The untold history of Dracula
In our childhood, we have all been afraid of many fictional characters, however, Dracula stands out as the most dreaded one. The story of Dracula is probably one of the scariest and yet intriguing. Ever wondered why such a sinister character had such a sophisticated alter ego when he wasn’t in his vampire avatar? It is also interesting to note that the Dracula has a touch of nobility that comes not only from the title “Count” but also from the appearance and dressing. As I dug deeper into the origins of Dracula, it all became clear to me. So how about reading about the untold history of Dracula yourself? Let’s get on with it.
The Historical influence
Bram Stoker created a fictional character Dracula in his 1897 novel “Dracula”. However, it isn’t entirely fictional as the character is loosely based on a historical figure, Vlad III. He was the ruler of Wallachia and also known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula. Vlad was the prince of a region in present-day Romania, in the 15th century. He was born in 1431 and ruled Wallachia from 1448 to 1476.
Vlad was the perfect anti hero for Stoker as he was known for his fierce defense against the Ottoman Empire. His defiance against the Ottoman Empire, which was expanding into Europe at the time, became a symbol of bravery. But that wasn’t the only thing he was known for, historians say that he was cruel and infamous for his using impalement as a method of execution. It is believed that Bram Stoker was inspired by Vlad III’s reputation for cruelty and his nickname “Dracula”.
Origin of the name Dracula
Dracula means “son of the dragon” in Romanian. Vlad’s father was a member of the Order of the Dragon, a chivalric order established to protect Christianity in Europe from the Ottoman Empire. Till Stoker’s novel, Dracula was a nickname for Vlad. Many reports and popular stories from the 15th century, referred to him as Dracula, Dracuglia, or Drakula. As a matter of fact, Vlad himself signed his two letters as “Dragulya” or “Drakulya”.
Bram Stoker made no efforts to hide the source of inspiration, rather he used the connection with the infamous prince to his advantage. Stoker’s novel tells the story of Count Dracula, a vampire who comes to England from Transylvania to spread the undead curse.
The Dracula impact
The novel was a commercial success and has since become a cultural phenomenon. It inspired countless adaptations in film, television, and other media. The impact of the story of Dracula is so profound that it has become like any other fairy tale. It has influenced the young as well as the older ones. The movie and web series adaptations made Dracula very popular.
Children invented games around the idea of Dracula. Years later, with the advent of mobile games, many games were developed on the concept of Dracula. For most of the millennials and the generations before that, the idea of a vampire is so strongly tied with Dracula.
The success of the concept of Dracula can be judged by the fact that many famous actors have played Dracula in movies. Actors like Morgan Freeman, Gerard Butler, Christopher Lee are amongst the 50+ actors who have essayed the role of Count Dracula.
The other side of the Story
Like everything else in life, there is another side to the story of Dracula. Today, Vlad III is remembered in Romania as a national hero who defended his country against foreign invaders. His reputation for cruelty is still a subject of debate among historians. Some view him as a necessary defender of his people, while others regard him as a brutal tyrant. The impact of Vlad’s portrayal by the Turks was so strong that it gradually changed the meaning of ‘Dracul’ from ‘son of dragon’ to ‘the devil’ in Romanian.
Reasons behind characterization of Dracula
As we look at Vlad Dracula, we cannot overlook the bloody history written by many of his contemporaries, including the Ottoman rulers. It is known that the history of a war is written by the side who wins. And therefore, Vlad III might have been portrayed as a cruel and brutal ruler by the Ottoman rulers to justify their attack on Wallachia.
Besides, in the 15th century the wars weren’t only about wining a new territory but also about spreading of one’s religion. Hence, it might have served the Sultan well to cast the Christian challenger as a monstrous villain. However, even for a powerful sultan like Mehmed, it is impossible to curb the folklore that praises the bravery of Vlad Dracula.
Dracula Trivia
An interesting trivia related to the Dracula is that King Charles III is related to Vlad Dracula. As per genealogists, King Charles is a descendant from Prince Vlad Dracula. Vlad is believed to be the great-grandfather of King Charles III, 16 times removed through Queen Mary of Teck. Queen Mary was a consort of George V, grandfather of King Charles III.
If you want to find out more about Vlad Dracula, you can check out this Wikipedia page on him. You will also find many documentaries and videos on YouTube. The season 2 of Netflix series “Rise of Empires: Ottoman” – “Mehmed VS Vlad” is based on the story of Vlad. However, the series shows the character of Vlad Dracula from the prism of Sultan Mehmed II. Nonethless, even in doing so, the series shows the fierce and undaunting nature of Vlad. You almost feel like following him as your rebel leader, sans his cruelty as depicted.
We hope that you enjoyed reading this piece and we enriched your knowledge. If you have any anecdotes about Dracula from your childhood then please do tell us in the comments section. You may also want to check out our Entertainment Section for more interesting reads.
