Dracula - Myth and Real History

by **batang-mental** Fri Jan 29, 2010 1:47 pm

Dracula - Myth and Real History
This might seem an utopia: a project aiming to present Vlad Dracula's life, the medieval Transylvania of XV-th century, what is true and what is only imagination about Vlad the Impaler / Count Dracula and the middle-ages, when he lived.
The idea came closely to my mind while searching some real information about Vlad III the Impaler. It's not about scarcity of the information that surprised me, but the difficulty to find only the truth, not the mythology around, as well as details about the places, the people of that age, etc.
My ideas might change in time, but what I have in mind right now is grouping the information in few big groups:

1. Vlad III Dracula. History of his life, as detailed as possible. Information about impaling people in that era, the wars, etc.

2. Medieval Transylvania & Wallachia. My idea is we cannot really understand all details if we don't try to contextualize the facts. How was people's life, how were the medieval towns how did they look like, what about the medieval church ? What about education ? But the food ?

3. Dracula's myth, the connection with Bram Stocker's novel, the vampires - did they really exist ? The idea will be a clear distinguish between myth and reality.

4. That places nowadays: South Eastern Transylvania, Wallachia, Sighişoara, Bran Castle, Poienari Castle, Târgovişte, Snagov, Bucharest, etc.

5. Media library: pictures, movies, songs, documentary movies about Dracula, spectacles, amateur productions, etc.

6. Documentation. All good information sources I can find: books about Dracula and about medieval Eastern Europe, websites, magazine articles, eBooks, etc.

Latest posts:
The night attack of June 16-17, 1462, re-created in Târgovişte in 2009.
I found a very interesting Dracula audio book
Short documentary about Vlad Dracula's Impaling Techniques

History of Wallachia
Vlad Tepes movie -Romania 1979, night attack
Lost World of Dracula, Bran castle and Targoviste princely court
"Bela Lugosi, the Fallen Vampire" a new documentary about the life of the first interpreter of Dracula.
Dracula music
Amatorial short video-clip from Poienari Castle, Romania
This documentary movie about Transylvania and the history of Vlad the Impaler really deserved all attention. Here is part II. The Halloween holidays in Romania can be organized by travel companies.
We have new posts about the BBC movie Count Dracula, of 1977. Also here, vampire Lucy's first victim, the scene here and the final scene.
Music of 1931 movie interpreted by Michael Riesman.
Sequences from the movie Dracula Has Risen From the Grave. here the trailer of the 1968 Dracula Movie.
Dracula Souvenirs vs Dracula Kitsch.
Crowning ceremony of Vlad Dracula.
Vlad Dracula conquers Wallachia's Throne.
Vlad Dracula prepares to take the Romanian Throne.
Vlad justifies his way of leading Wallachia
Vlad Dracula in battle against the Turks.
Fourth part of "Dark Prince" the truth about Vlad Dracula.

I found a movies series aiming to present the truth about Dracula, the same target as this blog. The story is very close to historic truth. See what is forced or possibly overstated while enjoying the movie here.

An image presentation of Romania has been added, see it and read my comments here...

The first reign of Vlad III, in 1448. How he took the throne. The exile.

The teenage of Vlad Dracula, up to his first ascent to Wallachian throne.

Another scene from Bram Stoker's Dracula movie, an informative video about Dracula and a scene from Dracula movie -1931 has been added recently!

Childhood of Vlad Tepes Dracula.

New entries has been added in the media library, sequences from Dracula movie , 1931. This and this movie sequence, as well as this one are true classical jewelries.

After new last day's entries in the media library (Black and White Bram Stoker's Dracula and pictures with Gerard Butler from Dracula 2000), here we have a more interesting entry in the media library, Sighisoara images in a slide-show with music and with my descriptions of the movie and places that are presented.
Another compilation from Bram Stoker's Dracula
Did Dracula really exist ? Are there vampires in Transylvania ? And other Dracula and Transylvania related questions I have been asked.

In the media library trailer of the movie Dracula 2000.

An audition of Gerry for Dracula 2000 movie

Medieval town of Sighisoara, where Vlad Tepes was born and spent it's childhoods up to the age of five or six.

I added the link to Dracula, My Love the melody that has be disqualified from the Romania's Eurovision National Final. In the few words they are saying they maintain the confusion around the myth of Dracula. read more...

Again the Copola's movie "Bram Stoker's Dracula". Here Mina meets Dracula.

I added the trailer of the movie Bram Stoker's Dracula, by F.F. Copola.

The history of Wallachia from Mircea the Elder to Vlad Dracula (so from 1417 to 1448).

From the same F.F. Coppola's movie, the story of Lucy, interpreted by Sadie Frost.

Another scene from the movie Bram Stoker's Dracula. Is the name of Wallachia ever mentioned in the movie ? As far as I remember from the last time I saw the film, it is not, but you guys that have watched the movie more times could give the hint. Comments are welcomed...

Dracula movies, documentaries, pictures, sounds. This part of the project “Dracula – The Truth” is grouping together short movie clips about Dracula (both artistic movies like the one of Francis Ford Coppola and documentaries), pictures, sound-tracks or songs, lyrics where available, etc. read more...

Dracula media library, a consistent part of this project just started today with a nice scene from Bram Stocker's Dracula (feat. Winona Ryder) & Gary Oldman. see the clip...

Vampire Killing Kit costs 4450 USD
When thinking about Romania one would connect the name with Dracula, the most famous of all vampires. It happened to me to be asked, both in Italy and in France (but more in Italy) if the Dracula story starts from a little bit of truth. I always explain that Vlad Dracula was a bloody warlord. read more...

A short history of Wallachia up to Vlad's reign. The history of the country laying south to Carpathians, up to the Danube and to the Danube Delta and the Black Sea, in East, starts by the end of the XIII-th century. The Black Prince run away from it's feudal duchy, Fagaras and shelters South to Carpathians. That happens because his duchy was given to Ugrinus, a hungarian noble, by the Hungarian King Andrew III. Read more ...