So rumor is that the idea of Dracula was based on Vlad the Impaler because of his bloodthirsty ways! He ruled with an iron fist and if you did something wrong you were impaled. Seems he learned that impaling thing from...hmmm...maybe the turks. As a child his father collected the taxes for them and Vlad was taken to live in the other country as a kind of ransom. As long as his father collected and turned in the taxes, he was safe. He learned that impaling people who broke the laws kept people from breaking the laws! Makes sense to me! And he used that tactic when he returned home to rule!
Bram Stoker was not Romanian and Romania did not have vampires in their legends but the story of Dracula has been attached to Romania now for a very long time. There's a castle in Transylvania and of course Bela Lugosi, from Romania, was the best Dracula ever! Romania and Dracula now go together and I believe it is a boost to the economy.
Vlad's body is buried in a small monastery in Romania and his head was returned to Turkey. Here's
Vlad and his grave.
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing your blog with us.
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