for contracts of set periods of time, not lifelong, more like indentured servitude; and it was much easier for slaves, including African ones, to buy their freedom. Future president John Adams wrote at appalled length about these things.

* ''Literature/GoodOmens'' mentions the angel Aziraphale's collection of Infamous Bibles, named from errors in typesetting. Amazingly, ''all'' of these Bibles (other than the Charing Cross and the Buggre Alle This) ''actually exist''.

* In Creator/CharlesDickens' ''Literature/GreatExpectations'', there is a character who has turned his house into a miniature castle complete with moat and drawbridge. To modern readers this may seem eccentric, but this was actually quite common for wealthy Victorians. [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation Then again]], it may also seem like the act of a rich idiot who wants to impress other rich idiots, and WeHaveThoseToo here in the 21st century.
** [[https://web.archive.org/web/20130421030141/http://www.austincastlehouse.com/ Case in point.]]
** Another Victorian example is A. J. Cronin's ''Hatter's Castle''.
** Yet another castle-house is the titular house in the ''Literature/TheGreenKnoweChronicles'' series of English children's books.

* Readers of Junichiro Tanizaki's ''In Praise of Shadows'' may be puzzled when the author waxes lyrical about the old custom of ''ohaguro'', or tooth blackening. Yes, prior to the Meiji era, Japanese women would dye their teeth black with a ferrous solution; black smiles were considered more elegant than natural, ivory-coloured teeth.

* Sleepy Hollow, from ''Literature/TheLegendOfSleepyHollow'' by Creator/WashingtonIrving, is a real village in Westchester County, New York[[note]]Whether or not it's "Upstate" depends on whether you think "Upstate" starts at Yonkers (is Upstate), White Plains (same), the Tappan Zee Bridge (just barely) or further north, e.g. somewhere in Putnam or Dutchess County (both not).[[/note]] and it resembles the story version in most ways, except for the actual existence of a HeadlessHorseman. The town certainly celebrates the tale's lore though, especially around Halloween. The Van Tassel family, including Katrina, were real as well. Ichabod Crane was the name of an army captain that Irving met before writing the story.
** This example is somewhat of an inversion, however, as it was not until 1996 that the village of North Tarrytown was officially named Sleepy Hollow, largely due to the popularity of the Washington Irving tale. [[http://www.techtimes.com/articles/89829/20151001/real-history-sleepy-hollow-much-legend-ties-series.htm Some sources also claim]] that it was the nearby town of Kinderhook that actually inspired Irving's story.

** Mars Bar Thompson got his nickname because he [[TrademarkFavoriteFood loved to eat Mars Bars]]. At the time the book was published, Mars Bars were still being sold in the United States. American kids have to be reminded that such a candy existed before the TurnOfTheMillennium.
*** However, one thing that some people get wrong is the fact that Mars bars (in the United States at least) actually used to have almonds in them as their defining feature -- in most of the world, Mars bars are just nougat and caramel.

* Aluminum in ''Literature/WaxAndWayne'' is an extremely expensive metal prized for its AntiMagic properties. While real life aluminum doesn't stop someone from magically influencing your emotions, it ''was'' more valuable than gold due to its rarity, until modern smelting techniques made it common.

* The setting of Bram Stoker's ''{{Literature/Dracula}}'', Transylvania, is sometimes thought of as a fictional setting, especially because so much subsequent media has used it as the stock location for vampire and monster stories. It's a real place -- a region of Romania.

* The setting of Bram Stoker's ''{{Literature/Dracula}}'', Transylvania, is sometimes thought of as a fictional setting. It's a real place -- a region of Romania.

* The original UK edition of ''Literature/TheFairyRebel'', and the audiobook version read by the author, mentions a candy bar called the Crunchie bar. Non-British children might assume this was just a made-up candy with a generic made-up name, but the Cadbury Crunchie is in fact a real British chocolate bar with a honeycomb brittle center. (The American edition replaces it with a Snickers bar.)

%%* Likewise the titular house in the ''Literature/TheGreenKnoweChronicles'' series of English children's books.

* ''Literature/HisFamily'': Roger Gale has a thriving business with several employees that consists of--people paying him to clip out and forward news articles about them. It may seem hard to believe that anyone, even in the pre-radio age, could have made a living, much less run a successful business, clipping out news articles about various people. But press-clipping services of the type that Roger runs were totally a real thing. In a different book, Jubal Harshaw subscribes to one in Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/StrangerInAStrangeLand''. Newspaper-only clipping services were around as recently as 1990, and in modified Internet form are still a real thing. Franchise/DocSavage also employs a newspaper clipping service, run by one of the graduates from his Crime College.

** Many international fans who were unfamiliar with the British education system initially thought that prefects and the house system were just another part of Rowling's made-up wizarding world.

* The original UK edition of ''Literature/TheFairyRebel'' mentions a candy bar called the Crunchie bar. Non-British children might assume this was just a made-up candy with a generic made-up name, but the Cadbury Crunchie is in fact a real British chocolate bar with a honeycomb brittle center. (The American edition replaces it with a Snickers bar.)

