Many of us are familiar with the stories about Dracula and vampires – soulless,
bloody thirsty beings that seek out humans to feed on at any cost. Did you know the stories
about Dracula may have been inspired by a real person? It’s true! Back in the 15th century
there was a prince in Europe whose actions were so atrocious that many historians believe he
might have been the inspiration for Dracula – and thus vampires – for his blood thirsty way.
Vlad the Impaler frightened most of Europe with his gruesome methods and fierce battles.
Welcome back to Nutty History, join us as we take a look at the man who may have inspired
monsters – Vlad the Impaler - the real-life Dracula and some of the weird facts about him.
Vlad Tepes, born in 1431, in Sighisoara, Transylvania, now modern day Romania, was
the 3 time Prince of Walachia. He had the cruelest punishment methods for his enemies, and this is
what gained him notoriety and widespread fear in 15th century Europe. Vlad came from a family of
nobles and was the second of four brothers. His father was named Vlad II Dracul. At the time,
“Dracul” roughly translated to Dragon. His father chose the surname after he joined the
“Order of the Dragon”, a Christian group that was against the Ottoman Empire’s control of Europe.
Later on, the word “Dracul” would translate to devil, giving Vlad Tepes the “son of dragon”
name or “son of the devil”. His official title was Vlad III or “Voivode of Walachia”.
Interestingly, Vlad was a prince 3 separate times between 1448 and his death in 1476 at
the age of 45. His father took over rule of the kingdom of Walachia, in modern day south Romania
in 1436. Prior to his father becoming ruler, Vlad, and his younger brother, Radu, were
held as hostages by the Ottoman Empire in 1442. Sultan Murad II invited Vlad, his brother, Radu,
and his father, Vlad Dracul, to stay with him at Gallipolli. Their father agreed but as the
3 reached the entrance gates they were met by an army that tied them up. Vlad, aged 14,
and Radu, aged 7, didn’t speak or understand any of the Turkish language spoken by their jailors.
Vlad’s father was very vocal about his dislike for the Ottoman Empire and perhaps this made his sons
hostage targets. Vlad’s father had since changed his opinions about the Ottoman Empire and his sons
were taken as a loyalty test. The Sultan Murad II wanted collateral to ensure that Vlad’s father
would be loyal and true to the empire, despite his previous speeches. Vlad Dracul was released
after a year, while the boys would go on to spend many years with the Sultan. It’s been noted that
the boys may have found comfort that the landscape surrounding their first prison at Egrigoz may have
looked very similar to the mountainous landscape of Walachia. The boys’ imprisonment was not harsh,
the Sultan began to prepare them for the eventual release. Despite being comfortable, the boys were
aware that they there was a constant threat of execution. If their father disobeyed the Sultan
or sabotaged him, the boys would be killed. Vlad was a terrible student during his time with the
Sultan and was frequently whipped. On the opposite end, Radu was an excellent student and popular
member of the royal court. This started a lifelong feud and hatred between the brothers. Years later,
while being held hostage, news spread that Vlad’s eldest father and brother had been murdered by the
noblemen in their hometown. Interestingly, instead of immediately returning home,
Vlad was made an Officer in the Turkish army to the great pleasure of the Sultan. During his time
as hostage, Vlad married a woman who birthed his eldest son and heir, Mihnea. According to legend,
his wife died by trying to escape jumping off a tower and into the Arges River to avoid capture
while Vlad was fighting against the Turks in 1446. Vlad was held in the Ottoman Empire for 6 years
before returning to Walachia in 1448. He married his second wife, Justina Szilagyi, in 1448 and
this marriage was the grounds for his release as his new wife was the cousin of the King of Hungry.
Once returning from being held hostage, Vlad started his first series of campaigns to take
control of his father’s position as ruler of Walachia. There were many opposed to this,
including the people responsible for the murders of his father and eldest brother the year before.
His younger brother also ran against him and had the support of the Ottoman Empire.
