Vlad The Impaler

Vlad The Impaler

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Vlad The ImpalerThis documentary examines the bloody career of Vlad the Impaler, the 15th-century prince of Wallachia who took no prisoners in his resistance to the spread of the Ottoman Empire. Known as Dracula, he learned the arts of war as a hostage of the Turks, but asserted his independence by working his own disloyal nobles to death and repelling a Turkish invasion by filling the battlefield with 23,000 impaled corpses.

When he came to power, Vlad immediately had all the assembled nobles arrested. The older boyars and their families were immediately impaled. The younger and healthier nobles and their families were marched north from Târgovi?te to the ruins of Poienari Castle in the mountains above the Arge? River.

Vlad was determined to rebuild this ancient fortress as his own stronghold and refuge. The enslaved boyars and their families were forced to labor for months, rebuilding the old castle with materials from another nearby ruin. According to tradition, they labored until the clothes fell off their bodies and then were forced to continue working naked. Very few of the old gentry survived the ordeal of building Vlad’s castle. This documentary is a must for those that like to separate fact from myth.

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nathalie
nathalie
11 months ago

dracula wasnt romanian. he was a szekler from hungary

BATHORY
BATHORY
2 years ago

All wars kill innocent people including babies etc.

Cheryl B. Montoya
Cheryl B. Montoya
2 years ago

Today is an important day in Texas History -- It was on June 22, 1958 that efforts to set the record straight and clear Dracula's name began in Comanche, Texas; though it seems like only yesterday, there have been some worthwhile accomplishments. The phrase "Don't Mess With Texas " has taken on a stronger meaning.

Cheryl Braziel Montoya
Cheryl Braziel Montoya
2 years ago

When I was betw. 12 and 13 yrs. old, growing up in Comanche, Texas, I saw "Horror of Dracula" (Christopher Lee); I felt compassion for the main title character and knew in my heart there was misrepresentation; in conjunction with that, I knew this had been a real person and I felt called to set the record straight about Dracula, and I can say that his case has been successfully defended in the cities of Austin and San Antonio; I have been writing, over a period of decades, our own Texas narratives about Dracula/Vlad Tepes, who is considered to be a latter-day Texas hero; the only information I'll ever take seriously will come from Texas or Romania, as everything from everywhere else consists of exaggeration, fabrication, or tabloid propaganda journalism. Personally, I believe if you want to know anything about Dracula, you need to come to San Antonio to talk to me; I've been seeing too much in the way of disrespectful literature on line in recent months. Dracula has been maligned for too long! Hail Columbia, Don't Mess With Texas, and the Lone Star is On the Rise Again!

john smith
john smith
2 years ago

Just as the history books tells us.Very well researched and interesting

john smith
john smith
2 years ago

Good doc.

Jimmy Parker
Jimmy Parker
7 years ago

It has been said before and by me as will. History is written by the winners and the losers are made to look bad. Facts are distorted if even looked at. Lies are perpetrated and manufactured. There is ALWAYS two sides to any story. The losers never get to tell theirs because they are usually killed before they get the chance.

Skadi
Skadi
7 years ago

I am not Romanian, not from that part of Europe but Im reading all these Negative comments about Prince Vlad the 3rd, but what I want to say about all the negative comments,
you obviously can't see what he was really doing & I have have ppl I know Closely Tell me that Dracula was a real man & he did Horrible Horrible things!!
impaling people inviting people for Dinner & impaling them too, again really Horrible acts..
I was a child & from That I told this Person I know what I know, I know Things now, that I can say YEH did happend BUT this is WHY !!
yes some Invited Guests to his home where impaled for example revenging his fathers death!

the things he had to do & made himself do, even if these things made him seems crazy,insane.. Mad!!

Had people Gossiping 'Oh the Prince Vlad... I saw Him drink Fresh Blood then impale a Guest from another country etc..' Well Really, Gossip Travels.. That cant do Harm for him!!! because he really didnt hold back did he. so the more Gossip The Better probably!