** Similar to the ''Literature/ManiacMagee'' example, Harry's line about buying Mars Bars is maintained in the American line. Blooper? Actually, no - at the time the book was published, a candy bar known as [[https://lerevdr.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/us-mars-bar.jpg?w=584 Mars]] was sold in the states, and prior to the TurnOfTheMillennium, was just as common a sight in vending machines, candy stores, and convenience stores as Mars bars are everywhere ''else'' in the world.

** Some commentators have criticized Cho Chang's name for being an inaccurate Chinese name, or sounding too stereotypically Asian. As it turns out, "Cho Chang" ''is'' a common (or at least possible) name in Chinese-speaking regions - it's the Wade-Giles reading of "張卓," which would be written as "Zhuo Zhang" in Pinyin, the more commonly used Chinese romanization scheme today. Wade-Giles is still in official use in Taiwan, and was still not uncommon when the books were being written.

* The first ''Narnia'' book, ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'' mentions a delicacy called "Turkish Delight". For many in the Americas, east Asia, and even some younger and more modern readers in the UK, this was thought to be made up. It wasn't actually - it's a real Turkish candy, called "lokum" in its native land, consisting of fruit-, spice-, or rosewater-flavored jelly squares filled with nuts and coated in powdered sugar. In fact various adaptations often [[ShownTheirWork provide real candies for the actors to eat]].

*** However, one thing that some people get wrong is the fact that Mars bars (in the united states at least) actually used to have almonds in them as their defining feature - in most of the world, Mars bars are just nougat and caramel.

** The "Clacks" system - long-distance communication using semaphore towers - was totally real, although the real examples never ''quite'' reached the sophistication of the Discworld version. France had over 3,000 miles of semaphore network, and the first ever telecoms scam (somewhat resembling Moist von Lipwig's trick in the climax of ''Literature/GoingPostal'') [[https://youtu.be/cPeVsniB7b0 was done on the French semaphore network in 1834]].

* The setting of Bram Stoker's ''{{Literature/Dracula}}'', Transylvania, is sometimes thought of as a fictional setting. It's a real place - a region of Romania.

* In ''Literature/TheGame'', Neil Strauss and his friends at one point end up taking the wrong road between Moldova and the Ukraine and end up in an unrecognized country that still uses Soviet imagery and propaganda wishing for a return to the glorious days of the USSR. That country, Transnistria, exists.

** Butterscotch Krimpets are made to sound so delicious that many kids reading the book thought they were made up. [[http://www.amazon.com/PACKS-Tastykake-Butterscotch-Krimpets-Tastycakes/dp/B000Z8RZ3M They aren't]], they were just a regional snack.

* ''Literature/BrownsPineRidgeStories'': The "Brazier" mentioned in the nineteenth chapter would likely be mistaken by some readers as a [[BrandX made up restaurant]] for the story, but it does exist. Most readers, particularly those born 1990 and after, would recognize it as Dairy Queen.[[note]]More accurately, Dairy Queen has both "regular" Dairy Queen (with a minimal "food", as opposed to ice cream, menu; usually limited to hot dogs) and "brazier" locations ... which still has the big Dairy Queen logo, but additionally a yellow stripe with red letters reading "Brazier" ... which has a more extensive menu including hamburgers.[[/note]]

* Likewise, the original UK edition of ''Literature/TheFairyRebel'' mentions a candy bar called the Crunchie bar. Non-British children might assume this was just a made-up candy, but the Cadbury Crunchie is in fact a real British chocolate bar with a honeycomb brittle center. (The American edition replaces it with a Snickers bar.)

* Sleepy Hollow, from ''Literature/TheLegendOfSleepyHollow'' by Creator/WashingtonIrving, is a real village in Westchester County, New York[[note]]Whether or not it's "Upstate" depends on whether you think "Upstate" starts at Yonkers (is Upstate), White Plains (same), the Tappan Zee Bridge (just barely) or further north, e.g. somewhere in Putnam or Dutchess County (both not).[[/note]] and it resembles the story version in most ways, except for the actual existence of a HeadlessHorseman. The town certainly celebrates the tale's lore though, especially around Halloween. The Van Tessel family, including Catriena, were real as well. Ichabod Crane was the name of an army captain that Irving met before writing the story.

* Likewise, the original UK edition of ''Literature/TheFairyRebel'' mentions a candy bar called the Crunchie bar. Non-British children might assume this was just a made-up candy, but the Cadbury Crunchie is in fact a real British chocolate bar with a honeycomb brittle center.

* The first ''Narnia'' book, ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'' mentions a delicacy called "Turkish Delight". For many in the Americas, east Asia, and even some younger and more modern readers, this was thought to be made up. It wasn't actually - in fact various adaptations often [[ShownTheirWork provide real candies for the actors to eat]].

* You might be forgiven for thinking the dire wolves from ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' are a D&D reference, but ''Canis dirus'' a real creature that went extinct roughly 9,000 years ago, albeit not a true wolf. [[note]]It was actually more of a very, '''very''' big jackal.[[/note]]

** Exploding Snap is ''obviously'' a wacky wizarding invention, right? Well, the "exploding" part is. [[https://www.bicyclecards.com/how-to-play/snap/ Snap]], by itself, is a real game.
** Many international fans who were unfamiliar with the British education system initially thought that prefects and the house system were just another part of Rowling's made-up wizarding world. It makes the line "I mean, prefect is something they can understand" from the fifth book seem a little out of place.