Part 1. The Legend
Transylvania, place of legends and myths. Who hasn’t
heard of Dracula or seen at least one movie with this famous character? But how
much truth lies behind the story? Are there vampires in Romania? Many foreign
authors have written about it but have you ever wondered what do Romanians
think about it? Well, I am Romanian, so am I one of Dracula’s heirs? Hm…that’s an intriguing question! I don’t
feel like intermingling my roots with the count’s ones, but indeed there is a
touch of mystery-history of which every Romanian is proud of. What’s real about this legend is that the name
Dracula and the concept of impaling did exist. The name comes from
the Order of Dragon, a chivalric order
founded by Sigismund of Hungary in 1408. It was an order for selected and brave
nobility . In the shadowy Middle Ages,
men would fight as often as we nowadays play videogames, so there was a
strong need to praise their courageous deeds in the battles. Vlad II, duke of Wallachia
(a region of Romania) received the
surname Dracul in 1431, after being inducted into the Order of the Dragon and
this is how all started. By the way, in
Romanian language, dracul sends back
to two interpretations: one linking to the origins of the surname, the House of
Draculesti
and the other recalling the popular meaning of little devil. However it was Vlad III, the son of Vlad Dracul, that
became famous due to his practice of impaling his enemies. After centuries,
here came Bram stocker, who decided to enhance these stories and turn them into
a legend. No more speaking about the real count Vlad Tepes (the Impaler). Now
the audience wants blood so the count has to be transformed into a vampire.
Well, that’s the price of fame; after all, if you want to impress, you have to
exaggerate. Contact us: info@weddingplanneradriana.com
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