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WHAT'S IN A NAME?

This Frozen fan theory is so simple you won’t believe you haven’t noticed it before

Disney's 2013 film Frozen was a runaway success

WHETHER you've got kids or not, you're probably well versed in the Disney film Frozen by now.

The 2013 movie was such a runaway success it became the biggest children's film of all time, celebrated by people around the world.

 Disney's 2013 film Frozen was a runaway success
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Disney's 2013 film Frozen was a runaway successCredit: AP:Associated Press

But the Disney flick that's spawned hit songs and countless pieces of memorabilia, not to mention fancy dress outfit options, was actually inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fable The Snow Queen.

The story tells the tale of two sisters who save their kingdom through their love for one another and it's now been modernised in Disney's big budget animation.

It's made over £1 billion since its release and there is even a sequel in the making.

 Have you ever noticed the special homage to Hans Christian Andersen in the characters from Frozen's names?
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Have you ever noticed the special homage to Hans Christian Andersen in the characters from Frozen's names?Credit: Disney

But there's something in the names of the characters in the film that plays homage to the story's original writer... and you've probably never noticed.

The names of four of the main characters in the animation seem to be a nod to Hans Christian Andersen.

Don't believe us?

Here are the names: Hans, Kristoff, Anna, Sven.

Does it sound familiar now?

It seems that Disney found a sweet way to pay its respects to the famous Danish poet for the story behind one of its most successful releases.

Andersen, who also wrote classic children's stories like The Little Mermaid and Thumbelina, was born in Odense, Denmark in 1805.

 The story behind Frozen comes from the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale The Snow Queen
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The story behind Frozen comes from the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale The Snow QueenCredit: Amazon

His work included poems, plays, novels and travelogues, but Andersen is of course best known for the fairy tales that are embedded in Western culture.

So next time your kids ask about where the story of Frozen came from, you'll have a handy way to remind them its rich heritage in Western culture.

 Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author who created many of the most loved fairy tales, including The Little Mermaid, Frozen and Thumbalina
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Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author who created many of the most loved fairy tales, including The Little Mermaid, Frozen and ThumbalinaCredit: Alamy

Kids films are full of strange details we've often failed to notice; recently we were shocked to realise that there was something really odd about Andy from Toy Story, while another theory offers proof that Tangled, Frozen and The Little Mermaid are all linked.

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