In my travels through the world of the paranormal and mainly vampirism I was
asked many times whether I truly believed in the existence of these creatures,
I never answered,I simply pointed out that Dracula existed in flesh and blood,
he died like any mortal but when they opened his grave in the early �30s
nothing was found-no coffin, no bones and no ashes-nothing.

This is my attempt to capture the main events of the life and 
tragic death of a man who has become a legend, a man who at first
was a legend because of his bravery yet later remained in everyone's 
conciseness as a villain we all love. The man that made him into that 
villain was Bram Stoker in his novel
"Dracula".

The name Dracula was applied to Vlad during his lifetime. It was 
derived from DRAC, a Romanian word that can be interpreted variously
as "devil" or "dragon". Vlad's father had joined the Order of the Dragon, 
a Christian brotherhood dedicated to fighting the Turks, in 1431, shortly 
after Vlad's birth. The oath of the order required, among other things,
wearing the order's insignia at all times.The name Dracula means son of
Dracul or son of the dragon or devil(Romanian). 

In December 1447 Vlad's father was murdered and brother burned 
alive under the orders of Hungarian governor John Hunyadi with the
assistance of the boyars, the ruling elite families of Wallachia. The 
death of Mircea made Vlad the successor,but with Hunyadi's backing. 

Vladislav II, a member of another branch of the family, assumed the
Wallachian throne. Vlad tried to claim the throne in 1448, but his reign
lasted only a couple of months before he was forced to flee to the 
neighboring kingdom of Moldavia. In 1451, hile he was at Suceava, the 
Moldavian capital, the ruler was assassinated. For whatever reasons, Vlad 
then went to Transylvania and placed himself at the mercy of Hunyadi.
The alliance between Hunyadi and Vlad may have been possible
by Vladislav II's adoption of pro-Turkish policy which alienated Hunyadi.
Vlad fought beside Hunyadi, who in the end acknowledged Vlad's claim
to the Wallachian throne. 

Hunyadi dies of the plague at Belgrade on August 11, 1456. 
Immediately after that event, Vlad left Transylvania for Wallachia. He
defeated Vladislav II and on August 20  caught up with the fleeing 
prince and killed him. Vlad then began his six year reign, during which
his reputation was established. In September he took both a formal
oath to Hungarian King Ladislaus V and, a few days later, an oath of 
vassalage to the Turkish sultan. 

Vlad's brutal manner of terrorizing his enemies and the seemingly
arbitrary manner in which he had people punished earned him the
nickname "Tepes" or "The Impaler" the common name by which he
is known today. 

At Castle Dracula he was faced with overwhelming odds, his army
having melted away. He chose to survive by escaping through a
secret tunnel and then over the Carpathians into Transylvania. His
wife according to local legend, committed suicide before the Turks
overran the castle. In Transylvania he presented himself
to the new king of Hungary, Matthias Corvinus, who arrested him.

At this time the first publications of stories of Vlad's cruelties
were circulating through Europe. Vlad was imprisoned at the
Hungarian capital, by 1475 events had shifted to the point 
that he emerged as the best candidate to retake the Wallachian
throne. In the summer of 1475 he was again recognized as the prince
of Wallachia. His end came at the hand of an assassin at some
point toward the end of December 1476 or early January 1477.The
assasins identity is unknown although legend has it that the assasin 
was none other than Vlad�s  best friend and advisor bried by the Turks.

The actual location of Vlad's burial site is unknown, but the likely 
spot is the church at the Snagov monastery, located on an isolated 
island. Excavations there have proved inconclusive. A tomb near the
altar thought by many to be Vlad's resting place was empty when
opened in the early 1930's.

Five centuries have passed since the tragic death of this man and
we still ponder who or actually what he was. Life is fragile, immortality
is lonesome, my only hope is that we shall meet again my love...