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Vlad Tepes (Ts-ep-ish),
the son of Vlad Dracul, was born in November or December of 1431 in Transylvania.
The name Dracula is a diminutive of his father's name Dracul, which means
'dragon' or 'devil. Dracula means the son of the dragon or son of
the devil. These meanings contributed to the negative connotations
associated with Dracula's name. |
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When Vlad was
18 years old he was appointed Prince of Wallachia (Vall-a-key-a), like
his father before him. He set out to rid Wallachia of all crime and went
about accomplishing this by punishing all criminals. His favourite,
and most famous, form of punishment was impalement. Vlad impaled
anywhere from 40, 000 to 100, 000 people. Thousands more were killed
by other forms of torture throughout Vlad's reigns. (Vlad had three
separate reigns through the course of his life: 1449 - 145?, 1456 -1462,
and 1474 - 1476.) Vlad earned the name Tepes, which means the Impaler,
by impaling 1000's of people. It was believed that Vlad dined on
a huge feast while watching his victims slowly die. Click
here for an etching of the previously mentioned. Vlad achieved
his goal of making Wallachia crime free, and he demonstrated his power
by placing a gold cup, for travelers to use, at a well. This cup
was never damaged or stolen during Vlad's reign.
After Vlad was
betrayed by King Matthias Coruinus of Hungary, when attempting to liberate
Wallachia from Turkish control, he was imprisoned for 12 years (1462 -
1474). While in prison he was rumoured to converse with bats and
to drink the blood of rodents he would find and kill in his cell.
When released
from jail in 1474, Vlad regained power over Wallachia. During
another battle against the Turks, he was caught off guard and, being mistaken
for a Turk ,was killed by his own men.
Vlad Tepes' body
was supposedly buried in Snagove monastery,
where his grave was found...empty.
Even to this day, Vlad's remains have not been discovered.
Other Related Images...
 Vlad
the Impaler's Family Tree
Full
Length Portrait of Vlad Tepes |
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TURKISH AMBASSADORS
When some Turkish
ambassadors visited Vlad, they refused to remove their hats in his presence
as it was against their faith. Vlad then announced that he would
help strengthen their faith by nailing their hats to their heads with small
nails. He sent them home in this fashion. |
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THE SERVANT WITH A KEEN SENSE OF SMELL
A Russian
story tells about a servant who gagged at the stench of the impaled
bodies. When Dracula discovered this, he had the servant impaled
on a stake several feet higher than the rest so the servant wouldn't smell
anything.
THE LAZY WOMAN
One day on the
street, Vlad noticed a man whose shirt was too short and his underwear
was visible. Vlad asked this man if he had a wife, and the man replied
yes. Seeing that the wife was healthy, Dracula accused her of being
lazy, because she did not make sufficient clothing for her husband.
As punishment Vlad cut off both of her hands and had her impaled.
Furthermore, Vlad re-married this man to a new wife. Dracula warned
this woman about the fate of the wife before her. This wife worked
so hard to please her husband that she did not have time to eat.
BURNING OF BEGGARS
Dracula invited
the sick and the poor people to one of his halls for a great feast.
Thinking this was a kindly gesture, they accepted the invitation.
After they arrived, they feasted on a huge meal where many became drunk.
Once all of them were inside, Vlad lit the hall on fire from all four sides
so nobody could escape. He claimed he was "eliminating inferior stock".
All were burnt alive.
For more legends about Dracula check out
the Reading Material section. |
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Castle Dracula's
true name is Bran Castle. This was never Vlad's castle, but was built
by the first Prince of Wallachia, Basarab I. It is believed that
Bram Stoker, writer of the classic novel Dracula, based the castle
in Dracula on Bran Castle. Bran Castle has been used for many
Dracula tours, films and commercials, partly because it is so picturesque.
Dracula's own castle, on The Arges, is both difficult to access and unphotogenic. |
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Other Related Images...
A
Secret Passageway in Bran Castle |
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