| 110 years ago, Bram Stoker's Dracula
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| | Literary fiction seeks historical legend
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| frightened Europe and started the
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| | This was the controversial figure that
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| vampire-fashion, bringing Romania into
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| | Bram Stoker stumbled upon and decided to
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| the spot light and turning Transylvania
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| | transform into the Vampire figure. The
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| into a magic land, home to incredible
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| | theories about how Stoker wrote his novel
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| creatures and undying legends.
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| | and what his sources were, are, again,
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| But few people know that things are not
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| | highly controversial. It is certain, for
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| quite as Stoker presented them in his
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| | instance, that he took the name Dracula
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| book. The likeliest of assumptions is
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| | from his readings of Romanian history.
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| that the main character, Dracula is a
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| | For an extra touch of exoticism, he chose
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| portrayal of the cruel Vlad the Impaler -
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| | to give this name to his character,
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| Vlad Tepes ruler of a medieval Romanian
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| | instead of the initial Count Wampyr, a
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| state.
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| | simple reference to earlier gothic
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| The truth is slightly different.
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| | writings, such as those of Sheridan le
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| What's in a name?
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| | Fanou, the first writer to theorise upon
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| Vlad the Second was the father of Vlad
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| | the vampyric. It is unlikely that Stoker
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| the Impaler. For his bravery in combat on
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| | sought further historical information
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| behalf of the Christian cause, he was
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| | about Vlad the Impaler, aside from the
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| accepted into The Order of the Dragon, a
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| | name itself. If he had, it is likely that
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| group of knights founded by Sigismund of
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| | he would have been pleasantly surprised
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| Luxemburg in 1387. Because the idea of
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| | to uncover the legends of the ruler's
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| dragons was not known to Romanians of
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| | inhuman cruelty. Yet he does not mention
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| those times, they played upon a word
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| | Dracula's killings, and at a certain
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| similarity and called Vlad the Second
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| | point in the book, his character claims
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| Dracul - "the Devil", in Romanian. As for
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| | to be a "Szeckely", which is a Hunnic
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| Draculea, a name that Vlad the Impaler
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| | name. Other theories claim that in
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| was to frequently use in his
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| | creating the vampire figure, Stoker was
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| correspondence, it meant "the son of
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| | partly inspired by the figure of Countess
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| Dracul", as "lea" was a common
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| | Erzsébet Báthory, a member of the
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| name-ending that meant "son of".
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| | Hungarian nobility in the XVIth century.
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| From law enforcement to drinking blood
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| | She was famous for her sadism and is said
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| The small medieval states that were to
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| | to have tortured and killed over 700
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| later form Romania were in an almost
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| | maids to bathe in their blood, in order
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| constant state of chaos. Whether they
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| | to maintain her beauty. There are, of
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| were weakened by wars, overrun by Muslim
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| | course, many other theories regarding
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| invaders or forced to pay tribute to
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| | this subject, but it is unanimously
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| stronger neighbours, internal affairs,
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| | accepted that Vlad the Impaler was the
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| such as economy or law enforcement, were
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| | historical figure that inspired Stoker's
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| pray to general indifference and
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| | character.
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| decadence. Against a background of
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| | Finally
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| political instability and general
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| | Whether you're interested in the history,
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| disrespect for the law, Vlad the Impaler
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| | the legend, the literature or the modern
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| (Tepes in Romanian) appeared as a just
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| | cult, you'll find their rock-hard basis
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| and brave ruler, albeit a particularly
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| | in the place that started it all
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| cruel one. He had a draconian view on
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| | Transylvania, Romania.
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| restoring order, and preferred the
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| | Indulge yourself with a visit to the
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| bloodiest possible execution: he impaled
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| | medieval citadel of Sighisoara, Vlad the
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| more condemned prisoners than any other
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| | Impaler's birthplace, Bran Castle, his
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| ruler before his time.
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| | feared residence and supposedly Stoker's
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| Some medieval chronicles take a step
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| | inspiration for Dracula's castle, or
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| further and describe him taking pleasure
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| | Borgo Pass, the ominously rugged terrain
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| in senseless sadism. They account for the
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| | where the Bloody Count claimed his
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| legend of a "blood-drinking" ruler, a
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| | victims. Or you may choose to explore the
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| metaphor later to be taken literally.
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| | mysterious, and stroll through any one of
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| These writings are disputed by sources
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| | the dozens of picturesque villages set
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| maintaining that he only killed the
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| | against those breathtaking mountain views
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| laziest and most hopelessly dishonest of
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| | to which Bram Stoker's book finally
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| lawbreakers. Among them he counted the
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| | begins to do justice. For a well rounded
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| Transylavanian and German merchants who
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| | Romanian experience add to all these the
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| regularly ignored his state's borders and
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| | traditional Maramures, a place of long
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| its commercial laws. Therefore, a common
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| | forgotten customs, the world renowned
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| historical theory states that the stories
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| | monasteries in Bucovina - UNESCO World
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| about his devilish cruelty were mostly
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| | Heritage Site, season with the unique
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| spread through medieval German sources,
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| | taste and the variety of the Romanian
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| and were generally meant to avenge the
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| | cuisine in traditional dining experiences
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| damage that Vlad the Impaler caused to
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| | and what you'll get is an incredible
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| German merchants.
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| | Romanian adventure.
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