Vlad the Impaler
(Redirected from Vlad III Dracula)
Vlad the Impaler (1431 – 1476), also known as Vlad III Dracula, was governor ("voivode") of Wallachia, whose cruel methods of punishing his enemies gained notoriety in 15th-century Europe. He became a folk hero in the region for his efforts against Ottoman expansion.
His father was Vlad II Dracul. "Dracul" was derived from the Latin draco (“dragon”) after his induction into the Order of the Dragon, created by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor for the defense of Christian Europe against the Ottoman Empire. Dracula means "son of Dracul",
Bram Stoker’s Dracula character may have been partialy based on Vlad.