Prince Vlad was also a great warrior, and He Deserves The Respect from NOT just his people in Romania but Other Europeans too? but I know some will & some wont..
But He Held that Army Back in some really awesome ways and there was JUST a river Between Vlads Lands & the Enemies Army..
he Burnt his lands he destroyed his towns .. and Made sure the Wells stayed FULL but with a special treat of drink it and die from what he had put in the water!! but anything the towns could have Offerd this army, he destroyed and burnt etc but he didnt stop there!
He burnt the land they had too on the other Side, why?
Because he knew a LARGE Army would use the lands all those Lands & Towns for food!!! as they would NEED it, what they going to do if thats not available??? yeah.. again smart.

Other Countries in Europe didn't have to worry about this Army taking Wallachia and The Next Land and so on and enter Other Countries, I mean I have a feeling they would have Kept going until the Last bit of Europe was invaded and taken over.. like why Not? some like to Just keep going & taking out 1 by 1 till all are fallen & the 1 standing at all the end of it Rules.

Also other Rulers in other lands Near by where Equally JUST as Ruthless & killed and did horrible crazy mad stuff that Vlad gets Accused of solely alone.
But I will say there is one thing HE did do BETTER then other Rulers,
He IMPALED people like it was a natural talent no one could compete im sure..
a Forest of impaled Enemies from the Army wanting to invade, a forest of 20,000 to 30,000, and all the other ones he did.. he wins that hands down!

I have Absolutely No Problem saying Prince Vlad the 3rd was a Brilliant man, warrior.. Hero & so much more.
No Doubt, while he was there fighting the Turks, Ottomen Empire? he did all to Protect invasion!! and Not even mentioning The Other Battles he got into!!

But these are simply my Opinions & everyone is allowed them..
Other people Will Agree with my thoughts Of The forever timeless Prince Vlad!
OR
Not AGREE & say what ever they want to aswell.

Ang73
Ang73
8 years ago

I just wanna meet the man who played Vlad recently in Dracula Untold! He is so HOT, I dream of him every night:) Please!! Bite me!! LOL!

Vlad Dracula
Vlad Dracula
8 years ago

Love your enemies and they will turn on you, impale your enemies and they will smile from above and thank you for your strength.

Vlad Dracula

Me
Me
8 years ago

@Onefeather- your comment is pretty ignorant because Vlad III Dracul also killed innocent men, women. and children, so having more people like him just because of gang violence is completely ridiculous. Innocent deaths don't verify a cause, and Vlad III Dracul did kill tens of thousands of people in a horrific manner for no other reason but to scare his people into submission and to scare off invaders. He was not evil per say, but he wasn't exactly friendly either, and the world most certainly doesn't need more of him as you say. @Levi- Vlad IIdidn't kill to seek revenge for his father, in fact, his father left him in the hand of Ottomans in exchange for his own freedom. So please educate yourselves before posting ridiculous things like that because it only makes it clear that you don't know anything your talking about, and that makes your point invalid and unnecessary. Thank you!

Onefeather
Onefeather
8 years ago

Maybe this world needs more like him and put a stop to all the crime that goes on and all the gangs.

thomas j pieken
thomas j pieken
8 years ago

awesome vlad the impaler is mad gangster

Levi
Levi
9 years ago

Is there a citation anywhere for this video??

Rob
Rob
9 years ago

Some of these comments are hilarious and ridiculous.
First of all, Satanists don't believe in "the devil". Or any mythical entity. Satanism is about self empowerment and believing in yourself, controlling your own future and creating a life that is best for you. Without being an indecent person.

The information you get from your preacher is hilarious. People speaking in the name of God are salesmen, selling you fear. You are paying for it with the spiritual freedom you currently lack. Hoping you will be cleansed of the sins you are ashamed of.

