Vlad the Impaler History: Discover the, Legends, and Influence

Unraveling Vlad The Impaler: A Historical Journey Through Romania’s Dark Legend

Just take a seat! Did you take your heart pressure medicines? We kindly recommend you take those pills, sit comfortably, and read these words in daylight. No, it’s not a scary movie, it’s nothing but a piece of history. Vlad the Impaler history is as legendary as it is gruesome, marking a pivotal chapter in medieval Romanian history.

We have all heard about the cruelest drivers of the world, even nowadays we have some „madly for power” and „kindness-free” state heads, not to mention their lack of empathy. Is that a pattern of each power-thirsty ruler? Let’s find out! But not about the world’s insane people we’re going to talk about, but a 15th-century leader in Romania, a hero for his people, and yet a maniac whose name sounds loud centuries after. Who’s this infamous historical figure? You’ve guessed. Vlad The Impaler. An enigma and yet an „open book” for those who are eager to learn about him.

If you’re into vampire stories, you’ve heard of Count Dracula: a centuries-old nobleman who lives in a coffin and drinks blood. It is well-known that Vlad The Impaler inspired Bram Stoker’s novel, thus creating the character of Dracula. Bran Castle, a landmark for Romanian tourism, attracts a large number of visitors year-round. But what’s the story behind the history? Who was Vlad The Impaler? Keep your eyes wide open and keep reading!

Exploring the Legacy and Legend of Vlad The Impaler in Romanian History

Right in the middle of the Carpathian Ark, down in a valley, in the winter of 1431 was born a little boy, the second child of Vlad II, in a medieval city called today Sighisoara and lived there until he was 7 years old near his father, Vlad Dracul, his elder brother Mircea, and his mother, whose identity isn’t very clearly described by historians. At the age of 7, his mother died, an event that led him to the „whirlpool of insecurities” and finally to the infamous result, the ruthless Vlad The Impaler.

Allegedly his mother’s death, movement to Targoviste, and his father’s new wife might’ve been the first stone thrown in the „lake of sadism”, the next thrown stone being his father’s coldness towards him, the separation of his brother, Mircea, the appearance of two more siblings due to his father’s new partner, the imprisonment, culminating with the atrocities he saw among the Ottomans and his brother’s painful death.

All these might’ve created the fearless Vlad The Impaler, whose favorite activity was… Yep, you guessed again, impaling. Who is this historical figure, was he ruled by sadism or by patriotism? Was he a human being or a Terminator disguised as a short man? He was stocky and powerful, with a long straight nose, and green eyes, wearing a mustache, in contrast to his fictional counterpart, Count Dracula, who is frequently portrayed as having a handsome and pleasant appearance.

Vlad The Impaler: A Historical Perspective on Romania’s Infamous Figure

There are a lot of reasons why the little boy would’ve become the cruelest ruler of all time and here are some of the main events that might’ve „switched the buttons” in his head: Right in the year Vlad was born, his father was added to the knightly order known as the Order of the Dragon, where he was given a nickname, Dracul, which at that time it meant, dragon, nowadays means Devil. Hence the name of his son, „Dracula”. The main purpose of this Order was to protect Eastern Europe against Ottoman invaders, thus defending Christianity. After his mother’s death, Vlad II, Vlad The Impaler’s father, took the boys and moved to Targoviste since he became a Prince. Therefore, Vlad III spent a major part of his adolescence In Wallachia, where the climate was quite different from what it was when he was a child.

The accession of his father to the throne occurred as Vlad was moving from childhood to the next stage of life when the young man was leaving a female-dominated society and joining a male-dominated one. It is believed that the little boys were spending an important part of their lives with their mothers, especially the first decade of their lives. All these cumulated, including his mother’s death, might have caused him psychological trauma, and perhaps, this explains his morbid future actions.

Vlad The Impaler History

Did he fight to defend a territory or did he fight only with his demons?
As mentioned above, Vlad The Impaler didn’t have a pretty quiet adolescence, as he was „impaled” with a challenging life. Let’s find out, what ruled Vlad III, and how he went from a morbid, „unwilling to see” person to an acclaimed hero.
Vlad III, later known as Vlad The Impaler, was born in 1431 and spent his early life in Sighisoara before the little boy was seven years old, he moved to Targoviste with his father and his eldest brother, Mircea. Vlad II, remarried after little Vlad’s mom died and got the throne in Targoviste, so he left behind the place where the little boy spent his childhood.

After his mother’s death and his father’s new partner, along with new siblings Radu and Alexandra, Vlad’s life changed at eleven. He, along with one of his brothers and their father, were imprisoned by the Turks. This happened because Vlad II refused to support the Ottoman invasion of Transylvania. How did they get there? It is said that Vlad II had a greater love for his firstborn, Mircea, whom he tried to protect. He took Vlad III and his younger brother Radu in front of the Sultan.

