There are many names throughout history that invoke horror when spoken about,
but one that sticks out in the minds of many is one Vlad Dracul the third- or more commonly known
as Vlad the Impaler. Such a morbid nickname alone is enough to warrant some macabre thoughts about
this figure, especially when you consider that the nickname was indeed a testament to how Vlad would
deal with his enemies - by literally impaling them upon spikes. In fact, one story tells
us that Vlad had impaled so many of his victims that he was able to intimidate an opposing army,
by arranging the impaled bodies into a ‘forest of corpses’. Furthermore, as his name indicates,
he would become inspiration for Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula - the legendary vampire.
This wasn’t just fitting for the fact that their names were similar however,
for there exists accounts that much like his fictional counterpart, Vlad had a taste for blood
himself - something he would indulge in, with fine diners amongst his recently slain victims.
But how much of this was true and where do we draw the line between Vlad Dracul the third
and Bram Stoker’s Dracula? In this series, we aim to answer both of those questions,
but perhaps more importantly, we’ll be diving into the mindset and the rich history that
shaped a most compelling figure for the Europeans and a national hero for Romania.
One of the most common aspects of Vlad that many people focus on is his name and the connection it
has with the legendary vampire Dracula. Well, it would appear that the name originated with Vlad’s
father - Vlad Dracul - or ‘Vlad the Dragon’, a sobriquet his father had earned after becoming
a member of the Order of the Dragon - a league that was dedicated to opposing the expansion of
the Ottoman Empire and to defend the Hungarian monarchy from both foreign and domestic threats.
It was the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg (and also the king of Hungary)
who created the Dragon Order to repel the Turks and it was he who inducted Vlad, and promoted him
therein as a well respected member. As a result of this, Vlad Dracul would become the ruler of the
southern side of modern Romania known as Wallachia and would be considered a very well respected
and influential man - something that was long cultivated during his time in the Dragon Order.
The name Dracul was passed down to his sons Vlad and Radu, whereby variations of the spelling would
come to exist through diplomatic reports and popular stories - those that referred to him
as Dracula. In fact, Vlad himself was known to have signed letters as Dragulya or Drakulya in
the later 15th century, though the exact reason for this is unknown. One idea comes from the
Slavonic language where ‘Dracula’ meant ‘the son of Dracul’ - or, the ‘the son of the dragon’,
a perfect fit for Vlad who’d descended from a celebrated man of the Dragon Order.
Interestingly, in modern Romanian, the term ‘Dracul’ has since come to mean ‘the
devil’ - something that would certainly come to contribute to Vlad’s frightful reputation.
Today though, he is known better as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Țepeș - this sobriquet of
course associated with the mass impalements that he was said to deliver upon his enemies. Amongst
some 16th century writers, Vlad would become known as Kazikili Voyvoda - the Impaler Lord.
In the early days, Vlad’s father - Vlad Dracul the second - had been busy making a name for himself.
The Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund and The Order of the Dragon had honoured Vlad with the moniker
of Dracul and because of his influence, he was able to seize Wallachia in 1436
with Hungarian support after the death of his half brother Alexander I Aldea.
He became the Voivode - a term given to the ruler of Wallachia at the time.
It was an extremely turbulent time too, where the land of modern-day Romania was split into three
sections - Transylvania, Moldavia and the southern section of Wallachia. Wallachia was one of the
most important parts of the country, strategically speaking, for it was the first line of defence
against the Ottoman invasion. Naturally, this made it a violent melting pot of political interest -
so violent in fact, that leadership of the region changed eighteen times during the 15th century.
Vlad Dracul would have three legitimate sons Mircea II, Vlad III and Radu the Handsome.
He would settle in Transylvania in 1429 which some have speculated was where Vlad III was
born and that they lived in a three story stone house between the years of 1431 - 1435,
these being the years before Vlad Dracul seized Wallachia in 1436. The identity
of Vlad III mother however is up for some debate with some speculating that Vlad’s mother was the
daughter of Alexander I of Moldavia, or an unknown woman who Vlad Dracul was previously married to.
When the Voivode of Wallachia in Alexander I Aldea died, Vlad Dracul took his moment
to strike and with the backing of The Holy Roman Emperor and the Hungarian military,
he was able to establish himself as the new Voivode of Wallachia.
What was dynamically different about Vlad Dracul’s rule compared to his predecessor, was that he did
not pay homage to Murad II - the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. It’s understood that at the time,
the Ottoman sphere of influence was so large, that surrounding regions or regions that were
controlled by the Turks would be required to pay tributes to the Sultan. The nature of the tributes
differed from region to region, but for the most part these came in the form of gifts - usually
those of an economic gesture - those which became an increasingly heavier burden over the years.
In fact, one stipulation from the Ottomans in some regions was that they would be required
to offer something of a blood sacrifice - the donation of boys under the age of 12 of
whom they would train in the Ottoman empire as future soldiers. It was taxing tributes
such as these which saw rulers eventually shy away from them and refuse them altogether.