I am an insurance agent. there are very similar marketing strategies to bible thumpers. The difference is, I (a satanist)
Help people manage their risk, and help them recover from a catastrophic loss in the event of a minor or major accident. If a tragedy were to occur, I am able to indemnify them or their family. And help them move past it right now. Making sure they have the proper coverage so they dont have to worry if their house burns down, I will make sure there house is rebuilt and they have a place to live in the mean time.
I am a Satanist and I provide REAL help. I dont discriminate against gener, sexual orientation, race or anything. I consider everyone equal unless you give me a reason to lose respect.for you. I dont love everyone, I dislike most people. But unlike christians who say Satanists are so terrible. I never judge anyone, skinny fat, dark, light, gay, straight. We're all pink and 98 degrees on the inside. Get over yourself and go shove that self rightous crucifix up your ass.

Instead of giving people false hope saying, "hi! If you buy my bullshit, you wont go to hell, just love a 2000 year old hippy in a book that was rewritten dozens of times, and never explains any believable proof. Instead just feeding you garbage and expecting you to eat it... enjoy!!". But you are scared, so you believe it, and you buy your spiritual insurance, guarenteeing you a one way ticket up. Just sprinkle some holy water, speak some latin, dunk your head in this sink, worship jesus everyday, confess all of your sins, sing about how powerful an entity that you have never seen... hallelujah! and poof... You're magically forgiven and pardoned from any sins or criminal acts against your fellow humans. Dont forget to pray everynight and thank your imagination for food that was actually only provided by hard work and a paycheck. And wouldn't be there if you didn't physically purchase it.
Ken Ham's best explanation is, "It's written in the bible". As if thay is supposed to solve all of the worlds problem.
You say Satanists are evil? Satanists dont try to brain wash billions of people

While you are researching medieval history, why dont you research the Christian Inquisitions. Then try to find actual historical facts about Satanists that are even half as bad. Not the bullshit the media says to scare more people into believing in a false god.

Guest
Guest
9 years ago

Vlad the Impaler was a hero and someone like him is needed today to fight ISIS.

bela meszaros
bela meszaros
9 years ago

Well this documentary was better than any other i have seen on Dracula. But it was still full with non-sense. Christian defender of Europe? That was the biggest joke of them all. Dracula( Vlad Tepes his real name). never lived in Transylvania, he was the chieftain of Wallachia. Transylvania was part of the Hungarian Kingdom up until the end of world war l when it was given to the Romanian king. Hungary was the biggest Christian country in Europe however at the time of Tepes the King of Hungary was in war with the Czech Kingdom in the north the Austrians in the west and the Turks in the south which enabled Vlad Tepes to break into Transyinvania and rob the rich cities( some were saxons, settled there by King Bela IV after the Mongols herds left Hungary in the 13th century). Since the Hungarian army was busy with some serious armies it gave a chance to Dracula to get away with murder. Once King Matyas(1443-90) defeated all his enemies send an army after Dracula. His army destroyed Dracula captured, his land invaded. He was taken to Visegrad ( capitol of Hungary at the time) kept in a cage and showed to guests of the palace like a zoo animal. This is when the documentary says he was exiled. 12 years he was imprisoned when King Matyas pardoned Vlad. He returned to Wallachia promising that he would not rob Transylvania. Only next year he broke his word. The king sent an army after him again. This time he was destroyed with his army. Anyone interested in details about the truth and not fabricated history should read the book " History of Transylvania". About being evil; at this time impaling, skinning alive and such was very common all over Europe.

Eric Lawson
Eric Lawson
9 years ago

Great short Doc !!

SamiZombe
SamiZombe
10 years ago

He was "evil" sure but he also grew up around people who were evil there fore it's what he learned not what he just randomly decided.

Maya Vala Meritay
Maya Vala Meritay
10 years ago

If you really wish to know about the historical and real prince Vlad, we have to forget all the fantasy - stories about him, just made to earn money. There are enough facts and historical artifacts, letters and so on that show the reality... but reading this costs time and work but most people want to make money fast and so they use the lies and fantasy- stories that are easy to find, because there are a lot and told and changed again and again. So the tall tales grow automatically and hide the truth more and more.

Adnana Dason
Adnana Dason
11 years ago

Vlad Tepes- Dracula was cruel, BUT to not forget that a cruel atmosphere dominated Europe in those times, from Russia to France! Even if Vlad Tepes- Dracula is a very popular character in the world, many people really do not really know his true story!

