Was Paul Bunyan a real person? Was Sherlock Holmes based on a real person? Was Jim Crow a Real Person? Was there a real Mother Goose? Was Magellan the first person to circumnavigate the globe? A wrought-iron dragon hangs above the entrance. The ground floor of the house serves as a restaurant, while the first floor is home to the Museum of Weapons.
Located at the foot of the Bargau Mountains, not far from the Borgo Pass Pasul Tihuta in Romanian which connects the provinces of Transylvania and Moldavia, the town of Bistrita is one of the oldest in the region.
Archeological findings indicate that the area has been inhabited since the Neolithic age, long before Bram Stocker chose it as the setting of his fictional Dracula's castle. Saxon colonists, who settled here in , helped develop the town into a flourishing medieval trading post. First mentioned in as Villa Bistiche, the name was later changed to Civitas Bysterce. Today, the old town's quaint 15th and 16th century merchants' houses, the remains of the 13th century fortress walls and a generally unhurried pace have preserved some of Bistrita's medieval atmosphere.
Borgo Pass Bargau in Romanian , made famous in the opening chapter of Bram Stoker's Dracula, is an oft-trod passageway through the Carpathian Mountains in northern Transylvania. Located near the small township of Tihuta, the pass peaks at 3, feet. The Bargau Valley encompasses some of the most beautiful unspoiled mountain scenery in the Carpathians with picturesque traditional villages located in valleys and on hillsides, ideal bases for hiking, riding or discovering their vivid tapestry of old customs, handicrafts and folklore.
Here, you will step into a realm that the fictional Mina Harker described in her diary as "a lovely county; full of beauties of all imaginable kinds, and the people are brave, and strong, and simple, and seem full of nice qualities.
Vlad Tepes was born in in the fortress city of Sighisoara. His father, Vlad Dacul, was the military governor of Transylvania and had become a member of the Order of the Dragon a year before. The Order, similar to the Order of the Teutonic Knights, was a semi-military and religious organization established in in Rome in order to promote Catholic interests and crusades.
For his deeds, the Order of the Dragon was bestowed upon him, hence the title Dracul the Latin word for dragon is draco. While in medieval lure dragons served as symbols of independence, leadership, strength and wisdom, the biblical association of the devil with the serpent that tempted Adam and Eve gave the snake-like dragon connotations of evil. Thus, the Romanian word Dracul stands in English for both dragon and devil.
Moreover, the ceremonial uniform of the Order — black cloak over red accouterment — was Bram Stocker' source of inspiration for Count Dracula's look. But how did Bram Stoker's story turn into a myth? A partial explanation is provided by the circumstances under which the book was written and received. A genuine epidemic of "vampirism" had hit Eastern Europe at the end of the 17th century and continued throughout the 18th century.
The number of reported cases soared dramatically, especially in the Balkans. Travelers returning from the East would tell stories about the undead, which helped keep the interest in vampires alive. Western philosophers and artists tackled the issue ever more often. Bram Stoker's novel came as the pinnacle of a long series of works based on tales coming from the East.
Back then, most readers were certain that the novel had been inspired by real facts and that its story was perhaps just a bit romanticized. Dracula is more than years old and still alive!
Of course, almost everybody has heard about this Nosferatu: through movies featuring Max Schreck, Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee or Gary Oldman; in several books, including the recent Vampire Chronicles of Anne Rice, or even in bedtime stories told to us in our childhood. We all have an idea of who or what the Count is. However, on the other hand, Vlad Tepes Dracula , the historical figure who inspired Bram Stoker's novel, is definitely less well-known.
Vlad Tepes was born in December in the fortress of Sighisoara, Romania. Vlad's father, governor of Transylvania, had been inducted into the Order of the Dragon about one year before. The order — which could be compared to the Knights of the Hospital of St. John or even to the Teutonic Order of Knights — was a semi-military and religious society, originally created in by the Holy Roman Emperor and his second wife, Barbara Cilli. The main goal of such a secret fraternal order of knights was to protect the interests of Christianity and to crusade against the Turks.