Vlad The Impaler: Tracing the Historical Footsteps of Romania’s Infamous Leader

Therefore in 1442, all three resulted to be prisoners of the Ottoman Empire. Later that year, by the end of it, Vlad II was released, but the little boys remained hostages to secure the loyalty of their father toward Sultan Murad II. Vlad’s elder brother, Mircea, and their father were killed after John Hunyadi invaded Wallachia in 1447. An event that left remarkable scars on Vlad The Impaler as he had a great love for his eldest brother, Mircea, with whom he grew up, and whom he never saw again since he became a pawn in the Ottoman’s „claws”. Allegedly, Vlad The Impaler was devasted by hearing about his beloved brother’s death, the more so as, Mircea had nothing but a brutal final, blinded and buried alive.

After the two relatives of Vlad were murdered, John Hunyadi established a military campaign against the Ottomans, in 1448, ruled by the new voivode Vladislav II. Since his father and his elder brother died, killed in a plot between nobles, ruled by John Hunyadi, Vlad was granted freedom, thus he started his campaign for gaining the throne in 1477. The next year he came back accompanied by the Ottomans and decided to gain his father’s seat. He did, helped by the Turks. But even so, he lost the throne in two months.

The Relationship Between the Ottoman Empire and Vlad the Impaler

Since then, there have passed other eight years until he regained his father’s seat again. He did it again, and in 1456 he succeeded in getting back the throne, thus starting Vlad The Impaler’s second reign, a very famous one. Why? Because this time, he decided to get rid of the Turks, refusing to pay any more tribute to the Sultan and declaring war. In 1457, Vlad III avenged his father and eldest brother’s deaths by killing the responsible boyars. He then constructed a mountain fortress and imprisoned the weakest among them. And that’s not all about his sadism and thirst for blood, it seems that in 1460, Vlad destroyed an entire village.

Continuation

People feared that much during his reign that, the ruler could’ve left a golden cup at a fountain and none dared to steal it as they knew what would happen to their life and…bodies. In 1461, Vlad III’s refusal to surrender troops to the Turks led to war and a “night attack” on Sultan Mehmed II. Fortunately for the Ottoman ruler, Vlad III didn’t hit the right tent where it was believed he was resting.

The Ottomans grouped, resisted the Wallachians on horses, and chased them from the camp. The coming day finds the Sultan and his troops marching until they get into a forest, now a corpse forest. It seems that Vlad The Impaler impaled 23.844 Ottoman people and let that frightening image be seen by the Turkish ruler and his army. Thus, Sultan Mehmed II decided to step back, as „it was not possible to deprive of his country a man who had such a diabolical understanding of how to govern his realm and his people”.

Vlad the Impaler and His Confrontation with the Ottoman Empire: A Tale of Dread and Resilience

This time, Vlad III’s madness chased out the enemy, without even fighting a battle. It was a battle of principles, where the one who didn’t agree with such sadism, decided to stop the march. Not before they burn to the ground Braila. Allegedly, Mehmed II retreated giving the chance to fight for the throne of Wallachia to Vlad’s younger brother, Radu The Handsome, the one who decided to support the Ottoman Empire, given the tense relationship the Turks and his whole family had.

In December 1462, King Matthias again imprisoned Vlad the Impaler, accusing him of aiding the Turks at the end of his second reign. Vlad The Impaler, imprisoned for 14 years, married Ilona Szilagy and was later freed by Matthias Corvinus, becoming the lawful prince of Wallachia. He regained the throne, but for a pretty short time as he died during the battle.

Vlad The Impaler had reigned for a short time during his life, but his tumultuous life remained a landmark for its people, a murderer yet a hero, a revenger yet a Christian savior, a maniac yet a faithful brother. The true story of one of the world’s most cruel rulers remains a mystery, with the man behind the armor remaining a mystery. Only one thing is for sure, without Vlad The Impaler, Romanian history would’ve looked differently, and the whole of Christianity.

Vlad The Impaler movies

There’ve been a lot of stories about a nobleman living in a castle, wearing a cape, descending from a Royal family with a huge thirst for blood, but the most famous one is Bram Stoker’s novel, the Romanian Ruler is The main source of inspiration for the writer. Thus, Dracula owes his fame to one of the most controversial warriors of all time, Vlad The Impaler.

The success of the film led to numerous screenplays that accurately depicted Vlad The Impaler’s life. But let’s find out the top five movies in which the main character is none but Vlad The Impaler!