There are a lot of books, articles, web sites, etc, about Prince Vlad, but weak of them treat his deeds according to the historical truth; or worse, present them distorted! When he became ruler of Walachia in the spring of 1456, he found the country in a very bad situation. But his administrative decisions, how he organized the trading, the new boyar's council, the army in Walachia are less known today, as everybody discuss only about the impalement or cruelty!

However, there is very interesting historical documentary ebook to detail the true story of Vlad Dracula as the ruler of Walachia in XV century!

VD
VD
11 years ago

That scene were he invited the noble men to a feast only to slaughter them reminds me of the "Red Wedding" in Song of Ice and Fire - aka Game of Thrones.

David Rodan
David Rodan
11 years ago

I thought I heard this guy was Christian? He's a distugusting Satanist, driven by pure evil. Who cares if he built some crappy old buildings. Unfortunately for christians they've been Hijacked by the satanists who have always taken the 'battle' seriously and have completely taken over ALL Religious groups top heirarchy, ALL royal familys, ALL goverment leaders ALL financiers, etc. The argument isnt about Muslim or christian its God (Good) and Devil (evil), that makes any difference. If your in any doubt about Satanists running the Christian religion take a look at the latest Pope, even my kids were scared of his face - pure evil.

Alienstarship
Alienstarship
11 years ago

Enjoyed the history of Vlad. The book Vampires and Vampirism by Montague Summers is a great book if one is looking for research/facts on the vampire and beliefs at different times/ages,he has references to rare source documents.

urban deadite
urban deadite
11 years ago

Considering that Vlad's Wallachian kingdom was tiny compared to the might of the Turkish war machine at that point in History by doing 'radical' things worked in his and his peoples favour after all Larger and more powerful Kingdoms fell to the Turks a lot lot quicker.
It is easy to judge people of the past.
Yes the Turks were very civilised in the calm and peaceful parts of their Empire but like any where and any peoples in ALL history war and conquest were not nice, oh yeah and the MILLIONS of slaves taken by them too.
Civilization and barbarity seem to go hand in hand.

Adrian
Adrian
12 years ago

My hero.

0rcabay
0rcabay
12 years ago

If Vlad's father was assassinated and Vlad fled to Transylvania who bankrolled his army and building project's , where did he receive his education ? There's some important information missing here.

Andräas Hajnakowski
Andräas Hajnakowski
12 years ago

odd... while western Europe was dealing with renaissance, science, discovering the world was a sphere (more or less) and some bigots were burning people for ***whatever-futile-reason-here***, some OTHER dudes were fighting the Turks and tartars holding them at bay so that the the aforementioned DUDES could discover and paint and burn people alive. YES I used DUDES a lot of times because unfortunately history remembers them with pompous names and dedicate whole chapters of history books so I kinda felt like diminishing their importance at least for once. Very few talk about WHO indirectly allowed Europe to become what it today is. Very few realize that had it not been for "blood thirsty tyrants" like Vlad (among others) Europeans could easily be speaking Turkish now. Think about it ;)

mnl_bnc
mnl_bnc
12 years ago

thank to God That finaly we the Romanian people are present in the history and we are not gypsy, I want to Know , the people who made this intresting net site, that in all history people of Romania were present not only in this monent , land of Romania were not ocupied by this or that invasion people ,guarding the history and the language of people you notice that we can there from were came and the latin people .One exemple is just in the description you just made telling about river Arge? in you alfabet, realy its pronouncing argesh like aramaic sh ,lot of names and word are like aramaic its explain how romans in 101 buy the betrade of king of Dac , Decebal (dece baal tell you some thing in aramaic) because they were speaking the same language ,(can you talk to a chinese or muslim to betrade his brothe never) My name of family its write BOANCA but its spoke b"wanca" b short with leter wow from aramaic and in finaly a" with an mute h , i live in italy and people have problems when they have to wright the name its sims like the do not have the leter wow but in stead when they see allready right down the name they do not have problem to expreme corectly just like me , And Vlad Tepes the name of great king is like this Vlhad Tzepesh the h mute insensitive Tz like Pizza leter aramaic TZ and sh final , infact in italy you find a lot in south replacement of leters in words with sh in stead of s (sportello -shportello ,in south and thous from nord use a lot of tz as in pizza instead of c as elettriciti-elettrizzti ) And that why the Romanian people has latin alfabet and lots of latin words we can not understend people from Hungary, Bulgary Ucraine ,Turky but with out prepare any romanian citizen understands quikly italian , spanish , france , english ,And the name of Vlad Tepes tepe romanian means woodstik sharp and in italian dialect zepe is the same thing but if you speak as in norditaly the result is Tzepe more like tz =the .
So do not forget us , we are not coming from gipsy tribes , we are coming from history , we are part of the history just like you .

