Happy Halloween everyone! Gotten a lot of requests for this one lately, thought it would be a great time of year to do Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad the Impaler, the loose inspiration for the character of Dracula. This one gives me the creeps! Trigger warning: descriptions of violence.
Vlad III lived between 1431-1467/77, in the Wallachian region of Romania. Although he is still a cult hero in Romania, Vlad could easily be ranked within the most evil men of all time. Situated between Christian Europe and the Muslim lands of the Ottoman Empire, Wallachia was the scene of a great number of bloody battles. Vlad and his brother Radu were captives of the Ottomans for 5 years, and it is thought that this time was when he developed his true hatred for them. His family was also challenged and murdered by the other ruling families of Romania. Facing enemies from all sides, Vlad turned to some pretty violent tactics to assert his authority. His victims were often disembowelled, beheaded and skinned or boiled alive. His favorite method of torture was impaling his victims on wooden spikes. It would often take hours or days for them to die.
There is plenty more research you can do on Vlad’s life, but let’s talk about what he looked like!
It’s important to note that there are no known contemporary images of Vlad Tepes. This portrait was painted in the 16th century, long after his death, by an unknown artist. It is perhaps thought to be a copy of a lost original. Some think that it was even painted by his enemies, as a cartoonish way to make him appear more evil. There is also a small painting of a man that is thought to be Vlad from the altar of the church of St. Maria, Vienna, painted in the year 1460 (see next slide).
We also only have one description of him, from Niccolò Modrussa, a papal legate. Niccolo describes Vlad as stocky, strong, with a cold and terrible appearance. He had a strong aquiline nose, a thin face, with very large green eyes. He also had a strong neck, black curly hair, and wide shoulders.
What do you guys think? He sounds and looks like a very formidable figure indeed.
Image sources: Left, public domain. Right base, iStock photo.
Video:
