Olaus Wormius

Olaus Wormius (13 May 1588 – 31 August 1654) is a historical figure, a 17th century Danish scholar who made significant contributions to medicine, natural history and literature.Wikipedia, "Ole Worm." In his fictional "History of the Necronomicon", H. P. Lovecraft credits Olaus Wormius with making the first translation of the Necronomicon into Latin, but dates this event to 1228--360 years before the historical Wormius was born.
Brian Lumley's Cthulhu Mythos novella Lord of the Worms draws in-universe attention to this discrepancy, but leaves open whether the translator of the Necronomicon was a different person, or if Wormius was in fact a sorcerer who extended his life by unnatural means.
Joan Stanley, in Ex Libris Miskatonici, a fictional catalogue of Miskatonic University's arcana collection, writes that the 1228 translation is "incorrectly attributed by many to Olaus Wormius," and suggests that instead it was done by Accursius (c. 1182 – 1263),Wikipedia, "Accursius." an Italian jurist "who was noted for being outspokenly blasphemous." Stanley adds that Wormius did produce a Latin translation of the Necronomicon--in 1624, not 1228--and that "his version is still the best of the Renaissance translations."Ex Libris Miskatonici, Joan C. Stanley, pp. 55-56 (Necronomicon Press, 1993).
==References==
Category:Characters Originating From Lovecraft Circle Works
Category:Real World People
Category:Deceased (Real World)
Category:Alter-Egos/Characters Incorporated From the Real World