Vlad the Impaler
Vlad Draculea ruled Wallachia, an area of southern Romania, in the mid-15th century. He was given the name Tepes, which means "Impaler," because of his preferred method of punishment and torture.1
Fast Facts
- Born: 14312
- Birthplace: Transylvania2
- Died: December, 14763
- Place of Death: Bucharest, Romania
- Spouse: First wife unknown; Countess Ilona Szilagy4
- Draculea: "Son of the Dragon"
- Tepes: Pronounced tseh pesh5
Inspiration for a Horror Icon
Bram Stoker drew heavily from the life of Vlad the Impaler to give the title character of his vampire novel Dracula a sense of history and menace.
Both the fictional Count Dracula and the historical Vlad the Impaler are from Transylvania. In the novel, the claim is made that a vampire must be decapitated or it will rise again. Vlad the Impaler's body was discovered in a bog, decapitated. In Stoker's book, Count Dracula is depicted with a long, white mustache and strong features. This is similar to how Vlad the Impaler may have looked had he lived to old age.6
Related Pages on Mahalo
Dracula | Count Dracula | Bram Stoker | Vampires | Bram Stoker's Dracula | Romania | Ottoman Empire | Turkey
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