05 March 2008

Dracula Castle vs. Bran Castle

I found this video clip about Bran Castle on the Internet. Let's try to analyze it carefully and see where it's true and what are the mistakes, if there are any.



First, it begins with Beethoven's 9th symphony, I like it. Now let's go to the subject:
- "Bran Castle is often named Dracula's Castle" - true. Romania proudly presents Bran as Dracula's Castle but there are other places more closely connected with the history of Vlad III Dracula.

- "First attestation in 1377" - seems to be true, see my other post here about how Bran Castle looked like in the middle ages

- "built on a rock" - indeed, the Castle is erected on a rock between the mountains.

- "Vlad Tepes protected his people from invaders and fight for justice". Well, he indeed he protected Wallachia and he did it very well. And declaratively fought for justice; but what kind of justice is that when he killed innocent kids after killing them parents, just to avoid revenge ?

- Vlad III was well known for the punishment he adopted: the impalement. True. This was not the only method, but maybe his favorite. And the psichological impact over the people is very very powerfull. In fact in romanian ŢEAPA means pale and Ţepeş means the impaler.

- Almost any crime from lying and stealing to killing could be punished by imaplement. TRUE. and any potential political rival could be punished the same.

- Dracula used various methods of torture, including cutting the limbs, blinding, strangulation...burning, cutting the nose, etc - true. But there is another reason beneath these tortures: Physical integrity was a must for acceding to the Wallachian throne, therefore some of the political rivals were being mutilated just to became unable to seize the throne anymore (during the history we met some exceptions from this rule however).

- Death by impalement was slow and painfull - true. Sometime I might post another...well...post, only about this. Vital organs where not affected directly so it could last for days and days. Dying usually happened by thirsty.

- Vlad Tepes was killed by Laiota Basarab and died in a forest near Bucharest - not entirely true: we don't know who killed Vlad , there are three possible reasons for his death. Indeed, he died somehere near Bucharest.

- In this forest there is a lake called "witches". Here is always foggy and thunder and lightning hits forest frequently. Animals never touch the water and people talk about a lot of strange things that happened in past times. Officialy there is no lake with this name, at least as far as I know. About the fog, thunders and the rest, this is still to be proved.

- We need a new leader for our people to fight for justice- That's absolutely TRUE.

The last two minutes are really beautiful and I prefer not to ruin them with my commets.
Overall the video is really nice and I have to thank the author for posting it.

3 comments:

Shanti said...

Radu, sunt autoarea video-ului Dracula. Chiar daca unele chestii le contesti - prin lipsa unor date exacte ci doar pt ca exista mai multe variante cu privire la... - ei bine, iti multumesc pentru ca munca mea nu a ramas indiferenta nimanui (este a 4-a oara cand materialele mele sunt comentate prin diverse locuri si chiar you tube mi-a postat pe featured un video). Asta ma bucura pt ca sunt novice in bransa si ceea ce fac cu pasiune. Despre Dracula am studiat si am preferat forma care o vezi numai pentru motivul de a nu prelungi un mit care n-are nici o legatura cu realitatea. Trist este insa ca la Castel s-ar putea face mult mai multe, lipseste total atractia turistica. Maretia ramane arhitectura, interiorul nu misca aproape cu nimic. Pare pustiu, nici macar spaima nu induce. Pacat de acest monument ce ar putea fi un important punct de atractie pentru straini care, in afara de dracula, au mai auzit de ceausescu, nadia, nastase si hagi - la asta se limiteaza "Romania" pentru lumea in care traim!

Radu said...

Lory,

Nu stiu daca ti-am raspuns deja, dar ...in primul rand multumesc pentru mesaj.
In tot ceea ce gasesc referitor la Vlad III incerc sa fiu foarte critic, de aceea sunt date pe care le-am supus unei analize mai atente.
Ma bucura cand cineva imi scrie pentru ca si la mine ceea ce fac, fac doar din pasiune, nu incerc sa vand nimic, decat sa aduc un pic de claritate in subiectul "Dracula".

Din nou, multumesc mult pt comentariu !
Radu

Shanti said...

Ma bucur si eu ca mi-ai raspuns si ceea ce ma impresioneaza cel mai mult la tine este ca esti deschis la comunicare. Lucru rar intalnit astazi. Te felicit!

Munca pe care o faci din pasiune iti da intr-adevar o satisfactie, chiar daca majoritatea nu ti-o apreciaza. Am inceput sa inteleg destul de tarziu ca atunci cand esti bun, esti remarcabil, lumea aparent te ignora dar in fapt iti urmareste indeaproape rezultatul muncii. Asta am constatat pe pielea mea. Deseori am crezut ca nu intereseaza pe nimeni ce fac si ulterior, cand am vrut sa las totul balta, am aflat ca toti ma urmareau din umbra si din cauza ca prestam excelent pareau ca ma ignora. Interesant, nu? Asta mi-a dat curaj sa merg mai departe si iti doresc si tie multa bafta. Daca crezi in ceea ce faci, merita. Important este ca tie sa nu-ti fie rusine de ceea ce faci. Sper sa ne mai auzim. Eu nu prea sunt acomodata cu bloggerul asta, asa ca nu stiu cum sa tinem legatura. Am alte site-uri pe care le vizitez aproape zilnic, pe asta cred ca n-am mai fost de prin februarie. Oricum, daca tu stii mai multe poate imi dai un semn. O primavara minunata in suflet, inima si in jurul tau.

Lory