Count Dracula
Without a doubt, the most famous vampire of all time is
one Count Dracula, star of the classic novel by Bram Stoker. Whilst Stoker’s
novel is a work of fiction, Dracula (son of Dracul) was one of the main
catalysts to the vampire myth. Born in the 15th century, Vlad Tepes (the Impaler)
was born in Schaassburg in Transylvania, his father, Vlad Dracul, being the
Prince of Wallachia. Imprisoned by the Turks in 1438, Vlad developed a cynical
approach to life, and a Machiavellian attitude toward politics.
Following his fathers death in 1447, the political manoeuvrings of the governor
of Hungary and other ruling families meant that Vlad was unable to take the
throne. Briefly taking power in 1448, he was quickly dethroned and flew to
Moldavia, where he befriended Prince Stefan. Following the fall of
Constantinople in 1455, John Hunyadi assisted Vlad to attain the Wallachian
throne. During this time he fought against the Turks whilst building Castle
Dracula (below) with slave labour. However, his brutal methods of seeking
revenge against his enemies would soon earn him the title Vlad the Impaler.
Battlefields became littered with bodies of dead and dying Turks, impaled on a
long stake that had been driven into the ground.
Other acts heightened his reputation as a savage dictator, with people being
burned, impaled and tortured often without good reason. One story tells of two
visitors to Vlad’s castle who, due to their beliefs, would not remove their
hats. For this reason, Vlad ordered his guards to nail the hats to the heads of
his visitors. These brutal accounts, coupled with the fact that Vlad allegedly
enjoyed drinking the blood of his victims, served to mark him as the original
vampire. This was strengthened by the disappearance of his body following his
beheading.
However, it was Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, that would bring Vlad Tepes
closest to the vampire myth, with many scholars believing that Stoker had used
Vlad Tepes as the basis for the main character in the novel. The historical
figure may have become embroiled in debate, but his existence will always be
included in vampire lore.
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