(1) The Golden Cup 
  Dracula was known throughout his land for his fierce insistence on honesty and order.
Thieves seldom dared practice their trade within Dracula's domain -- they knew that the
stake awaited any who were caught. Dracula was so confident in the effectiveness of his
law that he placed a golden cup on display in the central square of Tirgoviste. The cup 
was never stolen and remained entirely unmolested throughout Dracula's reign. 

     (2) The Foreign Merchant 
  A merchant from a foreign land once visited Dracula's capital of Tirgoviste. Aware of 
the reputation of Dracula's land for honesty, he left a treasure-laden cart unguarded 
in the street over night. Returning to his wagon in the morning, the merchant was 
shocked to find 160 golden ducats missing. When the merchant complained of his loss to
the prince, Dracula assured him that his money would be returned and invited him to 
remain in the palace that night. Dracula then issued a proclamation to the city -- find 
the thief and return the money or the city will be destroyed. During the night he 
ordered that 160 ducats plus one extra be taken from his own treasury and placed in the 
merchant's cart. On returning to his cart in the morning and counting his money the 
merchant discovered the extra ducat. The merchant returned to Dracula and reported that 
his money had indeed been returned plus an extra ducat. Meanwhile the thief had been 
captured and turned over to the prince's guards along with the stolen money. Dracula 
ordered the thief impaled and informed the merchant that if he had not reported the 
extra ducat he would have been impaled alongside the thief. 

     (3) The Two Monks 
  There are several versions of this anecdote. In some the two monks were from a Catholic
monastery in Wallachia or wandering Catholic monks from a foreign land. In either case
Catholic monks would be viewed as representatives of a foreign power by Dracula. In
other versions of the story the monks were from a Romanian Orthodox establishment (the
native church of Wallachia). Dracula's motivation also varies considerably among the
different versions of the story. 
          
  All versions of the story agree that two monks visited Dracula in his palace at 
Tirgoviste.  Curious to see the reaction of the churchmen, Dracula showed them the 
rows of impaled corpses in the courtyard. When asked their opinions of his actions by 
the prince, one of the monks responded, 'You are appointed by God to punish evil- doers.
' The other monk had the moral courage to condemn the cruel prince. In the version of 
the story most common in the German pamphlets, Dracula rewarded the sycophantic monk 
and impaled the honest monk. In the version found in the Russian pamphlets and in the 
Romanian verbal tradition Dracula rewarded the honest monk for his integrity and courage
and impaled the sycophant for his dishonesty. 

     (4) The Polish Nobleman 
  Benedict de Boithor, a Polish nobleman in the service of the King of Hungary, visited
Dracula at Tirgoviste in September of 1458. At dinner one evening Dracula ordered a
golden spear brought and set up directly in from of the royal envoy. Dracula then asked 
the envoy why he thought this spear had been set up. Benedict replied that he imagined 
that some boyar had offended the prince and that Dracula intended to honor him. Dracula 
then responded that he had, in fact, had the spear set up in honor of his noble, Polish 
guest.  The Pole then responded that had he done anything to deserve death that Dracula 
should do as he thought best. He further asserted that in that case Dracula would not 
be responsible for his death, rather he would be responsible for his own death for 
incurring the displeasure of the prince. Dracula was greatly pleased by this answer and 
showered the man with gifts while declaring that had he answered in any other manner he 
would have been immediately impaled. 

     (5) The Foreign Ambassadors 
  There are at least two versions of this story in the literature. As with the story of 
the two monks, one version is common in the German pamphlets and views Dracula's actions
unfavorably while the other version is common in eastern Europe and sees Dracula's
actions in a much more favorable light. In both versions ambassadors of a foreign power
visit Dracula's court at Tirgoviste. When granted an audience with the prince the envoys
refused to remove their hats as was the custom when in the presence of the prince in
Wallachia. Angered at this sign of disrespect Dracula had the ambassadors' hats nailed 
to their heads so that they might never remove them. 
           
  In the German version of the story the envoys are Florentine and refused to remove their
hats to demonstrate their superiority. When Dracula asked the ambassadors why they
wouldn't remove their hats they responded that such was not their custom and that they
wouldn't remove their hats, even for the Holy Roman emperor. Dracula immediately had
their hats nailed to their heads so that they might never come off and had the
ambassadors ejected from his court. In Germany and the West, where the concept of
diplomatic immunity was at least given lip service, this was held to be an act of 
barbarity against the representatives of a friendly power. 
          
