first issue - may 2013
THE MYTH OF COUNT DRACULA
I
n Transylvania, Vlad the Impaler or Count Dracula’s legend serves as the main anecdote that infatuates people towards visiting this castle, and the strong association between both cannot be neglected. The myth originated in England, when the novel “Dracula” was published by an Irish writer Bram Stoker, in 1897. Although Dracula is purely a fictional character, however, in the story, this castle served as the place where Dracula lived which later created an array of myths, legends, and beliefs among people who started associating ghosts, vampires and evil forces to the place. From then on, Bran Castle became famous as Dracula’s Castle. The impact of Stoker’s fiction is still so intense that CNN listed it among the top ten medieval castles of the world. Even today, Romanian government, tourism operators, and Bran Castle’s administration propagate the story of Vlad the Impaler and publicize the castle as Dracula’s place of birth. The linkage is although very subtle, yet the intriguing impression that this massive structure creates is scary yet inviting. Furniture that belonged to Queen Marie, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria who became Romanian queen after rejecting England’s King George V and marrying the King of Romania, is exhibited here. This castle has been a frequent choice of top film makers and is an excellent place to visit in Transylvania.
3