Vlad Dracula
An intriguing figure in the fifteenth century
By Benjamin H. Leblanc valmont@lanzen.net M.Sc. Student, Sociology of ReligionUniversity of Montreal, Canada
In less than two years from now the Count will celebrate his 100th birthday, and many Dracula enthusiasts from all around the world intend to underline this event. Of course, almost everybody has heard about this nosferatu: through movies featuring Max Schreck, Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee or Gary Oldman; in several books - among which the recent Vampire Chronicles of Anne Rice; or even in bedtime stories told to us in our childhood. We all have an idea of who or what the Count is. However, on the other hand, Vlad Tepes Dracula, the historical figure who inspired Bram Stoker for his novel, is definitely less known. The centennial of the gothic masterpiece provides us with a good pretext to dive back into the life of this machiavellian fifteenth century leader - an initiative that will enable us to better appreciate the work of Stoker.
Vlad Tepes was born in November or December 1431, in the fortress of Sighisoara, Romania. His father, Vlad Dracul, at that time appointed military governor of Transylvania by the emperor Sigismund, had been inducted into the Order of the Dragon about one year before. The order - which could be compared to the Knights of the Hospital of St. John or even to the Teutonic Order of Knights - was a semimilitary and religious society, originally created in 1387 by the Holy Roman Emperor and his second wife, Barbara Cilli. The main goals of such a secret fraternal order of knights was mainly to protect the interests of Catholicism, and to crusade against the Turks. There are different reasons why this society is so important to us. First, it provides an explanation for the name "Dracula;" "Dracul," in Romanian language, means "Dragon", and the boyars of Romania, who knew of Vlad Tepes' father induction into the Order of the Dragon, decided to call him "Dracul." "Dracula," a diminutive which means "the son of Dracul," was a surname to be used ultimately by Vlad Tepes. A second major role of this Order as a source of inspiration for Stoker's evil character is the Order's official dress - a black cape over a red garment - to be worn only on Fridays or during the commemoration of Christ's Passion.
In the winter of 1436-1437, Dracul became prince of Wallachia (one of the three Romanian provinces) and took up residence at the palace of Tirgoviste, the princely capital. Vlad Tepes followed his father and lived six years at the princely court. In 1442, for political reasons, Dracula and his younger brother Radu were taken hostage by the Sultan Murad II; Dracula was held in Turkey until 1448, while his brother Radu decided to stay there until 1462. This Turkish captivity surely played an important role in Dracula's upbringing; it must be at this period that he adopted a very pessimistic view of life. Indeed, the Turks set him free after informing him of his father's assassination in 1447 - organized by Vladislav II. He also learned about his older brother's death - Mircea was the eldest legitimate son of Dracul - and how he had been tortured and buried alive by the boyars of Tirgoviste.
At 17 years old, Vlad Tepes Dracula, supported by a force of Turkish cavalry and a contingent of troops lent to him by pasha Mustafa Hassan, made his first major move toward seizing the Wallachian throne. But another claimant, no other than Vladislav II himself, defeated him only two months later. In order to secure his second and major reign over Wallachia, Dracula had to wait until July of 1456, when he had the satisfaction of killing his mortal enemy and his father's assassin. Vlad then began his longest reign - 6 years - during which he committed many cruelties, and hence established his controversed reputation.
His first major act of revenge was aimed at the boyars of Tirgoviste for the killing of his father and his brother Mircea. On Easter Sunday of what we believe to be 1459, he arrested all the boyar families who had participated to the princely feast. He impaled the older ones on stakes while forcing the others to march from the capital to the town of Poenari. This fifty-mile trek was quite grueling, and those who survived were not permitted to rest until they reached destination. Dracula then ordered them to build him a fortress on the ruins of an older outpost overlooking the Arges river. Many died in the process, and Dracula therefore succeeded in creating a new nobility and obtaining a fortress for future emergencies. What is left today of the building is identified as Castle Dracula.

Artist: ExileTitle:
Ni Wamene UyoAlbum:
Submitted by: Chilufya Siameja
VERSE 1
Zintu zimene tima chita sa muna ni zeePakuti ti winne chabe nkeche ni zeeLomba gelo tika winna ulemu usilaNinshi ankala kapolo wako wa pa nyumbaSomeone tell me why? Why?Why tima chinja tikamu peza wotikonda?Won't you tell me why, why?Why you treat your woman so bad when you know she loves you?Eh, eh...akainako ninshi ayipaAkayonda ninshi sumu dyesaAkakamba ninshi ni ntotaMwati kodi waibalaCHORUSNi wamene uyo... Ni wamene uyoMu na li ku nama boza mu mi sewoNi wamene uyo... Ni wamene uyoKoma lomba mwa chinjaNi wamene uyo... Ni wamene uyoMu na li ku nama boza pa ma gateKoma lomba ayipaVERSE 2Pa first kenze ni ka sweetheartEveryday imwe kenze ni ka darlingKoma lomba zina li na chinjaNi chi make junior kodi wa pika?Mwati mu kumbuka tate mweoPo yamba ndimwe mu na yenda umufunaLomba waibala apo peve chaipaOna gelo ungo mu lizaSomeone tell me why? Why?Why tima chinja tikamu peza wotikonda?Won't you tell me why, why?Why you treat your woman so bad when you know she loves you?Eh, eh...akainako ninshi ayipaAkayonda ninshi sumu dyesaAkakamba ninshi ni ntotaMwati kodi waibalaCHORUSBRIDGEBetter love your baby girlYou gonna miss her when she's goneYou should love your baby girlYou gonna miss her when she's goneBetter love your baby girlYou gonna miss her when she's goneBetter love your baby girlYou gonna miss her when she's goneCHORUS

Cup: Head with Headdress 19th-20th century

The subject of this masterpiece is realistic. you can see and feel the emotion coming out of this art work. The design wich is very deatiled shows that it is a some sort of type of drinking or holding item.