A Brief History
On June 17, 1462, Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad III The Impaler, or simply Dracula, conducted a night raid against his Turkish enemy, Mehmed II who had invaded Vlad’s land of Wallachia (Romania).
Digging Deeper
The name Dracula was given to Vlad meaning the “son of Dracul” as his father was known. (Dracul means dragon in Romanian.) Being known as The Impaler was a moniker earned all by Vlad himself, after the fashion in which he forcibly sat his enemies onto large spikes planted in the ground, pointy side up.
Mehmed II had invaded Wallachia because Vlad had failed to pay tribute (taxes or jizya) to the Muslim Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and Mehmed was determined to enforce the tax. Additionally, as part of the ongoing fighting between the Empire and the resistance minded Wallachians, Vlad had made a foray into Bulgaria and impaled somewhat over 23,000 Turks!
After fighting some minor battles, Vlad tried a night attack on the Ottoman camp in an attempt to assassinate Mehmed. The attack failed to kill Mehmed, and the irate Ottoman marched on to Wallachia. On reaching the Wallachian capital of Targoviste, Mehmed and his men found another 20,000 Turks impaled. The sight of such horrifying death was enough for the invaders and they promptly headed for home, apparently not wanting any part of having a giant spike shoved up their bottoms.
This type of ruthlessness and manner of execution is how Vlad became famous as a barbaric killer, and hence lending his name to the vampire of modern fame. That, however, is how Vlad is perceived among his enemies. In Wallachia and even now in modern Romania, Vlad III Dracula is a national hero for fighting the hated Turks.
It has been said and debated that “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” (authorship itself debatable, and many have said it). Obviously the assessment of a leader is like that, dependent upon the perspective of the observer. Question for students (and subscribers): Who can you think of as a hero that others may call a terrorist? Or vice versa? Let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Charles River Editors. Legends of the Middle Ages: The Life and Legacy of Vlad the Impaler. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013.
Goldberg, Enid A and Professor Norman Itzkowitz. Vlad the Impaler: The Real Count Dracula (Wicked History). Franklin Watts, 2009.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="2620 http://www.crackedhistory.com/?p=2620">146 Comments
Interesting
Probably the most deserving name I’ve heard of in History.
I didn’t even know that someone in history was literally nicknamed “Dracula.” I always thought it was just a name for Halloween.
Definitely an interesting idea, it makes you wonder how many of our American heroes such as Abraham Lincoln and George Washington are viewed as terrorists by certain groups of people, both within and outside of America.
I’m curious to learn just how Vlad inspired Dracula. I understand that he impaled a bunch of Turks but I would be very curious to learn more about the connection. I enjoyed this article.
I’ve always liked learning about good old Vlad. He really loved impaling people but he was a good leader nonetheless.
It’s hilarious how our interpretations of the original Vlad The Impaler have changed over the course of history. It seems that we go from stereotypically masculine to relatively effeminate. It’s amazing how Hollywood portrays events in history whether the characters in the movie be based off of historical figures or events (fictitious or not). The amount of information that is given to us on a daily basis truly does change our perceptions.
Wow, This information seems quite different than what i have always pictured of Dracula!
I would return home too… if I saw 20,000 countrymen impaled! — DAVID WARDLE
Dracula is so misinterpreted in our culture….
Dracula is portrayed much more differently than I am used to. The story always changes.
I never knew Dracula had such an impact of history, I though he was a minor character who randomly became a fad in more recent centuries. The quote at the end fits perfectly with what America is today. Americans see ourselves as ‘freedom fighters’ while others in other countries do see us as terrorists. I guess it all depends on which part of the definition benefits you more.
wow….. Hollywood loves making over the top movies
it gets you thinking how many other figures we are taught and heard about and how what the actuality of them are
It’s ridiculous how misinterpreted Dracula truly is.
It’s amazing to see Hollywood turn historical figures into characters that do not even resemble who they truly are! But I guess that is to be expected in order to sell movies.
Hollywood tends to ruin historical events with its over the top theatrics.
LS you are so right! why does Hollywod feel the need to changr things?
The people that have strong religion based way of living are considered terrorist. They consider a suicide mission as the ultimate sacrifice to please and be accepted by their God. But in our eyes they are breaking the law. I am by no means sticking up for these people but in this article it applies.
Vlad the impaler was clearly a mad man that had power. Like many of the rulers throughout history, they did what they wanted in order to achieve what they wanted. So impaling all those Turks was done due to religious beliefs and simply because he could.
It’s interesting also that we give these nicknames like “… The Impaler” to historically embarrassing rulers.
The sight of over 20,000 impaled Turks would… send me running for the hills! — DAVID WARDLE
I personally wouldn’t consider any one to do such horrible things a hero in my book. Any one that I would consider a hero would not be considered a terrorist to any.
