| |
| |
|
Humanities Information |
|
|
|
A Short Biography on Some of Europes Most Loved and Hated Monarchs - Pt 1 Vlad Tepes (Dracula)
Vlad Tepes or Dracula was born in 1431, in the fortress of Sighisoara, Romania. His father was the military governor of Transylvania and a member of the Order of the Dragon. The order was created in 1387 by the Holy Roman Emperor and his second wife, Barbara Cilli. In the winter of 1436-1437, Vlad(Dracul) became prince of Wallachia and took up residence at the palace of Tirgoviste, the princely capital. In 1442, he and his younger brother Radu were taken hostage by the Turkish Sultan Murad II. Dracul was held in Turkey until 1448, while his brother Radu decided to stay there until 1462. At 17 years old, Vlad, supported by troops lent to him by pasha Mustafa Hassan, tried to seize the Wallachian throne but was defeated by Vladislav II (who had earlier assassinated his father and oldest brother ) after two months or armed conflict. Vlad had to wait until 1456, when he was able to seek retribution against his father's assassin. Vlad's first act of vengeance was aimed at the boyars of Tirgoviste for the killing of his father and older brother Mircea. Around Easter of 1459, Vlad had all the boyar families arrested and impaled the elder members on stakes while forcing the others to march from the capital to the town of Poenari. He then ordered them to build him a fortress on the ruins of an older outpost overlooking the Arges River. Many nobles died in the construction of this castle, the ruins of which can still be seen today. Vlad became known for his brutal punishment techniques; often ordering people to be skinned, decapitated, blinded, roasted, hacked, buried alive, stabbed and blinded to name a few. He also liked to cut off his victim noses, ears and sexual organs. But his favourite form of torture was impalement on stakes, hence the surname "Tepes" which means "The Impaler" in the Romanian language. It was this form of punishment that he used against Transylvanian merchants who ignored his trade laws. There are many tales about the psyche of Vlad Tepes. He was known throughout the country for his fierce adherence to honesty and order. Almost any crime, from lying and stealing to killing, could be punished by impalement. Being so confident in the efficiency of his law, Dracula placed a golden cup on display in the central square of Tirgoviste. The cup could be used by thirsty travellers, but had to remain on the square. It was never stolen and remained entirely untouched throughout Vlad's reign. He looked upon the poor, vagrants and beggars as thieves. Consequently, he invited all the poor and sick of Wallachia to his court in Tirgoviste for a magnificent feast. After his guests had eaten and drunk their fill, Dracula ordered the hall boarded up and set on fire. There were no survivors. At the beginning of 1462, Vlad launched a campaign against the Turks along the Danube River which was very successful, managing several victories. In retaliation for these losses, the Sultan decided to launch a full-scale invasion of Wallachia with an army three times larger than Dracula's. Vlad was forced to withdraw towards Tirgoviste, burning villages and poisoning wells along the way. These acts were designed to hinder the Turkish army in their search for food and water. When the Sultan's armies finally reached the capital city, exhausted and hungry, they were confronted by a horrific sight: thousands of stakes held the bodies of some 20,000 Turkish captives, which came to be known as "Forest of the Impaled." The scene which was laid out before them had an immediate effect; the Sultan hungry and worn out retreated. The Sultan Mehmed left the next phase of the battle to Vlad's younger brother Radu who pursued his brother and wife to Poenari castle on the Arges River. Dracula's wife, in order to escape Turkish capture, committed suicide by hurling herself from the upper walls, her body falling down the cliff face into the river below. Vlad managed to escape the siege and made his way to hungry with the help of local peasants. Upon his arrival the Hungarian king Matthias arrested Dracula and imprisoned him at the Hungarian capital of Visegrad. In 1475, Vlad Tepes again became prince of Wallachia where he enjoyed a very short third reign. He was assassinated towards the end of 1476. I hope you have enjoyed reading about Vlad Tepes or as he was better known-Dracula. In my next article will learn about the life of(Mad)King George III. Unitl then, Best wishes and have a great day Stuart Bazga A Guide to Castles of Europe was born from childhood dreams and aspirations. It is my hope to educate and stimulate you into exploring these castles for yourselves.