Medieval politics, full of assassinations and betrayal, was not for the faint of heart. But even within that landscape, one man stands out for his cruelty: Vlad the Impaler, prince of Wallachia, the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Count Dracula. This episode examines the real person behind the legend and the world that made him.
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Today
Recent Discoveries in the Ancient Americas: Professor Shane Miller Returns
Every year, new archaeological discoveries claim to rewrite what we think we knew about the ancient Americas, but how much can we trust the initial reports we see? Professor Shane Miller, now of the University of Alabama, joins me again to place the White Sands footprints and oth ... Show More
52m 41s
Jan 1
Interview with Professor Tom Birkett on "Runes: A Concise History"
Runic writing carries connotations of magic and fantasy, but it was a widespread, useful, and long-lasting system of writing. Professor Tom Birkett has written a fantastic overview of runic writing that returns it to the real time and place in which it existed - Runes: A Concise ... Show More
42m 48s
Aug 2008
Vlad Tepes: Who was the real Count Dracula?
<p>Vlad Tepes, a 15th-century Wallachian prince, was the notoriously blood-thirsty basis for Dracula, Bram Stoker's classic gothic horror character. Check out our HowStuffWorks article to learn more about Vlad Tepes.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https: ... Show More
10m 2s
Dec 2021
Vlad, el Empalador. El príncipe que inspiró un mito
Vlad III, señor de Valaquia en el siglo XV, pasó a la historia
tanto por su resistencia a ultranza contra los turcos en la actual Rumania como por sus cruentos castigos; cuatro siglos después, su nombre quedaría asociado a una de las grandes obras de la literatura universal, la ... Show More
13m 14s
