Dracula - Myth and reality

The ancient writer Anton Verancsics (1504-1573) said that all the westerners call the moldavian people “dani”and the mountain people “draguli”.

The name „Dracula”,”Dracul” comes from “Dragula”,”Dragul” and was very popular during the first period of the XVth century. Michael Bocignoli from Raguza uses frequently in his writings from 1524, the name „Dragul”, when he talks about Vlad Tepes: “It was once (in Valahia), a man they call the leader-named Dragul, a very wise and skilfull man in war….”

Another document from XVth century says something else. The historian Ducas, when talking about Vlad Dracul, the father of Vlad the Impaler, said he was called : “Dragulios, as he was his name, because he was mean and malicious in his own way; the name Dragulios means malicious and bad”. The version of the Slavonic story about Dracula starts like this: “ It was in the Montain Land a Christian Leader of orthodox way, with the name of Dracula in the Romanian language, and in our language deamon, that was wery bad. He lived his life, as he was called ”.

The name “Dracula” he had inherited from his father Vlad Dracul.Vlad Tepes was called many nicknames from Trakle, Trakel, Trakole, Drakol, Drakole (in the german stories and at author Beheim), Dracula (at the authors Callimachus, Bonfini, Dlugosz, Fr.Roverella, N.Olahus), Dragulla (in the letter to Venice 1462), Dragul (Dragulus) – at author Bocignoli, Draculea sau Drakulya (as he called himself), Dragulia (in the letters of Mathew Corvin), Dracul (as it is called by Dan, the enemy or the Bishop Nicolae de Modrussa in 1459-1460).

Draculea was a popular name around XV century, in the Romanian country. It was a nickname given by people to Vlad Dracul and also for two of his sons: Vlad (Tepes-the Impaler) and Radu (The Hansome). The other countries have adopted the name “Draculea”, through Saxons living in Transylvania, or the sounth-danubian population. The adopted name “Draculea” had a good meaning at the beginnings, but between (1459-1462) it changed into a bad meaning and Vlad the Impaler included it in his own signature in latin language.