The Real Dracula

Were you aware that Dracula was not a fictional character?  He was alive during the 1400s and was royalty.  What kind of man does it take to inspire a character like Dracula?  While the original Dracula may not have drank the blood of his victims, or was undead, he was a truly gruesome creature.

It’s true that Dracula was human, but he was inhuman.  Bram Stoker’s Dracula is based on Vlad the Impaler.  He was the son of Vlad II or Vlad Dracul, this meant Vlad the dragon or devil.  Being named Vlad III, he was called Vlad Dracula, or son of the dragon. 

It is true that Vlad lived in Transylvania as well.  Unfortunately Vlad was in a position of power, he was royalty.  If he had not been royalty, we would have never had heard of him and the people of Wallachia wouldn’t have suffered.  Imagine if the king of England was a serial killer and did it publicly.  Now, how does a man inspire a legend such as Dracula?

He is terrible beyond belief.  Vlad the Impaler was obsessed with torture, particularly impalement.  When someone is impaled, they have a spike thrust up their anus or vagina, they are then left in putrid agony for all to see until they die.  There were many accounts of impalement on a massive scale.  Tens of thousands would be impaled to set examples to the population.  Murder was an accepted way of life during Vlad’s era, but murder on this scale set a tone of terror for the country.

One particular account of ruthlessness occurred after a failed attempt to kill the Turkish sultan.  Vlad attacked during the night, what appeared to be, the sultan’s tent.  He was mistaken.  This mistake infuriated the sultan and the Turkish army chases Vlad back through his country of Wallachia.  Vlad proceeded to burn all of the villages and poison the water of his own country on the way back to prevent the Turkish army from being able to eat and drink.  When the Turkish army reached the castle, they were faced with a virtual sea of the impaled.  This caused the horrified army to turn back. 

Vlad’s gruesome tactics did not ensure long life, however.  He was eventually imprisoned and then died.  During his imprisonment, it was noted that he would impale insects on tiny splinters of wood. 

How do these gruesome acts lead to stories of vampirism?  It is said that Vlad actually feasted upon the flesh of some of his victims.  In my opinion, Vlad the Impaler makes Bram Stoker’s Dracula look like the Easter Bunny.