Myths about the incredible cruelty of Prince Vlad Tepes, the real Transylvanian ruler, who became the prototype for the vampire Count Dracula Brem Stoker, are circulating on the Web. It tells about thousands impaled, about hundreds burned and cooked by Tepes, about how he dipped bread into the blood of his enemies …
All this horror has firmly settled in the heads of people around the world. But is there even a grain of historical truth in it? Having studied the research of modern historians, we will try to destroy the ingrained legends. Moreover, the real Dracula is much more interesting than the one created by Stoker. And its history is a reflection of an entire era. A terrible and cruel, but significant era.
1) Dracula spent his youth in cruel captivity among the Turks
Dracula's date of birth is still unknown. The only known time interval is between 1429 and 1431. However, the place of birth is known - it is the city of Sighisoara in Transylvania. In the Middle Ages, it belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary, now - Romania. An interesting fact: there were only Catholic churches in Sighisoara at that time, but Dracula's family professed Orthodoxy. And she was very religious.
When Vlad III was a teenager, he and his brother were given to the Turkish sultan "as a sign of devotion." In captivity, he stayed, according to various sources, from 4 to 5 years. Historians believe that it was the Turkish captivity that hardened Dracula.
The position of the young heirs to the Wallachian throne with the Sultan became especially difficult when the Christian countries renewed their war with the Ottoman Empire. Their father then wrote to his subjects: "Understand, I allowed my little children to be killed for the sake of the Christian world." But the Turks decided to keep the boys alive and continue to use them for political pressure.
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Sighisoara city in Romania, where Vlad Dracula was born. The locals managed to preserve the medieval slab on the house where the famous Wallachian prince was born.
2) Dracula executed the boyars who betrayed his father
While Dracula was in Turkey, his father and older brother were killed in a coup d'état by the Hungarians. The boyars who served Vlad II were also involved in his death.
Having come to power after captivity, Tepes dealt with them severely. According to popular rumors, the number of executed boyars is about 500 people. However, historians have proven the execution of only 10 people.
Bran Castle in Transylvania is presented to tourists as "Dracula's Castle". In fact, if the prince was there, then literally a few nights during the campaign.
By the way, there are several other medieval castles not far from Bran. True, less majestic. But among them there is also the real abode of Dracula - this is Poenari castle (Arjesh county). It is dilapidated, not very presentable, really creepy. But if you need certainty, then this is here. By the way, to get to the real "Dracula's castle", those who wish have to overcome one and a half thousand (!) Steps up the hill.
By the way, under the cliff on which the Poenari castle is located, the "Princess River" flows. It is named so from the fact that Dracula's beloved jumped into it when she realized that the fortress was surrounded by the Turks and would be taken in the absence of the prince.
3) Dracula refused to pay tribute to the Turks with his children
To be able to fight the Ottoman Empire, Dracula decided to first strengthen Wallachia. For some time he continued to pay tribute to the Turks. But only in gold. He categorically refused to give the boys to form the janissary corps.
Seven documents signed by Tepes have survived to this day, in which he liberates a number of villages from feudal dependence.
The city of Sighisoara in Transylvania, where Dracula was born, today. In the lower left corner is one of the medieval portraits of the prince.
4) Dracula burned villages
In 1457, Vlad III made a bloody campaign against the Transylvanian cities of Sibiu and Brasov. The reason was that the local boyars tried to organize an attempt on his life. And also the Transylvanian nobility supported the claims to the throne of the prince's younger brother - Radu, who had converted to Islam and was loyal to the Turks. During this campaign, up to 10 villages were ravaged and burned.
All other Christian countries considered the Tepes campaign to be "internal affairs" of the Eastern European state. In the annals of that time, it is mentioned in passing - none of the European leaders then condemned Dracula.
5) Vlad Tepes supported the church
Amazingly, the prototype of the vampire was a deeply religious Christian. During his reign, Dracula actively supported the Orthodox Church - he built churches, donated boyar lands to monasteries, and donated money for charity.
There is documentary evidence that he helped financially not only to the temples of Wallachia, but also donated money to monasteries on Mount Athos in Greece.
6) Dracula kept the population at bay
There is a legend that the prince gathered all the poor people of Wallachia for a meal and, having fed them, burned them. However, it is not confirmed by any documents. Meanwhile, it is known that Dracula was very harsh towards thieves - they were, indeed, impaled. Thus, theft in Wallachia was severely suppressed.
View from Bran Castle in Transylvania. In the image in the lower left corner is a portrait of Dracula's father, Vlad II.
7) Dracula attacked enemies at night
In 1461, Dracula did not pay tribute to the Ottoman Empire. At the same time, he invaded the Turkish-occupied territory of modern Bulgaria, where he liberated the local population. He suggested that all Orthodox Christians move to Wallachia to be safe. At that time all of Christian Europe rejoiced. But this was an obvious challenge to the prince of the Ottoman Empire. And European leaders supported Dracula only in words.
