Scientists in Italy and Israel have analysed specks of biological material left on three letters written by Vlad the Impaler, which suggest that the real Dracula might have suffered from a condition known as hemolacria, which would cause his tears to be mixed with blood1.
Romanian prince Vlad III of Wallachia, popularly known as Vlad Dracula, is famous for his aversion to sunlight – a trait that gave rise to vampire legends. Like many myths, vampirism is partly based on fact; specifically, a rare blood disorder called porphyria.
Porphyria is an incurable genetic disease, the symptoms of which align perfectly with those ascribed to vampires. Sufferers shun bright light because it irritates their skin and hurts their eyes.
According to a new study by researchers from the University of Catania, Vlad III Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler, suffered from hemolacria, a condition that causes a person to produce tears that are partially composed of blood.
They said the data they found suggests Vlad could have suffered from respiratory issues, and perhaps even a condition called hemolacria, which would have caused him to shed tears of blood. Other proteins found indicate he could have been exposed to certain plague-related bacteria or fruit flies.
It is suspected that prince Vlad suffered an erythropoiethic porphiria, which could be the reason for the development of certain peculiar characteristics of the vampires.
However, Florescu and McNally also point out that there are two sides to Dracula's personality: “One is that of the demented psychopath, the torturer and inquisitor who turns to piety to liberate his conscience.
Other proteins are found in the blood, including one which is also involved in tear-making. It was this latter finding, in part, which led Cunsolo and co-workers to conclude that Dracula may have cried tears of blood – which would be consistent with some historical accounts.
Complications of the disorder can make skin pale and shrink gums, which can make teeth look bigger. Garlic and sunlight can worsen the symptoms, so people with porphyria might avoid it – a habit some people attributed to vampirism.
Dracula requires no other sustenance but fresh human blood, which has the effect of rejuvenating him and allowing him to grow younger. His power is drawn from the blood of others, and he cannot survive without it.
'' In the novel, Renfield blasphemously echoes this concept when he avows, ''The blood is the life!'' He refers not to Christ's blood, but to that of the live animals he eats in hopes of increasing his power. Consuming human blood gives vampires fortification and youthfulness but in a damning and demonic sense.
In 1476, while marching to yet another battle with the Ottomans, Vlad and a small vanguard of soldiers were ambushed, and Vlad was killed and beheaded — by most reports, his head was delivered to Mehmed II in Constantinople as a trophy to be displayed above the city's gates.
Garlic, specifically the chemical compound allicin inside garlic, is a powerful antibiotic. Some European beliefs around vampires stated they were created by a disease of the blood, so a powerful antibiotic would “kill” a vampire.
The fact that Dracula particularly targeted female victims adds a sexual element to the mix and may connote the spread of syphilis, one of the huge infectious threats of the era. Dracula's prized victim, Lucy Westenra, in particular, becomes a “carrier” as she spreads the “vampire epidemic” by biting children.
Specifically, Dracula was bound by three distinct limitations: the vampire can't enter a residence without being invited inside, he can't stand direct sunlight or else it will destroy him, and Dracula especially fears the cross and recoils in its presence.
Famous cases have been linked to porphyria, such as Prince William of Gloucester, a paternal cousin of the present British Queen Elizabeth II. As such he also descended from King George III. Historians long hypothesized that his madness may have been due to an undiagnosed family history of porphyria.
These disorders are usually inherited, meaning they are caused by gene mutations link passed from parents to children. If you have porphyria, cells fail to change chemicals in your body—called porphyrins and porphyrin precursors—into heme, the substance that gives blood its red color.
The treatment goal for acute attacks of acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is to decrease heme synthesis and reduce the production of porphyrin precursors. High doses of glucose can inhibit heme synthesis and are useful for treatment of mild attacks.
Also known as Vlad III, Vlad Dracula (son of the Dragon), and—most famously—Vlad the Impaler (Vlad Tepes in Romanian), he was a brutal, sadistic leader famous for torturing his foes.
Count Dracula is the antagonist of Dracula. He is motivated by the need to feed on the blood of others, especially young women. He desires to spread his power beyond his Transylvanian castle by invading England and creating more vampires.
However, in Dracula, he is completely different: an extremely unstable wreck who shows signs of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, such as delusions of grandeur and violent reaction to criticism. We first meet Van Helsing when he is tasked to help a very sick young lady named Lucy Westenra.
Dracula is described as an expert scholar with immense knowledge in many scientific fields, including alchemy. After becoming a vampire, he became a master of sorcery and necromancy.
Accounts say that he impaled mothers with their babies on the same stake. He even boiled and skinned people alive. Impaled victims were arranged in concentric circles on the outskirts of the cities where they could be viewed by all.
