"Dracula - Hungary" Nastassia's Profile

Profile
Activity
Travel Pages (1)
Photos (5)
Videos
Badges (1)
Stats

Dracula

Yes, there was a real Dracula, and he was a true prince of darkness. He was Prince Vlad III Dracula, also known as Vlad Tepes, meaning "Vlad the Impaler." The Turks called him Kaziglu Bey, or "the Impaler Prince." He was the prince of Walachia, but, as legend suggests, he was born in Transylvania, which at that time was ruled by Hungary.

Vlad was a vassal of Hungary and also had to pay tribute to Hungary's enemy, Turkey. In 1442 Turkey invaded Transylvania. Vlad tried to stay neutral, but Hungary's rulers blamed him and drove him and his family out of Walachia. A Hungarian general, Janos Hunyadi (who may have been the illegitimate son of Emperor Sigismund) made a Danesti named Basarab II the prince of Walachia.

But it's Dracula's cruelty that most non-Romanians remember. After becoming prince, Dracula supposedly invited many beggars and other old, sick and poor people to a banquest at his castle. When his guests had finished eating their meal and drinking a toast to him, Dracula asked them, "Would you like to be without cares, lacking nothing in this world?"

Yes, they said enthusiastically.

So Dracula had the castle boarded up and set it on fire. Nobody made it out alive - and that was the end of their problems, as he had promised. "I did this so that no one will be poor in my realm," he said.

According to another story, he invited 500 boyars to a banquet and asked them how many princes had ruled in their lifetimes. They said they had lived through many reigns. Shouting that this was their fault because of their plotting, Dracula had them all arrested on the spot. The older ones were impaled; the others were marched 50 miles to Walachia's capital, Poenari, where they were forced to build a mountaintop fortress. They worked a long time; when their clothes fell off, they worked naked. Most of them died, of course. And of course Dracula seized the boyars' property and passed it out to his supporters. In that way he created a new nobility, loyal to him

By 1462, when he was deposed, he had killed between 40,000 and 100,000 people, possibly more. He always thought up some excuse for these executions. He killed merchants who cheated their customers. He killed women who had affairs. Supposedly he had one woman impaled because her husband's shirt was too short. He didn't mind impaling children, either. Afterwards he would display the corpses in public so everyone would learn a lesson. It's said that there were over 20,000 bodies hanging outside his capital city.

Hunedoara Castle

Hunedoara Castle is where Dracula was imprisoned for 7 years.

Dracula's legacy

Rasnov Citadel built in 1350

The old centuries had - and have - powers that mere 'modernity' cannot kill.

Count Dracula

Intro Updated Jun 27, 2003
Report Abuse

Comments (24)

lamsterz Feb 21, 2007 at 9:19 PM Report Abuse

I love this story! My g/f's from Romania and told me a lil bit; it never bores. Happy birthday!
jo104 Aug 3, 2006 at 4:50 AM Report Abuse

Wow awesome reading :-)
JustPerfect Mar 5, 2006 at 12:20 AM Report Abuse

Hello, you have a great profile of Dracula done. I plan a travel around in the steps of him and you give me good advice, where to start. Thank you.
enofile Feb 5, 2005 at 9:11 AM Report Abuse

Dear Nastassia, You may not live in Paris, but Budapest is wonderful and not too far away from "the city of lights." Hey, I live in Milwaukee! Now, that's depressing!
850prc Feb 3, 2005 at 6:41 PM Report Abuse

Outstanding photos of Dracula's castle and point of imprisonment. I'll come back later to look for more. Regards from Florida.
karenincalifornia Feb 3, 2005 at 8:00 AM Report Abuse

Fascinating home page -- very intriguing. Thanks for stopping by my home page!
zyxos Feb 3, 2005 at 2:12 AM Report Abuse

I really liked this page! good job. Ciao Mauro
Aurorae Feb 2, 2005 at 4:01 PM Report Abuse

You have exactly the same vest like me! I bought it in Transylvania! :) I simply ADORE Romania, and Dracula's stuff too. :) I see many photos from the places in Romania that I adore on your home page. I also love Hungary and Budapest, very nice city.
Cheba Feb 2, 2005 at 2:33 PM Report Abuse

Nice page! Cool photos! Greetings from Ukraine:)
Confucius Jan 22, 2005 at 9:47 PM Report Abuse

I am confident some day you will start your own dress design school. I think it should be named: "The Nastassia Navel Academy" HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!