THE POSTMEDIEVAL DRACULA

The afterlives of Vlad III ‘the Impaler’ are perhaps even more interesting than his life. They have transformed the historical figure from a leader and warrior during his reigns into a ruthless and twisted killer during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, which contributed to his distorted fashioning in local folklore. During the nineteenth century, Vlad was yet again reimagined, this time as a literary figure, which gave way to his iconic representations in films and other visual media during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Vlad III Dracula has enjoyed great fame in the historical record and in the popular imagination.

By Alice Isabella Sullivan

In the Romanian cultural context, the historical figure has been hailed as a national hero. He is celebrated for his honesty and fierce fighting, as well as for his efforts to maintain justice and order in his land. Outside of Romania, however, the stories and myths that have emerged about Vlad, some even during his lifetime, have been gruesome and demonizing. They have also evolved over time, propelling subsequent shocking narratives and transformations of the historical figure and his deeds through local tales. These narratives have enabled Vlad III to maintain his popularity into the present, taking on new guises and features in different media to suit the changing cultural contexts and fantasies of the postmedieval period. Textual and archaeological sources, alongside the visual record in the form of paintings, prints,…

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Medieval Warfare (Digital) - 1 Issue, MW X1.4

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