Chapter 1: Introducing the Dracula of Fiction, History, and Folklore
-Most people are introduced to Dracula through Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula and the subsequent films that were inspired by the book.
-Stoker drew from two sources to create his character Dracula:
1)The historic figure Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), a 15th century Romanian prince who was notorious for mass impalement of enemies.
2)The Slavic folkloric vampire who exists in legends in regions of Romania
-In fact, locations described in the novel do exist.
Chapter 2: Bram Stoker and the Search for Castle Dracula
-(1431 AD) Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund bestowed the name “Dracul” on Vlad’s father when he joined the Order of the Dragon, a semimonastic/semimilitary organization dedicated to fight the Turkish infidels.
-Word origins
--->“Dracul”- dragon or devil
--->“Dracula”- son of the dragon or son of the devil
-Author goes in search of Dracula’s castle using the information described in Stoker’s novel. Along the way, Author meets ethnic minority tribes that have not changed in a thousand years. They wear traditional garb and have a rich local folklore. From their folklore, Author deduced that there is a castle by Borgo Pass. It turns out to be Castle Bistrita (not Dracula’s castle), built by the Regent of Hungary, John Hunyadi. It is the most likely model for Stoker’s Castle Dracula. The castle was given to Dracula for his service to the Hunyadis.
Chapter 3: The Historical Dracula: Tyrant from Transylvania
-(1431) Dracula born in Schassburg/Sighisoara, Transylvania.
-Feb 8, 1431 was important for 2 reasons
1)Induction of Dracul into the Order of the Dragon
--->Protect Catholic Church against heretics
--->Crusade against the Turks
2)Investiture as Prince of Wallachia
--->At the time, Wallachia was ruled by Dracula’s half-brother Alexandru Aldea
--->Dracul expelled Prince Alexander through military force by during the winter of 1436-1437
-Made pact with Turks against successors of Emperor Sigismund, who died in 1437, and accompanied Sultan Murad II in terrorizing and looting Transylvania.
-Transylvanian towns surrendered to Dracul rather than the Turks hoping he would spare their lives and not enslaved them.
-Because Dracul spared their lives, Sultan Murad II suspected the allegiance of Vlad’s father and accosted him in spring of 1442.
-To save is life, Dracul renewed loyalty to Murad and left his sons Vlad Tepes and Radu as hostages.
-As a result of Turkish imprisonment, Dracula:
--->Thought lives as cheap
--->Was suspicious of people and vengeful
--->Had a repulation for trickery, cunning, insubordination, and brutality.
--->Learned Turkish language, impaling, and Byzantine cynicism
-1447- Dracul and eldest son Mircea violently murdered (murder likely engineered by John Hunyadi)
-Hunyadi gave the Wallachian throne to Christian Prince of the Danesti line, Vladislav II. Turks invaded Wallachia to place Dracula on the throne. Once made puppet ruler of Wallachia in 1448, Dracula excaped to Moldavia (ruled by his uncle).
-Moldavian uncle was murdered in 1451 so Dracula, lacking alternatives, threw himself upon the mercy of John Hunyadi.
-Hunyadi, planning to keep Dracula as a reserve prince, was Dracula’s tutor in politics and military strategy.
-1456- Hunyadi died and around the same time, Dracula was granted permission to take the Wallachian throne
-1456-1462- Dracula ruled Wallachia. During his rule, he removed threats to his power, raided towns especially those with German traders, and supported native manufacturing by closing/restricting German trade.
Chapter 4: Prince of Wallachia
-Dracula ruled 3 times
--->Briefly in 1448
--->1456-1462
--->1476 for 2 months
-German pamphlets villianized Dracula because he massacred them.
-Ironically, Dracula was better know in Western and Central Europe than in his native land, and especially now with the popularity of Stoker’s Dracula outside Eastern Europe.
- Romanian folklore did not characterize Dracula as a villain but as a brave warrior who removed those who were weakening the Wallachian state such as greedy boyers (aristocrats), cripples, and foreigners.
-He made Tirgoviste his capital, and his castle just North of it.
-Being suspicious of boyars, Dracula impaled those who served too many Princes, warning the remaining boyers to be loyal to him.
-Dracula’s favorite form of imposing death was through impalement and would display the impaled in geometric patterns.
-Prior to punishment, he would generally demand confessions. Victims could save their lives with a happy or flattering phrase (example- Polish nobleman on pg. 39-40).
-Concerned about the afterlife because of the enormity of his crimes, Dracula surrounded himself with religious men (priests, bishops, etc). He thought that good works like the erection of monasteries would eradicate sin, so he built many monasteries in Wallachia.
