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Dracula - Vlad Tepes - history and legend

Vlad Tepes aka Dracula - history and legend


I'm wondering if you ever heard about Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), the Romanian Voivode, the real personality beyond "Dracula" centuries-old vampire character, and Legend flying around and biting necks?

Vlad Tepes, Romanian Voivode, known abroad nowadays mostly as Vlad the Impaler or Dracula (due to the novel of an unknown author till then, Bram Stoker, who never actually set a foot in Transylvania, but dared to distort the historical reality that, in a way, served to actual tourism purposes) was a prince over "Tara Romaneasca" region (Wallachia), around 1448, very tough personality, decided to extinct the spoiled local traders who were stealing from citizens and state, mid and high-class exploitation, thieves, traitors, and Turkish servants.

Let's find out a bit more about Dracula or Vlad Tepes' history and the personality behind the Legend!

Dracula Vlad Tepes
Vlad Tepes - Dracula - Photo CarolinaFearFest

Vlad - Prince of Wallachia - History and Legend - a bit of Romanian history

Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia between 1431 and 1476, also known as Dracula and Vlad the Impaler was for 3 times Voivode of Wallachia (the former country in Romania), ruling mainly from 1456 to 1462, the beginning of Ottoman conquest over Balkans and lead several campaigns against unfair trade done by Turks and German merchants.

His father was a member of the "Order of the Dragon" (Dracul) and Dracula means "son of the Dragon" to emphasize his father’s title within the Order.

Vlad III is remembered for spending much of his rule campaigning efforts against the Ottoman Empire and its expansion, and for the impaling of enemies. The name of the vampire Count Dracula in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula was inspired by Vlad’s patronymic.
Thomas Paine's quote about being brave - "I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection".

Dracula Vlad Tepes - Bran Castle
Dracula Vlad Tepes - Bran Castle - Pinterest Cezar

Few facts about Vlad Tepes - Dracula and Bran Castle

Bran Castle - to eradicate all those bad habits from society's leaders at that time, Vlad Tepes did opt for an extremely cruel action with immediate effect – the result was perfect, but just for a short period of time, because local high-class representatives betrayed him making an alliance with Turks and kill him in 1476 (cowardly, depicting his head from behind).
Originally the Castle was built in 1212 by Teutonic Order to protect nearby Bran pass, almost vanished by Mongols in 1242, then rebuilt in 1382 to protect the citadel by Ottoman invasion.

Vlad Tepes’ Castle did exist at Targoviste (now in ruins, and 105 km away from Bran Castle), far from what Stocker described in his novel 150 years ago, yet to follow the legend - for commercial and tourist reasons - in the last 50 years, they’ve liked to create a resemblance of “Dracula Castle” at Bran (30 km away from Brasov, Romania) that matches perfectly the legend and surroundings at that time.

Bran Castle is located on top of a rocky cliff with stunning views around the citadel and quaint villages, has a unique structure with towers and beautiful architecture, many of the doors were built half-length, and you have to bend to go inside, pass-thru narrow passages to find small bedrooms with low ceilings, reproductions of armors, costumes, furniture and artifacts from that era, a lovely courtyard with a fountain, an unusual elevator,.an underground tunnel, and a torture chamber with medieval torture devices to go along with the Dracula myth.

No historical documents were found to prove that Vlad ruled or lived inside actual Bran Castle (in fact old Fortress for merchants built at the main crossing custom point of that region and roads knot). Romania needed such a guy right after Revolution, in 1989!

Perhaps Romanian simple citizens' life could have had become much different nowadays, eventually, if corruption would have vanished at that time!

                                                "He who is brave is free." - Seneca

Wondering if was better at Dracula (Vlad The Impaler) time or nowadays!?
Good and bad parts of each era, as humans character never changes…

Although, it seems that life is always bright pink in a small secluded corner and not easily accessible; we just have to go across Daedalus’ Labyrinth, without Ariadna’s helping hand for finding it, isn’t it!?

What do you think about Vlad Tepes?

Would be Dracula - Vlad Tepes an interesting character today?

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