Was Dracula an Orthodox Christian?

Vlad III Dracula

The name of Count Dracula may be familiar to many from the films and books, in which he is portrayed as a gruesome, blood-thirsty vampire. However, the actual person behind this fictional character may have indeed been harsh and otherwise controversial, but likely a lot more humane than the fiction stories would make us think.

Vlad III Basarab, also known by the nickname Dracula in his lifetime and Vlad Tepes posthumously, entered the hall of fame during his second reign of the Dukedom of Wallachia.

He was born in Transylvania, presumably in 1429. He left Romania with his family after a few years to settle in Wallachia, where his father, Vlad II became the Voivode. He acquired the surname Dracul (translated from Romanian as dragon) from his father —  he had joined the Knighthood Order of the Dragon with a mission to sustain and protect the Orthodox faith in its region in the face of Ottoman invasions. Vlad III also became a member of the Order. After the death of his father, he went by the name Draculea (or son of the dragon, in Romanian), and later as Dracula.

The life of Vlad III was anything but easy. Before he became the ruler of Wallachia, he spent his childhood and youth as a hostage at the court of the Ottoman Sultan Murad II, together with his younger brother Radu. They were taught secular sciences and raised as ruthless warriors. His younger brother gave in to the pressure and converted to Islam, while Vlad became even more determined to resist the Turks after his return from captivity.

While his sons were being held hostage in the Ottoman empire, their father was working hard to keep his throne. Nevertheless, the local Boyars overthrew him in 1447 and assassinated him together with his son Mirca, Vlad’s half-brother, amid the wetland wilderness of the present-day Romania. Soon afterwards, Vlad III mounted a campaign for his return to Wallachia. He managed to take the throne in 1448, while Wallachia’s then ruler, Vladislav II, was abroad. Two months later, however, Vladislav returned and regained his throne, and Vlad was forced into exile for eight years. Available historical records suggest that he fled to the King of Hungary, an enemy of the Ottomans, and an opponent of Vladislav II.

It is believed that by allying himself with the King, Vlad III was able to return to Wallachia as its Voivode in 1456. In order to consolidate his power, his first priority was to address the ongoing feud among the different factions of the Wallachian Boyars. It is also assumed that he had already found out by that time which of the Boyars were responsible for the death of his father and half-brother. He invited them to a feast and had them impaled. This gruesome episode went down in history as the Paschal execution.

He subjected to the same fate the Muslim warriors whom he had taken prisoner in the epic battles with the Ottoman empire in 1456, by which time Serbia and Bulgaria had already surrendered, as had Constantinople, and the Romanian dukedoms were the next in line. The encounter with the calculating Count Dracula stalled the progress of the Ottomans. Vlad’s victory was celebrated all over Europe. In the eyes of most civilians, Dracula was a harsh but just ruler, who never feared to stand up for the liberty of his homeland and for the protection of the Orthodox faith, and treated the enemy just as mercilessly as they would treat the locals, by having them impaled. This gruesome reputation for being ruthless to enemies and traitors gave him the nickname Tepes or Impaler in Romanian.

Throughout his second reign, Vlad III engaged extensively in charitable activity and work for the benefit of the Orthodox Church. In 14561461 he donated extensively towards the sustenance of the Orthodox monasteries of Romania and Greece (including the monastery on Mount Athos). He built a church in Târgșoru and established the Comana Monastery near the town of Giurgiu. Dracula was on good terms with Metropolitan Macarius, the bishop of the Wallachian Church who supported Dracula in his war against the Turks. Eventually, this support cost him his episcopacy, when Dracula was succeeded by his brother Radu III the Beautiful, an ally of the Ottoman empire.

Radu the Beautiful

The change of government happened in 1462 when Wallachia was once again invaded by the Turks. Betrayed by his close allies, Vlad III could not put up a strong resistance to Mehmed II, his formidable opponent. As a result, he was forced to flee to Hungary. While in exile there, he was imprisoned for 12 years, charged with being in secret correspondence with the Sultan of Turkey. The evidence on which this charge was based is now considered fake by most present-day historians. He was released from his captivity on condition that he convert to Catholicism and marry the sister of the Hungarian king. There are different explanations as to why a firm proponent of Orthodoxy had agreed to accept these terms. Some believe Dracula had no other choice if he wanted to continue his struggle against the Ottoman empire, deemed to be the main enemy of Christianity at the time. Others see this as a purely opportunistic move. Whatever was the case, Vlad III got back his freedom, married, and had two children.

 

Vlad Dracula’s brother Radu died in 1476. With support from the local Boyars and the Moldovan Voivode Stephan III the Great (later canonised as a saint), Dracula took the throne of his native Wallachia for the third time. 