Vlad would emerge victorious, but only for a short period of time. He managed to hold on
to the title of Prince of Walachia for a brief 2 months in 1448. He was overthrown by Vladislav II,
a loyal follower of John Hunyadi, who was defeating the Ottomans in many battles.
Vlad was exiled from Walachia and went to stay with his uncle, Bogdan II, in Moldavia. Vlad
didn’t stay down on his luck though. He used the time to form powerful diplomatic
alliances with Hungry. The 8 years that follow would become some of the bloodiest in history.
Vlad was actually given the last name “Tepes” meaning “impaler” in Romanian after his death. He
was also known as “Kazikli Bey”, which means “Sir Impaler” in Turkish. Vlad’s gruesome techniques
were to counteract his small army and limited resources. He favored military ambush using
lightning-fast attacks on horseback. The enemy soldier would be impaled, then removed from the
battlefield as fast as possible. Perhaps in tune with his grotesque methods, Vlad also had a morbid
sense of human. The victim’s bodies would often twitch after being impaled. The multiple twitches
would cause the body to move around as they died. One historical account notes Vlad saying “Oh,
what a great gracefulness they exhibit!” as he stood and watched his victims suffer. Vlad
was a fierce ruler and demanded obedience from his army. Following a bloody battle,
one of his soldiers covered his nose due to the stench from the multitude of rotting corpses.
Vlad was enraged by his action and impaled him as well. It is thought that Vlad learned
his punishment techniques during his time as a hostage with the Turks in the Ottoman Empire.
There is one 15th century manuscript called “The Story of a Bloodthirsty Madman Called Dracula of
Walachia” by Michael Beheim. In the book, Beheim makes note of Vlad’s stomach-turning dinnertime
behavior. He would frequently invite guests over to his house for dinner at his mansion and would
present a great feast. Following the feast, Vlad would have his guests impaled at the dinner table.
Vlad would continue with his dinner, dipping his bread into the pooled blood of his victims.
During Vlad’s second reign as Prince of Walachia from 1456 - 1462,
he worked to strengthen the agricultural economy and military of Walachia.
He would terrorize and punish any thieves or criminals caught in his land.
He also built new villages and helped local merchants by limiting foreign trade into Walachia.
He imposed strict rules on his land with a high moral code and concern for chastity.
If caught, adulterous women, women who weren’t virgins or unchaste widows were either impaled
or had their reproductive organs removed. In 1462, after fleeing from the Ottoman army,
he left a forest in his wake made up entirely of impaled prisoners. Estimates suggest he impaled
20,000 people in one day. Another account states that Vlad had once caught a Roma man stealing from
him. As a part of his punishment, Vlad ordered him to be executed Vlad eventually went to seek
help from Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungry – his wife’s cousin, but was imprisoned instead.
Vlad was held in captivity from 1463 until 1475. During this time, the stories of his
cruelty spread throughout Europe. He was released at the request of Stephen III of Moldovia in the
summer of 1475. He fought alongside Corvinus’ army against the Ottomans in early 1476.
He would often disguise himself as an Ottoman soldier as a way of getting up close to his enemy.
Vlad achieved his third and final reign in 1476 before being killed in battle in January of 1477.
Vlad the Impaler is estimated to have killed upwards of 100,000 people during his reign of
terror. To this date, it’s unknown where Vlad’s body ended up. Local traditions from the area
state his body was found by nearby monks and put in an unmarked tomb. However, excavations of the
tomb in 1933 found no body and only the bones and jaws of horses. Historians think that Vlad
was probably buried in the first church of the Comana Monastery, but no body has ever been found.
Despite his cruel and gruesome actions, Vlad is considered a national hero in Romania
and is mostly revered. The locals acknowledge that his actions were awful, but most maintain
they were necessary at the time to keep his power and repel his enemies. Vlad has since gone on to
inspire many stories and movies and a whole new era of monsters – vampires! Let us know in the
comments what you think about Vlad the Impaler and as always thanks for watching Nutty History.