Alexander I Aldea had abided by such rules and paid the Sultan as his predecessors had done,
but Vlad Dracul had the backing of the Hungarian military given his connection
to the Dragon Order and the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, also the king of Hungary.
All parties detested the Turks and were dedicated to overcoming them. Due to this,
Vlad Dracul as the Voivode of Wallachia denied the Sultan and refused to pay him anything.
But after Sigismund of Luxembourg died in 1437, Hungary’s position was weakened and thus,
the hold that Vlad Dracul had over Wallachia was suddenly compromised.
Due to this, he was no longer in a position where he could shun the Sultan and so, with much
reluctance, he proceeded to pay the tribute which would also see him participate in the Ottoman
invasion of Transylvania. But the Voivode of Transylvania - one John Hunyadi, came to Wallachia
in an effort to sway Vlad from his newfound obligation to the Sultan and to instead join
him in a crusade against the Ottomans. Hunyadi’s defence against the Ottomans in Transylvania was
successful, but it would see Vlad Dracul come under heavy speculation from the Sultan who
would proceed to accuse him of treachery. Murad II would summon Vlad to demonstrate his loyalty
to the Ottomans in person, but before departing, he elected his eldest son Mircea II as the ruler
of Wallachia - almost like he was preempting that something foul was about to happen.
And he was right. As soon as he arrived before
the Sultan, he was captured and imprisoned. During this time, John Hunyadi feared that
Vlad Dracul was striking up a deal with the Ottomans and so with this in mind,
he struck at Wallachia and drove Mircea II out of the throne and into hiding. There,
he was able to establish control of Wallachia and made Vlad’s cousin Basarab II the new voivode.
Vlad was able to placate the Sultan and convince him, for the most part,
that he was loyal and had no intention to go against the
Ottomans. Seemingly convinced by his argument, Mehmed II allowed Vlad to leave,
but on the condition that he leave behind his two young sons - Vlad and Radu as hostages.
In the years that followed, Vlad Dracul was restored in Wallachia with
Ottoman support - though he proceeded to remain neutral in the conflict between Transylvania’s
John Hunyadi and the Ottomans that took place between 1443 and 1444. It would appear that
he was complicit in sending meagre forces to support Hunyadi’s crusade against the
Ottomans and even captured an important Ottoman fortress at Giugiu in 1445. With these actions,
Vlad Dracul was creeping dangerously close to breaking the promises he had made with the Sultan.
In this effort to remain neutral and please both sides of the crusade, Vlad Dracul was leaving his
young sons in a precarious position. Naturally, it was only so long before the Ottomans would learn
that Vlad Dracul had been playing both sides. Ironically, one idea is that the Ottomans had
only come to learn of Vlad’s antics because his eldest son Mircea II had utilised cannons in a
skirmish against the Ottomans - the first time such weaponry had been used in Romanian history.
It is believed that Vlad Dracul would come to view his hostaged sons as unfortunate
collateral damage, noble sacrifices if you will, for the sake of Christian peace.
But surprisingly, the Ottomans did not kill Vlad’s sons as was to be expected….
Peace was eventually found between Vlad and the Sultan in 1446, but this came at the cost
of the already tense relationship between the Wallachians and the Transylvanians.
Hunyadi was now the one to feel the betrayal of Vlad Dracul in his reconciliation with the Sultan,
and as a result, he invaded Wallachia and forced Vlad to flee to Târgoviște. Mircea II was seized
and tortured with a red hot poker, before being buried alive. Vlad Dracul on the other hand fled,
but before the end of the night, Hunyadi’s forces caught up to him and he was assassinated.In
the fallout of the Transylvanian assault, Hunyadi made Vladislav
II - who was a son of Vlad Dracul’s cousin, the new Voivode of Wallachia.
Before his assassination though, Vlad Dracul’s hostaged sons Vlad III and Radu the Handsome
would be living quite extraordinary lives of their own. Despite being very young in age,
it is believed that they were both raised with the expectation of greatness - and this
was before they’d been taken by the Sultan. Back home, they would have been taught the
fundamentals of royalty including a higher level of education, an idea of politics, proper decorum
and of course the idea that they were cut from a different cloth in comparison to other boys.
Education appeared to be a very important factor for the young boys and when they weren't learning,
they were likely training - a physical and mental preparation for the likely conflicts
they would face as the potential voivodes of a turbulent Wallachia. Beyond this, catholicism
would also be a core value of their upbringing and much of their time would be spent at church,
understanding religion. Of course, this would all come to an abrupt end when Vlad and his brother
Radu were taken by the Sultan and suddenly, the brothers would find themselves in this strange new
world of the Ottoman Empire. They were strangers to say the least, especially in an environment
without their parents, without their peers and without anyone who even spoke their language.
In a sense, Vlad who was eleven years old and Radu who was seven years old were entirely alone.
Join me next time for part 2 of this series on Vlad the Impaler, where we’ll continue to explore
the younger years of Vlad and see how much of his childhood experiences shaped the man he
would become. As always guys, if you’ve enjoyed today’s special episode on Vlad the Impaler then
be sure to give it a like and don’t forget to subscribe for more content just like this!
Until next time