The question of whether Dracula is real or just a creation of a talented novelist can be easily answered by understanding that there are two versions of Dracula. The historical figure, Vlad III, who was the ruler of Wallachia in the 15th century, and the fictional vampire character who borrowed his name. In this article, we will focus on the historical figure, as there is much less known about the real Dracula compared to the fictional one.
Vlad Draculea, commonly known as Dracula, was the second son of Vlad Dracul and was born in November 1431 in Sighisoara, Romania. The house where he was born still stands today and can be visited on tours, such as those specifically focused on the Dracula tour or Halloween tour.
Dracula literally means “The Devil.”
Vlad Dracul, the father of Vlad Dracula, was a member of the exclusive Dragon Knight society, reserved for high-ranking noblemen. As a member of this society, he adopted the dragon symbol on his flags, royal seal, and currency. In Romanian culture, the dragon is associated with the devil, thus he was given the nickname Vlad the Devil or Vlad Dracul.
The son, Vlad Dracula inherited the name from his father and called himself Draculea, similar to how in English, a son of John would be called Johnson and a son of David becomes Davidson.
Therefore, Dracula can be interpreted as meaning “son of the devil” in Romanian
Dracula and Transylvania?
Although Vlad Dracula was a ruler of Wallachia, he was actually born in Transylvania. At the time of his birth, two dynasties, the Dracula’s and the Dane’s, were fighting for the throne of Wallachia.
In 1431, when Vlad Dracula was born, the Danes were in power and the Dracula family was in exile in Transylvania seeking support from the Hungarian King to regain the throne of Wallachia.
Later on in his life, Vlad Dracula would also be exiled to Transylvania due to a failed attempt to claim the throne of Wallachia. But we will delve into this further in a future article about his life. So stay tuned as we continue to uncover the real life of Vlad Dracula, which is far more intriguing than the fictional, blood-sucking Dracula portrayed in Hollywood movies.
To be continued
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