Legendary Films Depicting Vlad the Impaler: Tales of Fear and Fortitude

1. “Vlad Tepes” is a Romanian movie released in 1979, focusing on Vlad Tepes (Vlad The Impaler). The depiction of Vlad Tepes as a ruthless ruler is highly accurate, faithfully following the main historical narrative.

Iconic Movies Portraying Vlad the Impaler: Legends of Courage and Darkness

There are also Hollywood productions, American screenplays, and Count Dracula releases based on the mythological aspects of the bloodthirsty tyrant.

Horror movies like “Vlad” blend death and spirituality. “The Impaler” and “Dracula. “The True Story” explores historical figures, myths, and medical explanations. The documentary features interviews with historians and a descendant of Vlad The Impaler.

The most realistic movies about Vlad The Impaler are Romanian or Turkish, as their history serves as the primary inspiration. But here’s some good news: another piece follows Vlad The Impaler’s historical thread. “Bring Me to the Light” by Florica Cimpoieru tells the story of Vlad. It portrays him confronting Mehmed, conqueror of Constantinople, who reshaped the world map.

Netflix’s “Rise of Empires-Ottoman” is considered the best portrayal of Vlad The Impaler by Romanian historians, according to series enthusiasts. The choice between real history or legend-based screenplays is yours, but fairytales are essential before going to sleep again.

Vlad The Impaler’s death

Explore Vlad The Impaler history, a saga of intrigue, brutality, and lasting impact on Romanian folklore and historical accounts.

Everything, good or bad, finally comes to an end. So did this phenomenon called Vlad The Impaler. Vlad’s leadership came to an end due to an extremely difficult political environment, when Matthias Corvinus imprisoned him. Thus causing disorder among Venetians and Pope Pius II, who were financing his campaigns against the Ottomans. Matthias Corvinus allegedly fabricated letters from Vlad III, suggesting an alliance with the Ottomans to reclaim his throne from Hungary.

It finally happened. In 1476, Mehmed II conquered Moldavia, securing the throne for Vlad The Impaler, who enjoyed his third reign. So, Vlad The Impaler, attacked Moldavia forcing the Ottoman ruler to give up on the siege of Neamt Citadel. That year, King Matthias Corvinus ordered Transylvanian Saxons to join Stephen Bathory and Stephen the Great in invading Wallachia. While occupying Bucharest, Vlad Țepeș and Stephen the Great solidified their alliance. In detail, they compelled Basarab Laiotă, the Voivode of Wallachia, to flee to the Ottoman Empire.

The Death of Vlad the Impaler: Legacy and Legend

Being that, in December, Basarab Laiota returns and conquers Wallachia with Ottoman support, and Vlad The Impaler dies in the battle. So, the ruthless ruler meets his end on the battlefield, facing payback for his cruel and sadistic reign. For that reason, it seems that he was decapitated, and his body was chopped and split into pieces. Even more, the head was brought to Mehmed II to be displayed on a spike, symbolizing triumph over their fearless enemy.

In detail, the Romanian ruler, raised in a turbulent world, faced threats from the Ottoman Empire after Constantinople’s fall in 1453. Vlad The Impaler, despite facing a challenging life, remained determined to use his harsh methods to achieve his objectives.

So, was he a „Machiavellian ruler”? Perhaps. Life presented challenges, but he resisted them, even facing defeat. Despite being down, he persevered and continued his journey. So, who was behind the armor, we’ll never know for sure. At this point, Vlad The Impaler fought enemies seen and unseen, battled his demons, and never owed anything to anyone.

The Final Chapter: Vlad the Impaler’s End and Legacy

Even more, Vlad experienced being held as a hostage and in turn held others as hostages. He faced betrayal and also betrayed others. As can be seen, he tragically lost his beloved brother to torture and inflicted torture in return. For that reason, losing his mother early in life, he in turn caused the loss of his mother.

At least, orphaned early on, he orphaned children himself. Being that, he had fierce enemies and became a fierce enemy in response. For that reason, losing everything, he made others lose everything.

As can be seen, he was destroyed and destroyed others in turn. All in all, people sought revenge on him and he sought revenge in return. So, he dethroned others and was dethroned himself. During his reign, he decapitated people and ultimately decapitated himself.

Vlad The Impaler’s memory still reigns. Being that, the film accurately portrays Vlad Tepes as a ruthless ruler, faithfully tracing the main historical narrative. So, the text explores Vlad’s attributes: warrior, demon, strategist, impaler, Draculea, and embodiment of evil. For that reason, he was a significant historical figure, and his outrageous acts may have contributed to the modern understanding of Romania’s history.

Being that, Vlad The Impaler history is filled with tales of ruthless rule, strategic brilliance, and enduring legacy in Romania and beyond.

Article by Socol Marilena Alexandra

Vlad The Impaler – Hard times require harsh methods