Biography of dracula inspiration vlad the impaler

Neither Dracula nor vampires are, strictly speaking, real — at least so far as we know — but that doesn’t mean they don’t have their basis in reality. While writing his endlessly influential novel Dracula, author Bram Stoker was inspired by Central European folklore in general and Vlad III in particular, whom history often remembers by a more colorful name: Vlad the Impaler. The son of Vlad Dracul, he’s believed to have been born in Transylvania, eventually became voivode (ruler) of Wallachia (a region of Romania south of Transylvania), and more than earned his nickname by impaling his enemies. Vlad Dracul took his name when he joined the Order of the Dragon, a secret cabal of Christian knights; “dracul” is Romanian for “dragon.” As fate would have it, “Dracula” means “son of Dracul.”

Stoker called Transylvania “one of the wildest and least known portions of Europe” in the book’s first chapter, an evocative descri

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History course on Dracula goes beyond the story of a bloodthirsty killer

Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the iconic 1897 tale of a vampire from Transylvania, is often thought to be inspired by a formidable 15th-century governor from present-day Romania named Vlad the Impaler.

To examine the historical roots of the legendary character, undergraduates in a unique College course entered the worlds of superstition and supernatural by reading newly translated letters written by Vlad himself. Throughout the course, students were given a unique look at his motivations, helping to transform their understanding of a figure often seen as bloodthirsty.

“I thought Vlad was going to be this kind of genius—the way that he was able to murder so many people—and I asked myself: ‘How did he not upset the masses sooner?’ But then I realized, he really didn’t have too many plans,” said second-year student Marcus Jaramillo. “The media represents him as elegant, but the history is saying that he is brutal

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Vlad the Impaler

15th-century ruler of Wallachia

"Vlad Dracula" redirects here. Not to be confused with Count Dracula, Vlad Dracul, or Vladracula.

"Vlad Drăculea" and "Vlad Țepeș" redirect here. For the Japanese manga series, see Vlad Drăculea (manga). For other uses, see Vlad Țepeș (disambiguation).

"Draculea" redirects here. For the by in Ukraine, see Trudove, Izmail Raion, Odesa Oblast.

For the baseball player so nicknamed, see Vladimir Guerrero.

Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler (Romanian: Vlad Țepeș[ˈvlad ˈtsepeʃ]) or Vlad Dracula (; Romanian: Vlad Drăculea[ˈdrəkule̯a]; 1428/31 – 1476/77), was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian history and a national hero of Romania.^[6]

He was the second son of Vlad Dracul, who became the ruler of Wallachia in 1436. Vlad and his younger brother, Radu, were held as hostages inom