-Most people are introduced to Dracula through Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula and the subsequent films that were inspired by the book.
-Stoker drew from two sources to create his character Dracula:
1)The historic figure Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), a 15th century Romanian prince who was notorious for mass impalement of enemies.
2)The Slavic folkloric vampire who exists in legends in regions of Romania
-In fact, locations described in the novel do exist.
Chapter 2: Bram Stoker and the Search for Castle Dracula
-(1431 AD) Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund bestowed the name “Dracul” on Vlad’s father when he joined the Order of the Dragon, a semimonastic/semimilitary organization dedicated to fight the Turkish infidels.
-Word origins
--->“Dracul”- dragon or devil
--->“Dracula”- son of the dragon or son of the devil
-Author goes in search of Dracula’s castle using the information described in Stoker’s novel. Along the way, Author meets ethnic minority tribes that have not changed in a thousand years. They wear traditional garb and have a rich local folklore. From their folklore, Author deduced that there is a castle by Borgo Pass. It turns out to be Castle Bistrita (not Dracula’s castle), built by the Regent of Hungary, John Hunyadi. It is the most likely model for Stoker’s Castle Dracula. The castle was given to Dracula for his service to the Hunyadis.
Chapter 3: The Historical Dracula: Tyrant from Transylvania
-(1431) Dracula born in Schassburg/Sighisoara, Transylvania.
-Feb 8, 1431 was important for 2 reasons
1)Induction of Dracul into the Order of the Dragon
--->Protect Catholic Church against heretics
--->Crusade against the Turks
2)Investiture as Prince of Wallachia
--->At the time, Wallachia was ruled by Dracula’s half-brother Alexandru Aldea
--->Dracul expelled Prince Alexander through military force by during the winter of 1436-1437
-Made pact with Turks against successors of Emperor Sigismund, who died in 1437, and accompanied Sultan Murad II in terrorizing and looting Transylvania.
-Transylvanian towns surrendered to Dracul rather than the Turks hoping he would spare their lives and not enslaved them.
-Because Dracul spared their lives, Sultan Murad II suspected the allegiance of Vlad’s father and accosted him in spring of 1442.
-To save is life, Dracul renewed loyalty to Murad and left his sons Vlad Tepes and Radu as hostages.
-As a result of Turkish imprisonment, Dracula:
--->Thought lives as cheap
--->Was suspicious of people and vengeful
--->Had a repulation for trickery, cunning, insubordination, and brutality.
--->Learned Turkish language, impaling, and Byzantine cynicism
-1447- Dracul and eldest son Mircea violently murdered (murder likely engineered by John Hunyadi)
-Hunyadi gave the Wallachian throne to Christian Prince of the Danesti line, Vladislav II. Turks invaded Wallachia to place Dracula on the throne. Once made puppet ruler of Wallachia in 1448, Dracula excaped to Moldavia (ruled by his uncle).
-Moldavian uncle was murdered in 1451 so Dracula, lacking alternatives, threw himself upon the mercy of John Hunyadi.
-Hunyadi, planning to keep Dracula as a reserve prince, was Dracula’s tutor in politics and military strategy.
-1456- Hunyadi died and around the same time, Dracula was granted permission to take the Wallachian throne
-1456-1462- Dracula ruled Wallachia. During his rule, he removed threats to his power, raided towns especially those with German traders, and supported native manufacturing by closing/restricting German trade.
Chapter 4: Prince of Wallachia
-Dracula ruled 3 times
--->Briefly in 1448
--->1456-1462
--->1476 for 2 months
-German pamphlets villianized Dracula because he massacred them.
-Ironically, Dracula was better know in Western and Central Europe than in his native land, and especially now with the popularity of Stoker’s Dracula outside Eastern Europe.
- Romanian folklore did not characterize Dracula as a villain but as a brave warrior who removed those who were weakening the Wallachian state such as greedy boyers (aristocrats), cripples, and foreigners.
-He made Tirgoviste his capital, and his castle just North of it.
-Being suspicious of boyars, Dracula impaled those who served too many Princes, warning the remaining boyers to be loyal to him.
-Dracula’s favorite form of imposing death was through impalement and would display the impaled in geometric patterns.
-Prior to punishment, he would generally demand confessions. Victims could save their lives with a happy or flattering phrase (example- Polish nobleman on pg. 39-40).
-Concerned about the afterlife because of the enormity of his crimes, Dracula surrounded himself with religious men (priests, bishops, etc). He thought that good works like the erection of monasteries would eradicate sin, so he built many monasteries in Wallachia.
