Vlad Tepes III,
Voidvode of Wallachia

Vlad III, also known as Vlad Tepes, or Vlad Dracula (Draculae), but most commonly known as 'Vlad the Impaler' was a voivode of the Wallachia region of Romania thrice between 1448 until his death in 1477.

When mentioning Dracula there are always a myriad of opinions concerning him: a tyrant, a hero, a slaver, a monster. For me, Vlad Tepes is a fascinating figure I love sinking my teeth into. Maybe it's something about the moustache? Regardless, this page will serve as a home for any of my opinions about him. Read at your own peril (I am very pretentious).

"Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!"

Vlad and the Romani
The Romani ethnic group were held as slaves by Vlad as he suspected them of possessing exceptional strength in the battlefield (citation very much needed here, read it in a book probably). There are records of him having forced Romani to devour their own after watching them be boiled, then ordering them to continue the act or face the Ottomans. Despite such displays of cruelty, it is unlikely than any other ethnic group at the mercy of Vlad would have been spared similar fates. The Romani just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, although the emancipation of Romani people only started in the mid 19th century, and the stigma surrounding Romani people and gypsies persists. Whilst most people think that the idea of Vlad Tepes being a national hero is most strange for his vicious torture methods, maybe it's not so unsurprising considering the ethnicity of the people his torture was most often done to. It's like they say: never ask a woman her age, never ask a man his job, and never ask a European their opinion on the Romani.

Bloody Tears
According to recent research Vlad Tepes may have cried tears of blood. After examining the peptides and proteins from letters containing Vlad's supposed fingerprints, researchers were able to get a glimpse at his health. Analysis concluded that he may have suffered from an inflammatory respiratory or skin disease and the pathological conditon hemolacria. Hemolacria has a variety of causes, some of which are hereditary, but others include inflammation or high blood pressure. After fending off the Turks for most of his adult life, who could blame him? I did say these were his supposed fingerprints, as the researchers acknowledge that the letters analysed would have come into contact with other people, although Vlad was the one who actually wrote and signed these letters so it's kind of a moot point. Hemolacria can clear up on its own though so I doubt this would have been a lifelong struggle for Vlad. I wonder what he must have thought though?