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World Dracula Day 2025: 7 Creepy Facts About Dracula You've Never Heard
Muskan Kalra
May 26, 2025
The Name 'Dracula' Means 'Son of the Dragon': Vlad's father belonged to the Order of the Dragon, a knightly group, which gave Vlad the nickname Dracula — meaning 'son of the dragon' or 'devil.'
Dracula Was Inspired by a Real Bloodthirsty Prince: Vlad the Impaler, a 15th-century Romanian ruler, was notorious for his brutal methods — including impaling his enemies on stakes.
Dracula's Character Was Partly Inspired by an Austrian Count: Bram Stoker researched an Austrian nobleman named Count Johann Helfried von Dracula, which influenced the aristocratic vampire image.
The Dracula Legend Helped Create the Modern Vampire Myth: Many vampire traits we know today—like transforming into bats or being repelled by crosses—were popularized through Dracula's story.
Bram Stoker Never Visited Transylvania: Despite writing a detailed setting in Transylvania, Stoker never traveled there — he based his descriptions on library research.
The Original Dracula Was Afraid of Garlic: Folk legends and vampire myths often associate garlic with repelling vampires; this was woven into the Dracula lore, but there's no historical evidence Vlad feared it.
Dracula Was One of the First Monsters to Become a Pop Culture Icon: Since the 1920s, Dracula has appeared in hundreds of films, TV shows, and books — making him one of the most famous monsters ever. Read Next Story
