The legend of DRACULA
In the distant Middle Ages, during the time of brave knights and warrior kings, in a city from Transylvania named Sighisoara, in a house built of thick stone walls, the Wallachian prince Vlad was born. The history would call him “Vlad Tepes” meaning “Vlad the Impaler”.
He lived for a while in Transylvania, hiding from Wallachia’s throne enemies, the country where the Romanians lived in the territory between the Danube and the Carpathian Mountains. He would later rule this country as his father (Vlad the Devil) and grandfather (Mircea the Old) did before him.
Vlad the Devil had been a knight in the “Order of the Dragon”, and so had been many other European knights at the time. The purpose of this Order was to fight against the Turks that threatened Christian European peoples. The symbol of this Order was a Dragon (representing the Turks) and a cross (representing Christians). The nickname of Vlad “the devil” was born from the association of the knight with the dragon.
After a tough childhood – the death of his father and being a Turkish hostage- young Vlad comes to reign in Wallachia 3 times: in 1448, between 1456-1462 and again in 1476.
His reign became one of the most famous in the Romanian history, and Vlad the Impaler’s personality gathered around him many stories, converting him into a legend.
He was an honest and brave ruler, but merciless when it came to those who threatened his country, to thieves, beggars, liars, whom he was cruelly punishing . His favourite punishment was the impalement, that explaining his nickname: Vlad THE IMPALER. He fought many times against the Turks who tried to take possession of the land.
There are many stories about his honesty, and many legends surrounding the order and honor that he established during his reign. His enemies within the country and outside of it described him as a cruel, merciless tyrant which gave birth to such fictional character as “the vampire prince”.
The only common thing between the medieval legend and the modern fiction is the name “DRACULA” inherited by Vlad the Impaler from his father.
In the distant Middle Ages, during the time of brave knights and warrior kings, in a city from Transylvania named Sighisoara, in a house built of thick stone walls, the Wallachian prince Vlad was born. The history would call him “Vlad Tepes” meaning “Vlad the Impaler”.
He lived for a while in Transylvania, hiding from Wallachia’s throne enemies, the country where the Romanians lived in the territory between the Danube and the Carpathian Mountains. He would later rule this country as his father (Vlad the Devil) and grandfather (Mircea the Old) did before him.
Vlad the Devil had been a knight in the “Order of the Dragon”, and so had been many other European knights at the time. The purpose of this Order was to fight against the Turks that threatened Christian European peoples. The symbol of this Order was a Dragon (representing the Turks) and a cross (representing Christians). The nickname of Vlad “the devil” was born from the association of the knight with the dragon.
After a tough childhood – the death of his father and being a Turkish hostage- young Vlad comes to reign in Wallachia 3 times: in 1448, between 1456-1462 and again in 1476.
His reign became one of the most famous in the Romanian history, and Vlad the Impaler’s personality gathered around him many stories, converting him into a legend.
He was an honest and brave ruler, but merciless when it came to those who threatened his country, to thieves, beggars, liars, whom he was cruelly punishing . His favourite punishment was the impalement, that explaining his nickname: Vlad THE IMPALER. He fought many times against the Turks who tried to take possession of the land.
There are many stories about his honesty, and many legends surrounding the order and honor that he established during his reign. His enemies within the country and outside of it described him as a cruel, merciless tyrant which gave birth to such fictional character as “the vampire prince”.
The only common thing between the medieval legend and the modern fiction is the name “DRACULA” inherited by Vlad the Impaler from his father.
BABA DOCHIA'S LEGEND
In Romanian mythology, The Old Woman Dokia (Baba Dochia) is a spiteful mother-in-law angry at her son for having married a beautiful girl (without asking for Baba Dochia’s consent prior to the wedding).
Baba Dochia sends her daughter-in-law to the river to wash some black wool, warning her not to come back home until the black wool has turned white. After hours of washing and crying in despair, the young girl sees a gentle old man (Jesus in disguise) who gives her a red flower, telling her to touch the wool with the special flower. As soon as she does so, the wool turns white and the young woman is able to return home to her husband and mother-in-law.
However, the miraculous whitening of the wool does not change Baba Dochia for the better. Instead, it seems to underline her meanness, as she subsequently decides to begin a journey to find and punish the young woman’s benefactor. At the beginning of the journey, the weather is rather warm and keeps getting warmer, so Dochia starts throwing away her nine coats, one by one. As soon as she drops her last coat, the weather changes again and she is frozen to death.
This legend is recalled every year on the first nine days of March, when the weather is changeable and old people living in the countryside say that “Dochia is shedding her coats”, therefore the pleasant warmth is not to be trusted yet, as cold weather is likely to come back.