Even though what he did was horrifying, Vlad did save his nation and his citizen from being taken over and most likely slaughtered by Turks. That’s why his people might have looked at him like a hero rather than a monster.
I did not know that Dracula was a name that was actually rooted in history. I also assumed it was entirely a made up story. On a separate note I like that GWAR was used in this article. I have seen them live and it is defiantly an experience.
brutal way to die. I think most leaders seem like terrorists to opposing countries, during war time at least. Inflicting fear and other things people in that country would think of as very wrong.
I had no idea that Dracula was a real person in history
Gwar is such a neat band! R.I.P Dave Brockie
Dracula is one of my favorite stories ever!
Wow, that was quite gruesome. I thought “impaler” meant he put heads on stakes- not the bodies. Boy, was I wrong. Very interesting article.
wow Vlad III had some fight in him and he was a gruesome leader
I can only ly.imagine the fear he put into people with his reputation.
I don’t know of any hero’s that others would consider terrorist. I also can’t imagine dying in this fashion.
I have heard about Dracula and his story, but I never knew why he was called “The Impaler.” But the context of the phrase, I had ideas, but I did not know it was that he put whole bodies onto spikes.
I knew the Dracula story as well and it was interesting to learn what other name he was called.
Anyone who has “The Impaler” with their name should not be messed with… at least in my mind! — DAVID WARDLE
Wow.. Quite gruesome.
Quite an intimidating name…
Wow, I don’t even know what to say about this man. He was no fun.
I had no idea that there was an actual “Dracula”. I always though it was a scary story for entertainment. His gruesome ways of killing kind of gives a scarier story than the blood-sucking vampire. I would say that any hero can be suggested as a terrorist because there is always another side to a story. For example, God could be known as a “Savior” due to saving the lives of everyone or he could be known as a “Terrorist” because he allows people to die so people might take that as hypocritical to his whole purpose.
I think I’d be killed by the fictional story of Dracula by getting bit on the neck and dying, instead of have sharp rods impaled in my rear.
I recently saw the movie and reading this article shows that the movie was really based on some facts. That actually makes the movie better in my mind. There always seems to be a grain of truth in many fiction accounts of people.
So Dracula wasn’t actually a blood sucking vampire. That kind of ruins my childhood, I never even thought to look up the real story but I figured it would be something like this
I can definitely see why Vlad was such a feared leader. The impaling part is quite terrifying and gruesome, but you can’t deny that that is a great war tactic to use in order to scare off your enemies.
-Some people think of Christopher Columbus as a great leader who “discovered” “America” (yes, both in quotations), whereas, many people nowadays may feel that he was a terrible person who caused the genocide and destruction of the native peoples and their culture –all in the name of God, Glory, and Gold.
Had no idea there was actually a Dracula.. Just thought it was fiction and the fact it’s not actually a blood sucking vampire..
The IMPALE, what a strong nickname. Never knew it was another rename for dracula.
I can definitely see why the name Dracula was chosen for the fictional vampire.
Didn’t even know Dracula was a real person at some point. From what I just read, it seems he was scarier than a vampire.
I had no idea Dracula/ Vlad was a real person! Always thought he was a made up character. People truly get their greatest ideas from history itself .
I cannot think of an example, but I know they are out there! That method of killing is definitely unique, but maybe at that time you had to scare people to keep them out. It seems like a tactic he was successful for and probably proud of! Just like he probably would have been proud of what his legacy has become in modern times.
The founding fathers I guess. Loyalists could of seen them as terrorists against the crown.
That is a good debate….are US army members viewed as terrorists to those who live in the middle east?
You could argue that many terrorists to our country are heroes in their country, and vice versa. It all depends on your perspective and beliefs.
Terrorism is not as black/white as people, and particularly the media make it out to be.
Our definition of a terrorist today is very skewed. Defining who is a terrorist really depends what side you are on
I always figured Dracula was one of those Halloween myths. Last year in English we read Frankenstein and I learn that the monster isn’t actualy Frankenstein. It’s fun to see what we turn these things into
“Now take Sir Francis Drake; the spanish all despise him
But to the British, he’s a hero, and they idolize him”
Some wisdom brought to us from Muppet Treasure Island.
I never thought Dracula would have been considered a hero
Second time around reading this but another example I can think of is Kim Jong-un. A hero to some in North Korea, a terrorist to others.
I thought Dracula was just a mad up character for stories!
I had no idea there was a true reasoning behind his name! I also did not know he was a real person!
I’m not sure what Vlad did would have been considered terrorism in his day considering the way rulers were permitted to treat their own subjects let alone their enemies. This probably would have been an acceptable show of force, if more than a little gruesome (which seems to have been the point and gotten the job done rather well)
Truly there is no greater sign to pack up and go home than seeing thousands of soldiers impaled before your eyes. Fear is quite the motivator or turn tail and run!