derek
derek
12 years ago

this is beyond BULLSHIT!...80% of the documantary talks about the buildings and fortresses instead of vlads life and actions....thumbs down!

Maya Vala Meritay
Maya Vala Meritay
12 years ago

Modrussa, who made the famous describion of prince Vlad, later revoked his stories. Although Antonio Bonfini, the one who "proved" for King Matthew, that he was of roman origin and he is a "Corvinus", not a Hunyadi (people, who hated him called him because of that "The oneof the dog-sex") and who wrote his chronicles, revoked later his lies about prince Vlad, he had wo write down in order of king Mathew. (Antonio Bonfini (Latin variant: Antonius Bonfinius) (1434–1503) was an Italian humanist and poet who spent the last years of his career as a court historian in Hungary with King Matthias Corvinus.[1]

Bonfini was commissioned by Matthias Corvinus to produce a work chronicling the History of Hungary. The book was named Rerum Hungaricum Decades (Ten Volumes of Hungarian Matters).[Wikipedia]

"But the much greater tragedy is based on Vlad's betrayal. None of the many films has translated the cruel madness of the story as a piece of deception, a betrayal of the truth and the individuals in images of horror.

The tragedy Vlad: Corvin betrays him, takes him prisoner at the height of his heroic career, the defensive struggle, and locks it for years in the dark dungeons of the fortress of Visegrád on the Danube in Budapest.

The reason: 3 fake letters in which Vlad the Sultan allegedly offered negotiations and submit to him was, that was a traitor, were (possibly) leaked from the Saxon cities of the Hungarian king. Corvin sent to the Pope about the legacies Modrussa a copy of the forged letters. And a series of slanderous rumors circulating about the "tyrant". For the Hungarian has to justify both the Pope and the Venetians over why he was the great Turkish fighter captures just now, although he has received money for the Turkish military campaign:

These pamphlets are the beginning of the written Dracula legend, Pius II, published them in his comentarii. Here are all the motives of the German chronicles of the "tyrant" Vlad listed." (Schlesak, siebenbürger.de)

Consolamentum
Consolamentum
13 years ago

Vlad was neither better nor worse than many monarchs of his time in terms of his treatment of POWs or enemies in general. Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth, Maximilian I of Bavaria and Gustav I of Sweden all have relatively better posthumous reputations than Vlad (possibly with the exception of Henry), and all of them were prone to cruel and unusual punishments of enemies, opponents and anyone who managed to piss them off sufficiently. My bet is that they would have behaved exactly the same as Vlad in a similar situation.

Vlad's PR mistake was most likely that he went after the German settlers in Transylvania who were loyal to the (German) Holy Roman Emperor. The Germans had a well developed propaganda machine, and they used it to smear his name in order to get back at him. And boy did it work!

eli
eli
13 years ago

yea who gives a crap if u think hes a hero, he was crazy beyond belief, the Nazis also thought hitler was a hero too haha

mick
mick
13 years ago

where the f is the documemtary just a blank square

Poppa Gee
Poppa Gee
13 years ago

Most of the naysayers of this documentary are actually from Romania and are totally partial to a this psychopath. They remind of of the Belgians who have reinvented King Leopold of the Congo. He was mass murderer of millions of Africans (even before Hitler) and the Belgians believe he was a great man. It just comes to show how cultures are brainwashed as long as they benefit from the acts.

mick
mick
13 years ago

where is the documentary vlad the impaler been trying to watch this for ages can you fix it please thanks in advance

xan
xan
13 years ago

@anton: actually Vlad did fight his (step) brother Radu, who came with Turkish help to throw Vlad out and replace him.

