Vlad, The Impaler Lord

Known as Vlad Tepes, Vlad Dracula, Vlad Dracul, Vlad III, or The Impaler Lord, The Voivode of Wallachia has ensured his place in The History of humankind and presumably in the famous stories starring Dracula, the Vampire of Transylvania.

Born in 1431, in Romania, Vlad Dracula was bound to rule Wallachia one day. The word ‘Dracula’ is derived from ‘Dragon’. Vlad Dracula belonged to the Order of the Dragon of Wallachia. 

Vlad Dracul was one of the 4 children of Vlad I of Wallachia.

Vlad’s foes had given him the name Tepes, meaning the Impaler as Vlad was infamous for impaling thousands of men, women, and children who went against his word or supported his enemies.

One of many, but gruesome enough was the Easter Massacre which took place in Wallachia, under Vlad’s rule. Vlad Tepes hosted the Easter feast for the Boyers who were the elites in Wallachia after the Order of the Dragon. 

Adamant on settling his political matters into place, Vlad Tepes rose his glass in honor of the Boyers – or so they thought. In no time, the Easter ‘party’ turned into Purge Night, with Vlad personally impaling many of them and their wives outside his castle in Wallachia. 

Why would anyone Impale the very people who helped them become King? 

In Vlad’s case, these very same Boyars had conspired against Vlad’s father and his elder brother, Vlad I and Mircea. Thus, Vlad’s anger, rebellious nature, lust for blood, and love for family and loyalty reined the course of actions that led to the impalement of several of his ‘Kingmakers’.

Vlad decided to line-up all the impaled traitors in the capital of Wallachia; Targoviste, where his castle stood and so became known as Vlad Tepes, The Impaler Lord.

Impalement is a method of torture characterized by penetration of a human from their behind using a lubricated sharp or pointy object and pushing it outside, usually the chest so that the human dies slowly writhing in pain. 

To add fuel to the flames, Vlad himself was a pro at impaling people and he loved what he was good at.

Given Wallachia was the middle ground holding Constantinople and Hungary from going to war with each other, Vlad had found himself and his family in a politically tough position. Despite giving his word to the King of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II, Vlad constantly communed with the Hungarians and was believed to conspire against Sultan Mehmet II. 

The Political disturbances had led to much strife between The Impaler Lord and Fatih Mehmet II himself. All of this ended with the decapitation of Vlad Tepes at the hands of the army of the Ottoman Empire, in 1476 and presented to Fatih Mehmet II. 

By Manva Idrees