I believe almost any hero could be implied as a terrorist only because people view different acts in different ways. For example, after 9/11 some people celebrated Bin Ladin while others (Like us) called him a terrorist (which he is). I believe it is all about perspective.
That sounds horribly painful. To be sat on something sharp.
Holy crap, this guy definitely deserves the title The Impaler with two groups of 20,000 slaughtered.
Vampire or not, Vlad Dracula is a terrifying individual. His tactic of brutality is an exceptional example of the effectiveness of psychological warfare; while your enemies may outnumber you, make them scared to even set foot on your territory.
It is interesting to think how such a brutal man could be considered a hero. It goes to show how different perspectives can change how someone is seen.
I think he shouldn’t be called a hero at all from doing this to people impaled on spikes he not a hero he’s a mad man.
Dracula is a tall tale, however what this man did was real and gruesome.
I think it’s really interesting that now Vlad is considered a hero in the town of Wallachia now even though he’s seen everywhere else as this terrifying monster
I didn’t know Dracul meant Dragon! I also didn’t know the name, in a way, came from his father or maybe it means they think he is the son of a dragon. Either way, pretty interesting
The fact that this crazy man impacted pop culture so much is so interesting. They way that his story has grown and changed over the years is something he probably would have never even thought about.
Vlad was considered a hero!? That’s crazy. Peoples views on powerful figures is so crazy to me.
It is interesting to see how history can have such different viewpoints. One views him as a hero, the other as a villain.
As ruthless as he was, he was an extremely effective military leader, largerly due to the fear he instilled in his enemies from such barbarism.
This man sounds like the real deal and someone I would not want to meet in battle. It could be say that anyone in a military is a terrorist simply because they usually are fighting against others. Domestically we believe that our military is all heroes while those living outside the Unites States may think of our troops as terrorists.
If you look even into our own history, George Washington and the other founding fathers would have been perceived as terrorists and traitors by Great Britain, but to us they are national heroes.
Who you see as a hero and terrorist will most definitely depend on your point of view. I’m sure most of the people in Romania do see Vlad as a hero, they all hated the Turks and probable believed the Turks were all terrorists.
I could see some people saying Hitler being a hero because he killed so many people and no one could take him down. Same with bin Laden, he was able to stay hidden for so ling. they both are master minds in my opinion. No one could out smart then. But on the other hand that is a brutal way to kill someone.
He was Hero to his people and a terrorist to people who wanted to control Romania. Vlad was smart, using scare tactics was the best way to keep the Ottoman Empire at bay. Plus, who doesn’t like Vampires?
He was a great military leader due to the fear he presented his enemies with.
He is a hero for his people and a terrorist for those he harmed. But this can be said about anyone who is defending what they believe in. Certain groups are terrorist to America but are heroes in other countries and vice versa.
I feel like how we view people is based off the vents that happened to us as a person o, a group, or a country. I am not sure it is an outsiders job to say weather we are wrong or not based on who we consider a hero or a terrorist.
I agree wholeheartedly good and evil is more often than not perspective vlad was evil to the turks but a hero to his people do you think the founding fathers were heroes to the british of course not.
It’s sad to see that such violence stems from money. Money is the root of all evil.
This was a very interesting article. It is amazing how one can be both a hero and a villain. He was a hero to his people and a villain to those he terrorized.
My hero that could be perceived as another man’s terrorist is Samuel Adams. I’m willing to bet that the colonists and the British Parliament had different interpretations of what the Boston Tea Party was all about.
Vlad was most definitely a very disturbed man. That has to be one of the harshest ways to die, I would never see him as a hero.
Weird how you can call someone a hero and a villain
Although I think Vlad was definitely a sick man to be capable of killing so many in such a brutal fashion I still find it interesting how he was considered a hero by some and a villain by others.
A very interesting article. Kind of makes you look at a person differently if you think about the idea that you may view them one way while someone else views them another.
Making people slowly die on sticks sounds like a terrible death. No wonder he was called the impaler.
He definitely deserves the name “The Impaler”.. Look at how many people he slaughtered!!!
I like the quote, “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.” Everything depends on perspective.
There’s always room for debate considering perspective defines how a persons actions are justified or not.
perspective is everything to a person. how you look at a situation will always be different than somebody else.
Perspective is person to person however this also depends on the upbringing and religion
Sometimes, great leaders are perceived as villains, and vice versa.
Impaler is a fit name for him, that would be a terrible painful death.
I cant believe he was considered a hero! He was truly a gruesome man!
What a weird way to go… getting a spike shoved up your bottom. Definitely not the way I want to go.