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Synchronized Swimming, Dolphin Cognition and Visualization As humans become more technologically advanced and are able to see our environments from the outside looking in, we gather insight to our 3D space that we normally would not be able to do, these leaps in understanding which leads to increased technological advances appears to be increased due to such abilities. We have been able to increase our understanding of our total world and space through sea exploration, aircraft observation and space flight. Troubadours CHRETIEN DE TROYES:Academics will freely admit that this man was a troubadour. But what is a Troubadour? They were important to the genesis of the Cathar mystique for a certainty and the Princeton people I will shortly quote will say that Chrtien was one of the first Troubadours in this region. Cosmic Cow The cow is a mother to mankind whom we should love,respect and protect. Her milk is the life blood for many species, including humans. Shakespeare and Human Nature Isn't it peculiar how human nature evolves through environmental and socialogical conditions? It is evident that we, as Human beings, tend to characterize our capabilities, strengths and emotional intelligence through bonds of society. As we encounter diverse walks of life we have a bizarre and acute tendency to create new personalities. Mexican Living: Myth Busting Myth One: Mexicans are lazy, good-for-nothings.I mention this one first because it is one of the vilest myths and an excellent example of Americans' xenophobic stereotyping. Elvis Presley, Lifting Off He seems to live forever. A network television movie about his life is scheduled for 2005. Conspiracies: The Pyramid and the Sphinx Egypt has long been the source of countless conspiracies, ranging from ancient lost civilizations to extraterrestrial markers. The reason for this focus is likely because Egypt is the most romanticized ancient civilization, and also because it is home to the mystical Great Pyramid of Giza, the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World. Human Cultural Evolution If we think about it at this juncture, clearly there is little to commend this Judaeo/ Christian/Islamic God if he is represented by the people who led this church. Pagans have a far better history and stand foursquare and 'head and shoulders' above this God of this often re-written Bible. Heraldry in the Crafts--Why Not Specialize? I have a small website where I try to sell custom-made lapel buttons. In addition to these made-to-order buttons I also offer several specialty lines of off-the-shelf items and at this time of year I'm usually concerned with one of those lines in particular: Irish heraldic buttons. Return to Ouvea, New Caledonia "Ouvea is everything you'd expect in a South Pacific island. Twenty kilometers of unbroken white sands border the lagoon on the west side of the island and extend far out from shore to give the water a turquoise hue. What is Y Ddraig Goch - the Welsh Red Dragon? The red Dragon was introduced to Britain during Roman times. It is possible that the Romans learned of the dragon from the Persians. Are You Embarassed by Your Civil War Uniform Impression? "Authentic," "authentic," "authentic" is all you hear if you are new or a hard core reenactor. You look all over to find period Civil War Uniform articles. Ancient Indian Civilizations - Where Did They All Go? In 1350 AD we were still quite a few centuries from settling at Plymouth. I have been luckily in that I have found adequate records back to 1200s in my family tree. Better Red than Dead! Red, perhaps the first color our eyes perceive.It is said that people suffering from temporary color-blindness for whatever reason start to perceive red before they can discern any other color. A Look at the Heart of American Beauty Sam Mendes' darkly comic portrayal of suburbia in his first movie, American Beauty (1999) takes a hard look at what happens when you've accomplished the American Dream only to realize that it isn't enough. Lester, the film's anti-hero wakes up one morning deep in a mid life crisis and decides that he wants something more then the life he has carved out for himself and proceeds to search for that something and in the process, disrupts the lives of those around him, particularly his wife Caroline. Garnet is Januarys Birthstone If you're still young enough to remember your birthday, you probably also remember the special birthstone assigned to it. But at your age, we bet you don't really know the SIGNIFICANCE of your birthstone and what power the ancients felt would be bestowed about you by wearing it. Feng Shui Monsters Under Your Bed Good feng shui often requires making wise decisions based on your specific circumstances, rather than blinding following an ideal rule. The feng shui rule for storing things under your bed is "don't do it. Tarot Cards Demystified: The Suit of Cups There are many ways to interpret the symbolism found in Tarot Cards. There are varying points of view that exist about what each card means or represents. Precious Stones - The Big Five: Part 2, The Ruby What fairy tales of enchanted princesses and legendary lore of the Arabian Nights does not the mere mention of the ruby conjure up to our imagination! No stone has been more intimately connected with poetry and romance, and few gems can compare either in beauty or value with a perfect ruby. When Solomon exclaimed that "a virtuous woman was more valuable than rubies," and Job, that "the price of wisdom is above rubies," they both mentioned what to them was the most valuable thing in existence. Flows of Civilization; Views from a Think Tank Over the past few years we have been discussing many topics. Most of what is discussed here has to do with observations of the world we live in.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2007 |