Now about Vlad: he and his brother Radu once had been imprisoned in the Turkish dundgeons, but unlike Radu, Vlad wasn't handsome at all. I mean look at the picture. So while Radu becomes Sultan's boyfriend, Vlad gets it in the back over and over again by the guards, day after day.
Then things turn around, and he is in position to decide the fate of some enemy turks. What does he do? Shows mercy unheard of for that times and sets them free? Beheads them? Impales them?
What would you have done?

anton
anton
13 years ago

It is funny how Vlad Tepes himself look Turkish on that painting. I mean, that is a typical look for someone more 'eastern' in character. Nothing wrong with it. It is just he fought people who might have been his cousins and all in the name of power...christianity?

Michaela
Michaela
13 years ago

Why does everyone gotta be such a hound? I mean you guys. Just sayin!

Consolamentum
Consolamentum
13 years ago

Typo.

"They thend to be" should be "They tend to be".

Consolamentum
Consolamentum
13 years ago

Greenbee: I've seen some good (or at least adequate) documentaries from NGC, but this is certainly not one of them. It plays to the lowest common denominator, and it fails to take the full historical and political context into account.

When it comes to historical documentaries in general I usually prefer British ones, and especially those produced by the BBC. They thend to be much more analytical and level-headed in their approach.

GreenBee
GreenBee
13 years ago

for thinking my way that is, sorry for the bad spelling.

GreenBee
GreenBee
13 years ago

Thank you very much for seing thing my way @ Consolamentum. I am really glad that you do.
Cheers, the GreenBee.

Consolamentum
Consolamentum
13 years ago

Greenbee - I agree with you completely, on every point!

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

"The Historian" A great book about Vlad!

All praise, Vlad! Even as I know he would stick me on a pole. I don't care...

He rocked, pretty much!

GreenBee
GreenBee
13 years ago

I’ve had an interest in Vlad Drakula “tepes” – the impaler, for a long time, and have done research on him and his life. The truth of the fact is, that his father was called Drakul, meaning dragon in Romanian, because he was part of the (Christian) Order of the Dragon (Drakul was invested into it on 8 Nov, 1431 in Nuremberg, Germany). Vlad himself, was called Drakula, or son of Drakul – dragon, because he was his father’s son and because he too was in the order. In fact the name of his whole familu tree is Drakulesti (of Wallachia).
For those who after watching this doc and how it described and depicted Vlad’s unusual activities, here’s some information that might explain some of his more grotesque inclinations. Vlad was born and grew up in a time when savage acts were much more prevalent than today. Case in point is the untimely unfortunate and gruesome endings of his own father and (although completely skipped by this doc) elder brother Mircea (also known as Drakula). Drakul was seized by the traitorous boyars and beheaded, and Mircea was buried alive by the same lot.
I am not saying that Vlad was not cruel and a torturer, he undoubtfuly was. But it is obvious when one looks into Wallachia of his and his father’s time that horrendous violence was common. The boyars had after all used it against his own family. Vlad probably had to resort to the atrocious acts he is known for, to keep his rule stable against both boyars (look what happenned to Drakul and Mircea when they lost control over same boyars) and Ottoman Turks (here we have a religion factor as well – Ortodox Christianity versus Islam), to both keep them in line (control them) and intimidate them (fear, remember, is a powerful weapon and tool of control). In Romania today he is considered a National Hero.
What I am trying to say here is that if you want to pass jugement on an Vlad or any other person in history than do so in the context of and from the perspective of their own time, and not through the “eyes” of the present. (this does not include fiends like Hitler and Stalin, because there is no justification for what they have done, fear and keeping in control had nothing to do with their acts of violence).
Anyhow, the doc way too sensational for my taste. It is very sad to me to discover that it is a National Geographic Doc. I have had a subscription to their magazine for over ten years, and have always considered NGM and the society itself to be a good reliable source of information on many subjects. But this doc (the narration in it is a disgrace!) is extremely sensational, one-sided (biased) and inaccurate. I am Very Disappointed by it, and ashamed that NGS made such a bollocs (the term propaganda may also apply here) of such an important and interesting topic. It should have been much more serious and in depth in my opinion, as Vlad’s life is still and probably will always be a topic of interest to many around the world. Even though it was not meant for people like myself who look at this seriously from the historical and anthropological point of view. Although it was meant for the general audience, to inform a little, to entertain a lot, it could have been much better.