Vlad III Dracula and Stefan III the Great. Illustration from realdracula.com

However, his third reign was short-lived. Vlad died less than a year later in a battle with the Turks and was laid to rest in a monastic church in Snagov.

 

According to some historians, the gruesome episodes from Vlad Tepes’ biography may be at least partially true, as many are mentioned in the chronicles. Others believe that these accounts are grounded in false and fabricated evidence. Whatever was the case, there is absolutely no historical evidence to support Vlad’s accusations of vampirism. It is quite obvious, therefore, that Bram Stoker, who painted the gruesome image of Dracula in his novel, was inspired by the legend surrounding his name, and had little in common with historical truth.

One of many monuments to Vlad III Tepes in Romania
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  1. always interesting to read these accounts that we do not hear of in the West. St Lazar the Great Martyr and the battle of Kosovo comes to mind as well. It also a testimony to the miracle of Orthodoxy that is has survived being crushed between Islam and the Catholics for a staggering amount of time. Glory to God for all things.

    1. When I see the words “the West”. I would like to ask “How far West”? Here in Texas I have worked most of my life, beginning at the age of btw. 12 and 13, to investigating and setting the record straight, and clearing the name of, Prince Vlad Tepes (Dracula); I could truthfully say that Dracula, in the historical sense, has supporters in the cities of Comanche TX (where I grew up), and also in Austin and San Antonio; I was surprised to find there were many people in San Antonio who knew of Dracula in the real context and had the same thoughts about him that I did. I was delighted to hear kind words being said about this individual, in contrast to the maligning and disrespect that has usually been the norm. — Cheryl B. Montoya, San Antonio TX; remember the Alamo!

      1. Cheryl B, firstly, that’s awesome!

        When I say ‘in the West’ I take it to generally refer to a mindset in Western Europe and North America that grew out of the Enlightenment age, with its roots going back to the renaissance. A way to bisect the world where materialistic philosophy comes to dominate.

        Cheers and keep up the good work!

        God bless

        -kevin

    1. Yes, Wallachia is located in what is now Romania, so it’s better to generalize. Thank you!

  2. Thank you for the article about Vlad Tepes. He was a great King and these days we need one exactly like him. I pray to God to give us one good and an honest president who can rule the Romanian country as Vlad Tepes did. He was a fighter for Christianity against the Ottomans who could take over the hall Europe if the Romanians did not keep fighting for their liberty and Orthodox faith. There are some mistakes but some Romanians don’t know very well their history, then you did great. Thank you, again.

    1. Thank you! If you notice any inaccuracies in the article, please tell us. So together we will make the material more truthful.

    2. Thank you for the kind words you used in reference to Dracula/Vlad Tepes; I could be wrong, but most likely the only other place Dracula, in the historical sense, is spoken or written about with honor and respect is in Texas; I have worked to set the record straight and defend this individual’s case since I was a young teenager growing up in Comanche, Texas, though these efforts have continued in Austin and San Antonio. There are many similarities in Texas and Romanian history, especially when Dracula/Vlad Tepes, is factored in. Among some of my friends and relatives, he is considered to be an honorary, latter-day, Texas hero. — Cheryl B. Montoya, San Antonio TX

  3. Excelent article! I would only add that the Romanian spelling of his epithet is Țepeș, being pronounced Tsepesh or Цэпэш.

    Besides that, in great part the bad name of Vlad Țepeș in the West was due to German propaganda, through popular literature that included drawings of him taking lunch while impaled prisoners agonized. Such gruesome narratives served as an excuse for the Germans having refused military alliance with Vlad, while being immediate beneficiaries of his resistance, as well the whole Western Europe.

    As for Bran Stoker’s horror fiction, it would seem he merged the gruesome image of Vlad Țepeș with the Romanian folk myth of the strigoi, who were dead people coming out of their tombs. So far I can tell you, all that stuff like killing them with a wood stake trespassing the heart was part of Romanian folk beliefs.

    Tye Romanian Molitfelnic (their Book of Needs or Trebnik) even includes in the rite of Confession a question about believing in strigoi, which is considered a sin. This is evidence of how spread is this belief, even today, and how it should have made a strong impression on Bran Stoker, as much as incorporaring it in his fictional work.

  4. Hello,

    I am a student currently working on a research paper regarding Vlad Tepes and his personal relationship with and views on Christianity. I am having trouble finding resources regarding his personal faith and came upon your blog post. I am wondering if you have any official or unofficial sources regarding Vlad Tepes, his views on religion, and his personal faith. I tried sending a message directly on the site but there was an error message. I have included my school email below–thank you in advance for any and all help!

  5. Thank you for your work on Vlad. I have done a lot of reading on this mighty Voivode. After sifting through it all my intuition and instincts tell me that he was a leader who loved God and his country and would do anything for it. I may not be from Romania, but Vlad will always be a historical hero to me.

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