The original Dracula is related to Vlad Dracul (1431 - 1476), beter known through history as Vlad Tepes (read Tsepesh). Vlad has ruled Wallachia (Tara Româneascã, now southern Romania) between 1456 and 1476. |
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After being a hostage of the Ottomans (1444 -1448) Vlad went to his uncle Iancu de Hunedoara (the ruler of Wallachia), whose daughter Vlad later married, becoming prince of Wallachia on the 22nd of August 1456. Vlad Dracula started organizing the state, the army and the law. He also build several monasteries. He was a respected warrior, ruler and tolerated no crime against his people. In his laws, Vlad applyed the death penalty by impaling to all those he considered enemies (robbers, beggars, etc). Impalement was used also for his war enemyes, the ottomans. Being the one to dare to stand against Mohammed II (the Conqueror), he became known as one of the most feared enemies of the Ottoman empire. His biggest merit is that he succeeded in regaining the country's independence from the Turkish influence. For his people he was a good king, remaining one of the prominent personages of the Romanian history. He was overthrown twice (he ruled for a brief period in 1448 and again between 1456 and 1462). Back to the throne in 1476 with the help of Stefan cel Mare (the ruler of Moldavia), Vlad resumes his fights against the Ottomans.
The stories regarding Vlad's cruelty circulated later throughout Europe. In the German region was published a first book in 1463 (The History of Voivode Dracula) and later republished in several editions. This was an obvious attack against Vlad (because of his policy regarding the Germans), that's why the stories where exagerated 'till the limits of the unbelievable. In the russian region circulated a manuscript version from 1468. The story was passed on to the peasants creating an incredible vast folklore. In the South-Eastern Europe, where no written version existed, the story passed on as an oral tradition. Later on several new stories were published, more and more far from the reality. This was the born of the vampire literature. After a long time of research, Bram Stoker published in 1897 the masterpiece of this style, "Dracula". This was the begining of an incredible explosion of literature and movies related to vampirism. Site Name: Arthur's Web
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