13 Historical Figures And True Stories That Directly Inspired Dracula

Over the years, many scholars have come to believe that Vlad Dracula, a 15th-century Romanian prince, was the primary inspiration for Stoker's Dracula. Although other theories have also been put forth, one thing that is for certain is that Vlad was an evil man and a bloodthirsty ruler. In fact, his thirst for murder and torture earned him the title Vlad the Impaler.

He was particularly fond of making enemy soldiers straddle spikes, which - when their leg muscles eventually gave out - would impale them. However, his murderous methods didn’t stop there. He was also known for boiling victims alive, feeding them to animals, and flaying them. It’s even reported that Vlad used these deadly procedures on innocent people, including women and children. 

Elizabeth Bathory was a Hungarian countess who would come to be known as one of the first vampires in history. In addition to a deeply disturbing sadomasochistic streak, she believed drinking and bathing in the blood of young girls would keep her looking youthful. Her beliefs led the countesses on a bloody rampage, which resulted in the deaths of over 650 young women.

All of the tactics she used to kill and torture her victims were gruesome. She would slice, prod, burn, and beat her victims while they lived to collect their blood. She enjoyed mutilating their bodies, and it’s reported that she derived sexual gratification from her murders. This also included using her teeth to make lacerations on the breasts and genitals of her victims.   

Dacre Stoker, the famed author's great-grandnephew, was invited to Sligo, Ireland, by the local Bram Stoker Society, where he confirmed a cholera epidemic in town in 1832 inspired the story of Dracula. Bran Stoker's mother, Charlotte, grew up in Sligo.

According to Dacre Stoker, when his great-granduncle's mother moved to France, Bram Stoker asked her to write down what she remembered from the premature burials in Sligo during the cholera outbreak and send them to him, confirming he must have used the accounts to inspire his tale of the undead.  

Burial records from Sligo in 1832 are seven pages longer than the years prior. According to historian Dr. Fiona Gallagher, anywhere from 700 to 1,000 people perished within a six-day period, most of whom suffered a fever in the hospital. To prevent spreading the disease, people were buried right away - some before they'd actually passed. 

When Bram Stoker was sick as a child, his mother reportedly told him stories about what happened in Sligo. During his visit to Sligo, Dacre Stoker presented a storyboard at St John's Cathedral in Sligo, where some of the infected were laid to rest. 

In 1885, author Emily Gerard published an essay explaining Transylvanian folklore. The essay, titled Transylvania Superstitions, spoke about Nosferatu and vampires in full detail. It mentions that there are two types of vampires: those who are "illegitimate offspring" and those bitten and turned into vampires. Her essay goes into detail regarding a vampire’s lust for blood, and she describes the gruesome method of killing a vampire. This involves exorcisms, decapitation, and using a stake or burning the heart.

Published before Dracula, Transylvania Superstitions was a significant influence on Stoker who studied it thoroughly before creating Dracula. 

According to Scottish mythology, baobhan sith - or the White Women of the Scottish Highlands - were beautiful female fairies with vampire-like tendencies. In the tales, a baobhan sith would rise from the grave to feed at night. She would use her enchanting appearance to seduce her victims, which were usually traveling men. Using her alluring spell, the baobhan sith would puncture or slit the neck of her victim with her sharp talons. She would then suck out every drop of blood from the victim and leave his withered corpse behind before crawling back to her grave.

The baobhan sith would only hunt during late hours when the sun was down because they couldn’t tolerate the sunlight. Obviously, these folk tales predate Stoker's toothy menace.

A gothic novella that predates Stoker’s Dracula is the 1872 story Carmilla, by Irish writer Sheridan le Fanu. In fact, Carmilla  is one of the earliest examples of vampire fiction, and it's the first lesbian vampire story ever written.

The story follows a female vampire named Carmilla and her lust for blood - as well as sexual pleasantries - from female victims. Carmilla is described as an unnatural beauty who can also transform into a black cat. After she seduces her female victims, she either kills them immediately to feed on, or she keeps them alive to continuously feed. The story is dark and filled with many sexual scenarios and gruesome murders. It was a major influence on Bram Stoker.