A Actual Person Was Dracula Based On?

While tales of vampires have been told for generations, no one has inspired more fear than the name Dracula. Bram Stoker based his fictitious Vlad Tepes on a historical man known as Vlad the Impaler.

A warlord in what is now Romania in southeastern Europe in the 15th century, Vlad the Impaler was also known as Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia. To create the fictional Dracula in his 1897 novel, Bram Stoker drew inspiration from Vlad’s life. Since its publication, the novel has served as the basis for innumerable films, TV programs, and other gory works of fiction.

Historians and literary critics like Elizabeth Miller(opens in new tab), who has researched the parallels between Stoker’s persona and Vlad III, contend that the two Draculas have few if any characteristics. Vampire lore dates back millennia, yet few names strike greater fear into the hearts of humans than Dracula. Despite this, Bram Stoker’s fictitious character was inspired by a genuine historical figure named Vlad the Impaler.

A warlord in what is now Romania in southeastern Europe in the 15th century, Vlad the Impaler was also known as Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia. Stoker based the main character of his novel “Dracula” (opens in new tab) on the historical figure Vlad the Impaler. Since its publication, the novel has served as inspiration for innumerable works of horror fiction on film and television.

Scholars in history and literature, such as Elizabeth Miller(opens in new tab), who have investigated the similarities between Stoker’s Dracula and Vlad III, have concluded that the two Draculas have few if any characteristics.

Who Was the Real Dracula?

It Is Generally Agreed that Vlad the Impaler Was Born in 1431 in The Area of Romania Today Known as Transylvania. in Spite of This, Florin Curta, a Professor of Medieval History and Archaeology at The University of Florida, Claims that There Is Some Doubt Over Whether or Not Transylvania Is Indeed Connected to Vlad the Impaler.

Curta Told Live Science, “Dracula Is Related to Transylvania, yet The Genuine, Historic Dracula — Vlad Iii — Never Owned Anything in Transylvania. He Further Clarified that Bran Castle, a Popular Tourist Destination in Present-Day Transylvania and Popularly Referred to As “Dracula’s Castle,” Was Never the Home of The Wallachian Prince.

The Castle Fits the Stereotype of Dracula’s Castle Because of Its Location Amid the Misty Mountains “as Curta Put It. “however, that Was Not Vlad Iii’s Residence. Never Once Did He Set Foot on Their Soil.”

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Where Does the Name Dracula Come From?

According to The British Museum(opens in New Tab), in 1431, the Elder Vlad Was Inducted Into a Knightly Order, the Order of The Dragon, by King Sigismund of Hungary, Who Would Later Become the Holy Roman Emperor. as A Result of This Honor, Vlad Ii Was Given the New Surname “Dracul.” the Name Was Taken from The Ancient Romanian Word for “dragon,” Which Was “drac.”

According to Historian Constantin Rezachevici (“from the Order of The Dragon to Dracul(opens in New Tab)” Journal of Dracula Studies, Vol 1, 1999), Vlad Iii Came to Be Known as The “son of Dracul” Or, in Old Romanian, Drăculea, Thus Dracula. According to Curta, the Devil Is Known as “drac” in Contemporary Romanian.

In 1890, Stoker Reportedly Read a Book About Wallachia, as Stated in Elizabeth Miller’s “Dracula: Sense and Nonsense” (Desert Island Books, 2020). Noting the Name “Dracula” Immediately Caught Stoker’s Attention, Even Though It Had No Reference to Vlad Iii. in His Notes, He Noted, “in Wallachian Language Signifies Devil.” Therefore, It’s Possible that Stoker Gave His Character the Name Dracula Because of The Word’s Demonic Connotations.

Historians Radu Florescu and Raymond T. Mc Nally’s Book Dracula’s Bloodline Promoted the Claim that Vlad Iii and Dracula Were the Same People “the New Tab Opens to “in Search of Dracula” (the New York Graphic Society, 1972). in Spite of Being Widely Rejected by Academic Historians, This Theory Managed to Capture the Public’s Imagination, as Reported by The New York Times (opens in New Tab).

Constantin Rezachevici Claims that The Order of The Dragon’s only Focus Was on Toppling the Ottoman Turkish Empire. the Home Principality of Vlad Ii (and Later Vlad Iii) Was Frequently the Scene of Deadly Confrontations Between Ottoman Forces Pushing Westward Into Europe and Christian Forces Repulsing the Invaders Due to Its Location Between Christian Europe and The Muslim Areas of The Ottoman Empire.

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How Did Vlad the Impaler Die?

After a Failed Attempt to Overcome His Much More Powerful Enemy, Mehmet Ii, in August 1462, Vlad Was Forced Into Exile in Hungary, Where He Oversaw the Impaling of Ottoman Prisoners of War. During His Stay in Exile, Vlad Was Imprisoned for Several Years, but He Also Got Married and Had Two Children.

While Vlad Was in Prison, His Younger Brother Radu, Who Had Sided with The Ottomans During the Continuing War Conflicts, Assumed Control of Wallachia. Following Radu’s Death in 1475, However, the Local Boyars and The Rulers of Numerous Neighboring Principalities Backed Vlad’s Return to Power, as Reported by John M Shea (“Vlad the Impaler: Bloodthirsty Medieval Prince”) (Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2015).

Vlad Made a Final Attempt to Restore His Position as Ruler of Wallachia in 1476 with The Help of The Voivode of Moldavia, Stephen Iii the Great (1457-1504). His Reign on The Throne, While Brief, Was a Success in Terms of Stealing It Back. Vlad Was Slain Later that Year when He and A Small Vanguard of Men Were Ambushed on Their Way to Yet Another Fight with The Ottomans.

According to Research by Constantin Rezachevici Published in 2002 (opens in New Tab) in The Journal of Dracula Studies, There Is a Great Debate Regarding the Precise Location of Vlad Iii’s Tomb. He Was Reportedly Laid to Rest in The Snagov Monastery Church on The Outskirts of Modern Bucharest. Curta Claims that Vlad’s Burial Site Is Near the Putative Site of The Battle in Which He Was Killed, Although Modern Historical Research Has Cast Doubt on This. the Monastery of Comana Is Located Between Bucharest and The Danube.

Unlike Bram Stoker’s Fictional Count Dracula, However, Vlad Iii Did Indeed Meet His End. only The Horrific Stories from His Reign Over Wallachia Have Survived to Haunt the Present Day.