  In the version of the story common in the east, the envoys are Turkish. When ushered
into the presence of the prince, the Turks refused to remove their Phrygian caps. 
When questioned they answered that it was not the custom of their fathers to remove 
their hats.  Dracula then ordered their hats nailed to their heads with three nails so 
that they might never have to break such an excellent tradition. The envoys were then 
sent back to the sultan. In the east this was held to bee a courageous act of defiance 
in the face of the power of the Ottoman sultan. It should also be noted that the nailing
of hats to the heads of those who displeased a monarch was not an unknown act in eastern 
Europe. Apparently this method was occasionally used by the princes of Moscow when faced 
by unpleasant envoys. 

     (6) Dracula's Mistress 
  Dracula once had a mistress who lived in a house in the back streets of Tirgoviste. 
This woman apparently loved the prince to distraction and was always anxious to please 
him.  Dracula was often moody and depressed and the woman made every effort to lighten 
her lover's burdens. Once, when Dracula was particularly depressed, the woman dared tell
him a lie in an effort to cheer him up; she told him that she was with child. Dracula 
warned the woman not to joke about such matters but she insisted on the truth of her 
claim despite her knowledge of the prince's feelings about dishonesty. Dracula had the 
woman examined by the bath matrons to determine the veracity of her claim. When informed
that the woman was lying Dracula drew his knife and cut her open from the groin to her 
breasts while proclaiming his desire for the world to see where he had been. Dracula 
then left the woman to die in agony. 

     (7) The Lazy Woman 
  Dracula once noticed a man working in the fields while wearing a too short caftan. The
prince stopped and asked the man whether or not he had a wife. When the man answered
in the affirmative Dracula had the woman brought before him and asked her how she spent
her days. The poor, frightened woman stated that she spent her days washing, baking and
sewing. The prince pointed out her husband's short caftan as evidence of her laziness 
and dishonesty and ordered her impaled despite her husband's protestations that he was 
well satisfied with his wife. Dracula then ordered another woman to marry the peasant 
but admonished her to work hard or she would suffer her predecessor's fate. 

     (8) The Nobleman with the Keen Sense of Smell 
  On St. Bartholomew's Day in 1459 Dracula caused thirty thousand of the merchants and
nobles of the Transylvanian city of Brasov to be impaled. In order that he might better 
enjoy the results of his orders, the prince commanded that his table be set up and that 
his boyars join him for a feast amongst the forest of impaled corpses. While dining, 
Dracula noticed that one of his boyars was holding his nose in an effort to alleviate 
the terrible smell of clotting blood and emptied bowels. Dracula then ordered the 
sensitive nobleman impaled on a stake higher than all the rest so that he might be 
above the stench. 
           
  In another version of this story the sensitive nobleman is an envoy of the Transylvanian
cities of Brasov and Sibiu sent to appeal to the cruel Wallachian to spare those cities.
While hearing the nobleman's appeal Dracula walked amongst the stakes and their grisly
burdens. Some of the victims still lived. Nearly overcome by the smell of drying blood 
and human wastes the nobleman asked the prince why he walked amidst the awful stench.
Dracula then asked the envoy if he found the stench oppressive. The envoy, seeing an
opportunity to ingratiate himself with Dracula, responded that his only concern was for 
the health and welfare of the prince. Dracula, angered at the nobleman's dishonesty 
ordered him impaled on the spot on a very high stake so that he might be above the 
offending odors. 

     (9) The Burning of the Sick and Poor 
  Dracula was very concerned that all his subjects work and contribute to the common
welfare. He once noticed that the poor, vagrants, beggars and cripples had become very
numerous in his land. Consequently, he issued an invitation to all the poor and sick in
Wallachia to come to Tirgoviste for a great feast, claiming that no one should go hungry
in his land. As the poor and crippled arrived in the city they were ushered into a great
hall where a fabulous feast was prepared for them. The prince's guests ate and drank 
late into the night, when Dracula himself made an appearance. 'What else do you desire? 
Do you want to be without cares, lacking nothing in this world,' asked the prince. When 
they responded positively Dracula ordered the hall boarded up and set on fire. None 
escaped the flames. Dracula explained his action to the boyars by claiming that he did 
this, 'in order that they represent no further burden to other men so that no one will 
be poor in my realm.'

Evidence Vampire Myth