Transylvania and literature as a land of mystery and magic. For example, in Paulo Coelho's novel "The Witch of Portobello", the main character, Sherine Khalil, is described as a Transylvanian orphan with a Romani mother, in an effort to add to the character's exotic mystique. The so-called Transylvanian trilogy of historical novels by Miklos Banffy, "The Writing on the Wall", is an extended treatment of the 19th- and early 20th-century social and political history of the country. Among the first actors to portray Dracula in film was Bela Lugosi, who was born in Banat, in present-day Romania. Transylvania Transylvania is a
Transylvania County, North Carolina Transylvania County, North Carolina Transylvania County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 33,090. Its county seat is Brevard. Transylvania County comprises the Brevard, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Asheville-Brevard, NC CSA combined statistical area. Founded in 1861, the county's name is derived from the Transylvania Colony and has Latin origins: "trans" ("across") and "silva" ("woods"). Prior to the early 20th century, an overwhelming majority of Transylvania County’s residents subsisted through agriculture, often growing basic staples such as potatoes and cabbage. Beginning in