Transylvania, Dracula and Hollywood

Thanks to the love Hollywood has for high drama and cheep thrills, for many, Transylvania became synonymous with the land of the vampires. Some do not even know if it is a real place or just a legend that inspired Halloween costumes. So for the ones out there:

Know this

Transylvania is very real and it has been so for well over two thousand years. Transylvania represents 1/3 of today’s Romania and it has always been part of Romania despite unfounded claims to the contrary.

The historically attested proof of the Kingdom of Dacia dates from the beginning of the 2-nd Century BC and reached its maximum extent and glory during the rule of Burebista.

Transylvania was the political center of Dacia, the cradle of the Romanian culture, its very first and most important bastion. Transylvania's capital was Sarmizegetuza whose ruins are still visible around today’s city of Hunedoara.

The expansion of the Roman Empire towards Eastern territories reached Dacia at the beginning of the 1-st Century A.D. and Emperor Traian became the conqueror starting in the year of 101 – 102 and than returned in 105 – 106 when the Romanization of the local population began. Dacia had enormous natural resources – from gold mines, to salt mines, from some of the most fertile terrains in Europe to the best honey, mineral waters and so on.

The Roman legions never left the conquered territory of Dacia and only extended its domination reaching all the way to the Black Sea and establishing the city of Pontus Euxin its Latin name or Tomis – by its Greek name (today known as Constanta). In that remote part of the world the prolific poet Publius Ovidius Naso – also known as Ovid was exiled by the Emperor Augustus.

Transylvania is one of the three regions that together with Moldavia and Walachia form the country of Romania (the name itself comes from Rome) and the language is one of the 5 Romance languages (Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian). The Romanian language is the closest to Latin and the only one that is still using the ablative, while preserving most of the original meanings of Latin words.

The name Transylvaia on itself is proof enough of its Latin origins that have never been abandoned through its tormented history: trans - Latin word for "across" or "beyond" and silva - Latin word for "forest" or "woods" hence Transylvania - beyond the forest.

Back to Transylvania now

For less than 200 years Transylvania was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and this fact created a controversy that is still going on today. The annexation was real BUT only temporary and the continuity of the Romanian presence and its people in Transylvania as well as the Romance language they always used is undeniable.

The unfounded claims that have been proven wrong by reputable historians from allover the world, and have been documented by the Library of The Vatican are still inflaming passions and endless discussions.

For Hungary to make any claims about Transylvania as being part of its territory or culture is just as absurd as it will be for England to claim India or for Germany to claim Poland as being part of their territory.

Here comes Hollywood

In 1897, Bram Stoker wrote a gothic horror novel about “Dracula” using Transylvania as a setting. The ever “blood thirsty” Hollywood found a gold mine and the vampires became a never ending source of horror stories.

Dracula as a real persona

Born in Transylvania, in the city of Sighisoara in 1431, Vlad Tepes came from a family of prominent rulers of Walachia, his grandfather being Mircea the Elder who fought the Turks and kept them south of the Danube. Vlad’s father was vested into the Order of the Dragon and took an oath to fight the Turks as well. Dragon is translated into Romanian as Dracula – hence the name, but it also means evil and some of the methods of punishment that Vlad Tepes ordered and were performed by his followers, are indeed considered as evil, although grossly exaggerated by legend.

Vlad Tepes, also know by the name Vlad Dracula or Vlad the Impaler ruled with an iron fist between 1456 and 1462; his primary concern was to keep the Turks out of Walachia and restore order in his Kingdome. He was known as being fair to his loyal people but unforgiving to his enemies, especially the Turks. His actions were justified by the good intention of re-establishing order and honesty, while routing out disloyalty and treasonous behavior.

The punishment of choice was impalement (a method introduced by the Turks and used primarily by the Ottoman Empire) and that made his reputation as a brutal ruler grow even stronger. Whether we believe it or not that Vlad had a sadistic nature, one thing is for sure; he kept the Turks from reaching Vienna and for that alone the Austro-Hungarian Empire should be grateful to him and his ancestors.

Dracula’s castle in Bran is about 30 miles from Brasov and about 200 miles from Bucharest and is one of the most visited places in Romania by foreign tourist; that brings money to Romania and we do not mind it a bit. And for that matter we don’t mind Hollywood for keeping its distorted legend about vampires alive, as long as it re-enforces the truth about Transylvania being part of Romania for centuries.

It has always been part of Romania and it will forever be.