Did you know?

Despite the movies, books, historical references and personal delving into his story, there is much that is still a mystery about the story of Dracula -- the mythological figure purported to feed on the blood of unsuspecting victims. The blood-sucking being explored in the novel by Bram Stoker is believed to have been loosely based on an individual from Romania credited with heinous and bloody crimes. Vlad III, also known as Vlad Tepes "Vlad the Impaler," descended from a father named Vlad II Dracul from the House of Draculesti. This was in the House of Basarab. These people were a family that had an important role in the establishing of the Principality of Wallachia, a geographical region in Romania. The Romanian word "drac," derived from the Latin word "draco," means both dragon and devil.

Vlad III was a prince who spent much of his rule campaigning against the Ottoman Empire and its expansion. He was well known for impaling his enemies, and his reputation for his excessive cruelty grew throughout Europe. He was likely dubbed "Dracula" thanks to his family name.

Many people believe that Bram Stoker borrowed loosely on the tale of Vlad III to create his book. Other than the name and the region in the world where Count Dracula was supposed to have lived, there are no real similarities between the fictional and historical Dracula. According to a book written by Nicolae Stoicescu entitled "Vlad Tepes," the author expresses resentment about how the historical figure of Dracula had been appropriated by the West and converted into a popular horror icon. He is quoted as saying, "This nonsense ascribed to Dracula [the novel] is highly popular and overshadows the true image of the Prince of Walachia. Those who would like to go on cultivating Dracula the vampire are free to do it without, however, forgetting that he has nothing in common with the Romanian history where the real Vlad Tepes whom we know by his deeds holds a place of honor."