A few months later, the 120-thousandth army of the Turkish Sultan approached Wallachia. Not a single ally came to the aid of the prince. Dracula had no choice but to retreat into the interior of the country. But he did it insidiously. By his order, the peasants burned their villages, destroyed crops and livestock, poisoned wells. The Turks advanced, but suffered numerous losses. And Vlad Tepes attacked their camps with his small detachments at night.
There is no connection with the legends about vampires, this was the tactics of guerrilla warfare. And yet the army of the Ottoman Empire was seized by panic. Dracula achieved his goal - he created terror in the enemies.
Poenari Castle. From one of its walls, frightened by the possibility of Turkish captivity, Dracula's wife jumped into the river. The image on the left is one of the pamphlets against Tepes, printed during his imprisonment in Hungary.
8) Dracula impaled hundreds of people
Approaching the capital of Wallachia - Targovishte - during the same campaign, the Turks did not dare to settle there. There they were awaited by hundreds of impaled Turkish prisoners.
Meanwhile, Dracula borrowed this cruel method of execution from them, being himself a prisoner.
The Turks set up camp in the vicinity of the capital. At night, the Wallachian prince attacked them with an army of seven thousand. The number of victims was huge - the Turkish soldiers in the dark could not make out where the enemy was. And they killed each other. After that night, the "conquerors of Constantinople" and "the thunderstorm of all Europe" were forced to retreat from Wallachia - the Empire's army suffered heavy losses and was demoralized.
9) Dracula changed faith
In 1475, the new pope started another crusade. With his help, Dracula was then freed. The Pope needed him as one of the most powerful warriors and commanders of his time. The condition for the release of the prince was the adoption of the Catholic faith instead of the Orthodox and marriage to the sister of the King of Hungary. Tepes, who had been in prison for 12 years, agreed.
By the combined forces of the heads of Eastern European states, Dracula then returned the throne of Wallachia. And he continued to fight the Turks. But in Wallachia itself, the prince was treated with caution - for the change of faith, for which he fought all his life, Dracula was dubbed a "werewolf."
According to the legends of the local population, Vlad Tepes himself experienced his renunciation even more than those around him. And at the first opportunity he was again baptized into Orthodoxy
10) It is still unknown who killed Vlad Tepes
The prince died in 1476. Less than a year after being released from a 12-year imprisonment.
Some sources claim that he was killed by a servant bribed by the Turks. Others - that Dracula died in battle (some historians say that in the battle the prince was killed by his own people, mistaking him for an enemy).
Still others believe that Vlad Tepes fell into a trap set up by his predecessor (and later his successor) on the throne, Basarab Layota.
11) It is still unclear where Dracula's grave is
The most popular version today says that the prince of Wallachia died not far from the Snagov monastery built on his donation, where he is now buried.
However, there are other versions as well. Some historians claim that Dracula is buried in the Comana monastery near Bucharest.
And the supporters of the youngest version, the third, are convinced that the prince rests in one of the monasteries of Naples. But historians and archaeologists still do not have any accurate and indisputable data about the grave of Dracula.
A number of researchers believe that Dracula's grave is located in Piazza Santa Maria Lanova - in Naples. The tombstone with the image of the Dragon you see in the photo. However, most scientists are sure that Tepes was buried in the Snagova monastery (pictured on the right, below).
12) Descendants of Dracula rule the UK
Very little is known about the personal life of Vlad Tepes. It is believed that he was married twice. He had three sons. All three died in battle at a fairly early age. But one - Mikhnya the Evil - managed to leave heirs. Among his descendants is the ruling house of Great Britain! In 2011, Prince Charles openly stated that he is a genetic relative of Vlad Dracula.
Still from the TV series "Dracula", 2013. Prince Charles (top left photo) declared himself a genetic relative of Vlad the Impaler.
This was Vlad III Tepes. A cruel tyrant who kept his people at bay. And a fearless warrior who defended not only his native land, but also the Christian faith in general. The personality is complex, controversial. But in any case, in attempts to condemn Dracula, one must not forget about the specifics of the time in which he had a chance to rule. It was a terrible, harsh era.
Perhaps the prevailing image of the Wallachian prince is one of the most striking examples of "black PR" in history. In the legends, his atrocities are multiplied by ten, or even more. This, of course, does not justify the prince, but he did not deserve the fame of the most bloodthirsty man in history.
And certainly, one should not attribute anything magical to the real Dracula - being deeply religious, he had a strictly negative attitude to occultism. And the image of a bloodsucker, centuries later, formed exclusively in the head of Bram Stoker.
