What is true and what is fiction ?

The myth of Dracula

Did you know that Vlad Dracula was a real person? He wasn’t a criminal or a ghost – he was a real prince!

We know about Dracula not from movies or legends – the name

Dracula became popular after the main character Of a BOOK written by an Irish writer in 1897.

Vlad III the Impaler (also known as Vlad Dracula 1431 –1476) was Prince of Wallachia, a former country that is now part of Romania.

His was king for 3 times: in1448, from 1456 to 62, and in 1476.

Vlad is best known for the exceedingly cruel punishments he imposed during his reign. That is why he became inspiration for the vampire main

character in Bram Stoker's popular Dracula novel.Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish writer, and author of the horror novel Dracula.

Before writing Dracula, Stoker spent eight yearsresearching European folklore and stories of vampires!Stoker's inspiration for the story was a visit to Slains Castle near Aberdeen. The novel is about a young solicitor, Jonathan

Harker , who travels to Transylvania to sell a house to a nobleman named Dracula.

He soon realizes that the Count is a vampire.Dracula traps Harker in his castle, and travels to England in search for Jonathan's fiancée, Mina Murray (in the picture). Because of this, the other characters, led by Professor Abraham van Helsing, go on a mission to find and kill Dracula.

Dracula wanted to take Mina with him to his castle because she looked exactly like his wife, whom he loved more than anything.

According to the legend, while Dracula was fighting in a battle, his wife received false news of his death.

She was so desperate, that she threw herself off the balcony of their castle.

When Dracula saw his dead wife, he decided to sell his soul to Devil to get her back.

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. The name Dracula means son of Dracul or son of the dragon or devil.

Vlad's brutal manner of terrorizing his enemies earned him the nickname "the Impaler" .

Impalement is a method act of torture and execution whereby a person is pierced with a long stake.

The stake would usually be planted in the ground, leaving the

impaled person hanging to die slowlyand vary painfully.

The use of impalement as a form of execution was used in Ancient Egypt , Ancient Persia India. Impalement was frequently practiced in Europe in the Middle Ages.

The Zulu of South Africa used impalement as a form of punishment for soldiers who had failed in the execution of their duty.

Vlad III Dracula, learned the method of killing by impalement while staying in Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey).

The Hollywood version of the book was made in 1992 by Francis Ford Coppola.

Dracula was played by Gary Oldman, Mina by Wynona Ryder, Professor Professor Abraham Van Helsing who kills Dracula by Anthony Hopkins and Mina’s husband by Keanu Reeves.

Answer to the following questions:

1. Who was Prince Vlad Dracula?2. Why was he called “Vlad the Impaler”3. Who was Abraham Stoker?4. What inspired him to write his novel?5. What happened to Vlad’s wife?6. What is “impalement”?7. What happens in the “Dracula” movie?8. Why does Dracula want to kidnap Mina?9. What do you know about the Hollywood

movie “Dracula?”

What do these word mean?Search in www. thefreedictionary.com

1. Solicitor – 2. Impaling – 3. Novel – 4. To exceed – 5. Reign – 6. Fiancée – 7. Stake – 8. Brotherhodd -