That would a miserable way to be tortured and just a brutal idea. I couldn’t even imagine dying that way that would be my last way to choose to go out.
Yeah, getting a stick shoved up my anus is not the way I plan on dying
Really enjoyed the Gwar video! Definitely compliments the idea of a stick in someone’s ass!
If I were the invader, I would have also left at the sight of those horrifying deaths.
What a horrible way for those people to die!
There are more horrible ways to die than there are good ways to die…
It’s sad to think about all of the lives lost, and for what? Territory? Control?
This kind of have a humor too it , Because if i seen my people or bunch of other people with sticks stuck up their bottoms i would have ran home too!!
I never knew Dracula was based off of an actual historical figure.
We all view Chris Kyle, the American sniper, as a hero but he was matched up against the sniper from their country and we viewed him as a terrorist. One that is on your side is viewed as performing a good task but the others that are being harmed thing the opposite.
i don’t see him bad as a hero but than again there are a lot of horrible people out here that have done bad and people see them as hero’s and vice versa.
Many in terrorist countries considered Osama Bin Laden a hero. It’s sad, but true, they look at us as monsters but really we’re just regular people. He inflicted so much pain on the United States and is still being considered a role model to some current terrorists.
Leaders don’t always have to good…
Reading the last part of the article made me think of America’s history. Like what some of our founding fathers did in order to win independence from Great Britain.
The movie Dracula was always a scary movie to me as a kid. But not every villain is “good” or “bad” thats what makes movies interesting with not knowing right away.
i would’ve gone home too if I saw people getting spiked shoved up their butt.
Quite a terrifying practice impaling slain enemies for display. I could only imagine the panic that was struck into others when finding someone that has been put on a spike.
I think that a spike being shoved up their bottoms is just way to graphic for me just to even think about. I feel like you never truly know someone because anyone can either hide something from you or lie to you.
Many leaders were either called heroes or terrorists. For example: George Washington and other founding fathers were heroes to the people but they were terrorists to the British.
History varies from place to place. Learning about the American Revolution in England is probably quite different from what we learn in America.
Vlad the impaler really did get his name from the killings that he did.
People were waaaaay more violent than they are today. Having a spike shoved up someone’s bttom is disgusting!
I’ve always been interested to see the castle that Vlad III lived in that would be interesting to see.
Looks like a fun band to watch live !
Vlad the impaler? Accurate.
getting another famous characters name deriving from an ancient story
not about the vampire! haha but yes i guess that leaders are sometimes seen as bad.
It is crazy to think this actually happened!
My thoughts are, to be the best you have to be willing to have no mercy.
I never thought that Dracula was a real person. That’s crazy!
Wait…..so you’re telling me the video game CastleVania is based off of somewhat real people? That’s amazing. If you haven’t yet, check out Castlevania on Netlix!
It is amazing how one man can become known by all due to twisted and revised stories of literature.
Sometimes leaders have to do things that make themselves seem and appear evil but it is for the best intentions. Being a leader is not for the weak of heart.
I’m surprised that I never learned more about Vlad or why he really got his other name.. I never knew what he did really so I’m not sure really what to think. I really liked the quote that they provided, “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter”. That quote really stuck out to me because that is how people perceive/have perceived famous world leaders now and in the past.
Christopher Columbus is blindly called a hero by many children until you hear the truth behind Thanksgiving, and that hero quickly turns to terrorist.
First off, thank you for sharing the GWAR video, I still remember my first GWAR concert quite well. Barack Obama was decapitated a foot in front of me, and the several minutes of blood spray blinded my vision, adding extreme difficulty to staying standing in the mosh pit. Never be front row in a mosh pit. Period.
As for the article, I want to touch on the terrorist/freedom fighter thing. As far as the U.S government is concerned, those with financial backing are freedom fighters, those who used to have CIA backing but were betrayed by us are the terrorists. Sorry for the edgy bashing of America, but we basically created the Taliban in Afghanistan in the 80’s.
What I am curious about is how the Dracula we know today came from the crazy barbarian who impaled people. I mean drinking blood vs impaling people. Bit of a difference.
I don’t know if Vlad was trying to make history in a good way or a bad way, that is how unsettling his was. Well, if you are a fan of horror, I suppose you know why many should fear him.
I think the term hero/villain certainly depends on the party looking at the individual. Some horrific events can be seen as heroic moments for some people.
The gruesome ways people were killed back then makes me happy to be alive and in the country we are in today. I don’t know what goes through peoples minds on ways to kill others like that.
So where did vampire come from Dracula?
I’m still confused on how people came up with the Dracula we see in literature from Vlad.
I had no idea that Dracula is based off of a real life person! That is really cool.
Dracula is based off a real person but it does not mean that he is not real.