October is the time for ghosts, ghouls, and other paranormal and legendary phenomena that dominates the night. When I was a child, I remember being afraid of dark and terrified by ghosts and other fictional personages.
It’s difficult to find someone who hasn’t heard of Dracula—the myth is so popular that the caped vampire’s images can be found on cereal boxes and Halloween costumes all over the world. Everyone knows the myth… but who knows the truth?
Who knows the true story of Vlad the Impaler Dracula, as well as of Transylvania and Wallachia? Dracula movies, Bran Castle, the second most expensive property in the world–known as Dracula’s Castle–, and the connections of the historic figure with Bram Stocker’s hero explains the myth only partially.
The “Count Dracula” character was inspired by a real person, who was called Prince Vlad III Dracula, also known as “the Impaler Prince.” The images that we have of this familiar character derive from Vlad III’s father, whose contemporaries called him “dragon.” Vlad II was a member of an organization called “Order of the Dragon,” a secret fraternal group of knights whose goal was to protect Christianity and defend the Roman Empire. The ceremonial dress of the Order was a “red garment with a black cape over it,” explaining the origins of the popular image of Dracula’s persona.
Dracula translates to “son of dragon.” Vlad the Impaler (Vlad Tepes) –Dracula’s real name– was born in 1431 in Transylvania, where some researchers believe that the legend about Dracula being a vampire began.
Dracula’s father was eventually awarded the military governorship of Transylvania. They lived in a world defined by war, and over the years many battles ensued, Dracula’s father and brother were killed, and in a whirlwind of fighting and politics, he tried to reclaim his home country. Yet Dracula was more brutal, more fearsome than many other warriors of his time—in an effort to prove his power, he left a “Forest of the Impaled” in his wake: a sultan describes a horrifying visual of 20,000 of Dracula’s opponents who had been impaled, covering the disputed territory.
Dracula’s image comes from his father, yet he is feared because of his own history: his life was defined by war. He was born into battle and died in battle. He was a ruthless, heartless leader. The most unsettling piece of information about Dracula is not in regard to his life, but in regard to his death. Killed in battle, he was decapitated and his head was put on display. His body was buried in another location. Hundreds of years later, when his grave was dug up, the only remains found there were those of an animal.
The question remains to be answered: Was Dracula a truth or a legend? Was he real or made up? Was he influenced by a supernatural power? These questions are difficult to answer after so many years. What we do know, however, is that the story of Dracula is terrifying no matter how you look at it.
