DRACULA - BETWEEN LEGEND AND REALITY

Dracula Vlad the Impeller

Dracula, or Vlad the Impeller was the son of Vlad Dracul (1436-1442; 1443- 1447 and
!randson of "#rcea the $ld (13%6-141%&
Vlad Dracul was du''ed a (n#!ht of the Dra!on $rder, ') the *un!ar#an (#n!& +ll the
mem'ers of the order had a dra!on on the#r coat of arms, and that #s what 'rou!ht h#m the
n#c(name of ,Dracul (the De-#l #n .oman#an lan!ua!e&
Vlad the Impeller used to s#!n h#mself ,Draculea or ,Dracul)a -the De-#l/s son-, a name
that was d#storted #nto ,Dracula&
Dracula/s renown reached the 0est throu!h the 1a2ons from the 3rans)l-an#an towns of
4ra o- (the 5erman 6ronstadt and 1#'#u ( the 5erman *ermannstadt& 3he) often !a-e shelter to
those who cla#med the 0allach#an throne&
In order to escape the per#l of los#n! h#s throne, Vlad would pun#sh the 1a2ons&
1#'#u 7#t) and the ne#!h'our#n! area were p#lla!ed and 'urnt down ') Vlad, and man)
1a2ons were #mpaled& 3he same happened to the 1a2on merchants who came on 'us#ness to
3ar!o-#ste&
In fact, Vlad was called ,8epes (the Impeller onl) after h#s death #n 1476&
*e ruled #n the re!#on of 0allach#a from 1496 to 1462 and also #n 1476& In 1462, ha-#n! 'een
defeated ') the 3ur(s, Vlad too( refu!e #n *un!ar)&
In 1476, w#th the help of the *un!ar#an 6#n!, "at)a 7or-#n and of the "olda-#an pr#nce,
1tephen the 5reat, Vlad too( o-er the 0allach#an throne a!a#n for a month&
+ 'attle followed, dur#n! wh#ch Vlad was (#lled& *#s 'od) was 'ur#ed #n the church of the
1na!o- "onaster), on an #sland near 4ucharest& *#s 'od) l#es #n front of the altar&
In 1:39, a r#chl) dressed, 'ut 'eheaded corpse was e2humed at 1na!o-, a fate (nown to
ha-e o-erta(en Dracula, whose head was supposedl) wrapped, perfumed and d#spatched as a !#ft
to the 3ur(#sh sultan&
3he) sa) that #mpall#n! was one of Dracula/s fa-our#te pun#shments, 'ut he was not the onl)
one who made use of #t, at the t#me& $ther 5erman and 1pan#sh pr#nces would do the same& *e
used th#s method for 'o)ars, th#e-es and cr#m#nals, 3ur(s, 1a2ons and those who consp#red a!a#nst
h#m; more than once #t happened that a whole forest of sharp sta(es w#th enem#es/ heads stuc( #n
them, would r#se around 3ar!o-#ste, the 0allach#an cap#tal, at the t#me&
*orr#f#ed ') these atroc#t#es, the 1a2ons pr#nted 'oo(s and pamphlets #n wh#ch the) told
a'out Vlad/s cruelt)& 3hese 'oo(lets also reached 5erman) and 0estern ;urope, where
Dracula'ecame (nown as a 'lood) t)rant&
In 1%:7, the Ir#sh wr#ter 4ram 1to(er pu'l#shed the no-el ,Dracula, wh#ch-throu!h a
d#storted h#stor)- made Vlad the Impeller famous world-w#de& 1to(er read the stor#es a'out Dracula
pr#nted #n the 19
th
and 16
th
centur#es, and was struc( ') h#s acts of cruelt)& *e dec#ded to ma(e h#m
h#s character; he also read se-eral 'oo(s a'out 3rans)l-an#a (a name of <at#n or#!#n, mean#n!the
countr) 'e)ond the forest, and thou!ht that th#s ,e2ot#c land would ma(e a proper sett#n! for
Dracula/s deeds&
In fact, 1to(er used Vlad onl) as a source of #nsp#rat#on, s#nce #n h#s no-el, ,Dracula #s not
pr#nce ,Vlad the Impaler, 'ut a 3rans)l-an#an count l#-#n! #n a m)ster#ous castle, where he lured h#s
-#ct#ms& *#s stor) ta(es place #n the 4#str# a area, and the castle l#es near the 4=r!au >ass #n the
7arpath#an "ounta#ns&
+s 1to(er had ne-er -#s#ted 3rans)l-an#a, most places and happen#n!s were pure f#ct#on&
<e!end and true h#stor) a'out Dracula #nterm#n!le, and are 'e#n! (ept al#-e ') tour#st
dest#nat#ons l#(e the "onaster) of 1na!o- near 4ucharest, or 4ran 7astle, near 4ra o-&
+ll 'e!an #n 3he "#ddle +!es, when the 0allach#an .uler, ,Vlad the Impaler, dec#ded to
erad#cate th#e-es and murderers& *e used as pun#shment, a -er) cruel method& 3he -#ct#m was
e2ecuted w#th a sharpened wooden 'eam, stuc( #n the -#ct#m/s 'od) throu!h the anal area, wh#ch
produced a slow and pa#nful death, wh#ch somet#mes, depend#n! on the -#ct#m/s res#stance, lasted
e-en three da)s&
4ecause of th#s, he was n#c(named ,Dracula (#n .oman#an #t means ,the De-#l, due to the
curses h#s -#ct#ms set upon h#m #n the moments of the#r death&
Vlad ,3he Impeller esta'l#shed 4ucharest as 7ap#tal of 0allach#a #n 1447, and ra#sed 3he
$ld .o)al 7ourt, whose ru#ns can 'e seen toda) #n the m#ddle of 4ucharest&
Vlad 3epes-Dracula was one of the most coura!eous and 'est adm#n#strators of 0allach#a
'etween 1496 and 1462& 3he name of ,8epes ? mean#n! #n .oman#an lan!ua!e , the one that (#lls
throu!h #mpal#n! - #s due to the cruel pun#shment he used for the cr#m#nals of the a!e, for tra#tors
and enem#es, whom he #mpaled, and the n#c(name of ,Dracula was com#n! from h#s father, Vlad
Dracul or , Vlad the De-#l, who was awarded the med#e-al order of Dra!on&
3he Ir#sh wr#ter 4ram 1to(er, happened to use the same name for the hero of h#s 'oo(, a
-amp#re al#as ,7ount of Dracula, and to place the fasc#nat#n! e-ents #n 3rans)l-an#a, were Vlad
3epes was 'orn, 'ut #n d#fferent areas, where Vlad had ne-er 'een&
1tart#n! from th#s po#nt, the real h#stor) has noth#n! #n common w#th 1toc(er/s f#ct#on&