In Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the main characters must fight against an evil entity known as a vampire in order to save the life of a beloved friend. This groundbreaking character later cemented the supernatural aspects of the horror genre, creating dark, gothic scenes for protagonists to wander in, as well as an unseen malevolence they must fight against. It’s a rather glorious turn for the Romantic era, one that managed to plant itself in the darkest corners of the human psyche. However, the character of Dracula is based on a historical figure known for his cruelty and his love of impaling. That figure is Vlad Tepes.

Vlad Tepes was the second son of Vlad II Dracul, who was a member of a military order known as the Order of the Dragon, dedicated to stopping the advancement of the Ottoman Empire. In an era marked by constant warfare and struggles for power, Vlad and his younger brother were often used as political pawns to ensure their father’s loyalty. After his father was assassinated, Vlad returned to Wallachia where he began a series of campaigns in order to take back his father’s throne. After eight years of fighting against the Ottoman Empire, Vlad started implementing horrific tactics in order to earn respect from his subjects and enemies, tactics that would follow Vlad even to his death. Fortunately, in 1462, Vlad was captured by Hungarian forces and imprisoned by Matthias I. Though he managed to regain the throne in 1476, he was eventually killed in battle. Despite his unusual cruelties, Vlad is considered a hero in the Wallachian region for opposing the Ottoman Empire. 

Many of the tactics Vlad was inherently fond of included impaling his enemies on stakes and leaving them for dead, thus earning him the nickname Vlad the Impaler. Many individuals took to spreading his cruelty. For instance, Michael Beheim, a musician, wrote songs about Vlad’s torture, spinning lyrics of how Vlad killed two monks in order to help them go to Heaven, as well as accusing him of deception. The Bishop of Eger heard rumors that Vlad would impale rats when he was imprisoned, simply because he couldn’t “forget his wickedness.” Many of these stories were also propagated with eyewitness accounts in Germany, where individuals described Vlad as a psychopath, a murderer, and even a masochist, even worse than the likes of Nero. With the invention of the movable type press, accounts of Vlad’s torture ironically became one of Europe’s first “bestsellers”. 

Vlad has famously become known as one of the first vampires in Europe, laying the foundation for what would later be an iconic character in the horror genre. He’s been mentioned in a number of works, including movies such as Hotel Transylvania, and books like The Dracula Chronicles by Shane K.P O’Neill and Captive by Gabrielle Estres. Despite the lighthearted supernatural era that was ushered in by various young adult authors, in the end, Vlad Tepes will continue to serve as the horrific beginning of the vampire.