I'd like to apologize if my use of the blipped out word is offensive to other user and the administrator of TDF. It was not meant to be so and has been corrected.

Cheers from the GreenBee

GreenBee
GreenBee
13 years ago

I’ve had an interest in Vlad Drakula “tepes” – the impaler, for a long time, and have done research on him and his life. The truth of the fact is, that his father was called Drakul, meaning dragon in Romanian, because he was part of the (Christian) Order of the Dragon (Drakul was invested into it on 8 Nov, 1431 in Nuremberg, Germany). Vlad himself, was called Drakula, or son of Drakul – dragon, because he was his father’s son and because he too was in the order. In fact the name of his whole familu tree is Drakulesti (of Wallachia).
For those who after watching this doc and how it described and depicted Vlad’s unusual activities, here’s some information that might explain some of his more grotesque inclinations. Vlad was born and grew up in a time when savage acts were much more prevalent than today. Case in point is the untimely unfortunate and gruesome endings of his own father and (although completely skipped by this doc) elder brother Mircea (also known as Drakula). Drakul was seized by the traitorous boyars and beheaded, and Mircea was buried alive by the same lot.
I am not saying that Vlad was not cruel and a torturer, he undoubtfuly was. But it is obvious when one looks into Wallachia of his and his father’s time that horrendous violence was common. The boyars had after all used it against his own family. Vlad probably had to resort to the atrocious acts he is known for, to keep his rule stable against both boyars (look what happenned to Drakul and Mircea when they lost control over same boyars) and Ottoman Turks (here we have a religion factor as well – Ortodox Christianity versus Islam), to both keep them in line (control them) and intimidate them (fear, remember, is a powerful weapon and tool of control). In Romania today he is considered a National Hero.
What I am trying to say here is that if you want to pass jugement on an Vlad or any other person in history than do so in the context of and from the perspective of their own time, and not through the “eyes” of the present. (this does not include fiends like Hitler and Stalin, because there is no justification for what they have done, fear and keeping in control had nothing to do with their acts of violence).
Anyhow, the doc way too sensational for my taste. It is very sad to me to discover that it is a National Geographic Doc. I have had a subscription to their magazine for over ten years, and have always considered NGM and the society itself to be a good reliable source of information on many subjects. But this doc (the narration in it is a disgrace!) is extremely sensational, one-sided (biased) and inaccurate. I am Very Disappointed by it, and ashamed that NGS made such a bollocs (the term crap may also apply here) of such an important and interesting topic. It should have been much more serious and in depth in my opinion, as Vlad's life is still and probably will always be a topic of interest to many around the world. Even though it was not meant for people like myself who look at this seriously from the historical and anthropological point of view. Although it was meant for the general audience, to inform a little, to entertain a lot, it could have been much better.

Cheers, from the GreenBee.

Rudolph
Rudolph
13 years ago

We might need another Vlad sooner than you think cant hijack a plane if your stuck to a pole

Consolamentum
Consolamentum
13 years ago

Fun fact 2:

The founder of the house of Basarab is not known to history, but one theory states that it was founded by Toq-Timur, a great-grandson of none other than Genghis Khan. Quite an ancestry for Vlad and the Queen of Britain, if true.

Consolamentum
Consolamentum
13 years ago

Fun fact:

Not many people know that Queen Elizabeth II is technically a cousin of Vlad Tepes. She is partly descended from the royal house of Basarab, to which Vlad belonged!