Vampire Brides

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Celebrate Poe - Episode 365 - Vampire BridesLet’s jump into Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic novel - Dracula.  Now the character of Count Dracula draws from  draws from historical figures, folklore, and literary innovation, and is widely believed to be inspired by Vlad III Dracula (Vlad the Impaler), a 15th-century Wallachian prince known for his brutal tactics against Ottoman invaders.  The name "Dracula" derives from Vlad II Dracul, Vlad III’s father, who belonged to the Order of the Dragon (Dracul meaning "dragon" or "devil" in Romanian).Now Bram Stoker - though we don’t have any solid proof of this - likely encountered the name of Vlad the impaler - the 15th century Wallachian prince known for his brutal tactics against Ottoman invaders - in his research for his novel, but there is no proof that Stoker’s modeled the Count directly on him. Scholars note Stoker’s notes mention neither Vlad nor Transylvanian history in depth. He may have just liked the sound of the name.In fact, Stoker blended vampire folklore with Gothic tropes, possibly inspired by actors Sir Henry Irving (for Dracula’s aristocratic demeanor) and Jacques Damala. Many scholars believe he lesbian vampire tale Carmilla (1872) also influenced the novel’s tone.Support the showThank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.