The boyars of Romania associated the dragon with the Devil and decided to call Vlad's father "Dracul," which in the Romanian language means "Devil;" "Dracula" is a diminutive, meaning "the son of the Devil.
Vlad followed his father and lived six years at the princely court. Vlad was held there until This Turkish captivity surely played an important role in Dracula's upbringing; it must be at this period that he adopted a very pessimistic view of life and learned the Turkish method of impalement on stakes. The Turks set Vlad free after informing him of his father's assassination in He also learned about his older brother's death and how he had been tortured and buried alive by the boyars of Targoviste.
When he was 17 years old, Vlad Tepes Dracula , supported by a force of Turkish cavalry and a contingent of troops lent to him by Pasha Mustafa Hassan, made his first major move toward seizing the Walachian throne. Vlad became the ruler of Walachia in July of During his six-year reign, he committed many cruelties, hence establishing his controversial reputation.
His first major act of revenge was aimed at the boyars of Targoviste for not being loyal to his father. On Easter Sunday of what we believe to be , he arrested all the boyar families who had participated at the princely feast. He impaled the older ones on stakes while forcing the others to march from the capital to the town of Poenari. Mavis tries to say if only Vlad could meet Johnny, but Dracula assures her that it would have not worked out, and it's best that they never meet.
Mavis finally asks her father if he himself is okay with her marrying a human. Dracula smiles and assures her that as long as she is happy it doesn't matter who or what she marries. The wedding ends with Dracula singing a song to Mavis and Johnny and officially giving his blessing to them.
One year later after Mavis and Johnny are married, Dracula is in his room painting a monster named Todd when Mavis and Johnny walk into the room. Dracula tells Todd to take a break and puts the paint supplies and easel away and greets Johnny and Mavis.
Johnny brings up that Mavis would like to fly with him. Dracula agrees and quickly jumps off the balcony with Mavis transforming into bats. Mavis and Dracula begin to fly around together and start playing a game of hide-and-seek in the clouds.
Dracula quickly finds Mavis out of breath resting on a cloud. He asks her if she's okay and she says yes and that it is harder for her to catch her breath because she's pregnant. Dracula becomes overcome with joy, as he flies straight upward and announces to the night that he is going to be a grandpa. After Dracula finds out he's going to be a grandpa, Mavis is bedridden for the rest of her pregnancy while having Johnny and Dracula take care of her.
Dracula spends most of his time trying to counter Mavis' food cravings by having her eat certain monster foods in preparation for his expected vampire baby grandson. Mavis insists that it's possible that the baby will be human but Dracula is confident that with thousands of years of Dracula genes that a human baby is not possible.
Dracula gives Mavis a bowl of monster ball soup which is a recipe from her mother, Mavis happily takes the bowl of soup and thanks her dad for it. Mavis then starts to cry, due to her mood swings from her pregnancy which causes Dracula and Johnny to share a confused look at each other. Dracula spends the following months in eager anticipation for the baby by crossing off the days on his calendar leading up to the big moment. Mavis gives birth to a baby boy which Mavis and Johnny name Dennis.
Dracula disguises himself as a human nurse after being not allowed in the delivery room to watch Mavis give birth to his grandson because the doctor told Dracula only the father is allowed in the delivery room. Dracula grabs Dennis and dances around with him in joy. Dracula embraces Dennis and tells him he will never let anything happen to him much like he once told Mavis when she was born. One year later Dracula, Mavis, Johnny, their friends and Johnny's parents come together to celebrate Dennis' first birthday at the hotel.
Everyone gathers around as they begin to open presents for Dennis. Murray gives Dennis a Medallion from the desert, but when Murray puts it on Dennis falls over from the weight of it and starts to cry. Dracula comforts Dennis reassuring him that he's okay while calling him by his vampire name Denisovich. Johnny's father Mike walks over to Dracula and tells argues that his name is Dennis named after his father.
Dracula disagrees and ends the conversation. Johnny's mother Linda now comes over to Dracula and questions whether Dennis really is a vampire because of his lack of vampire traits. Dracula's friend Wayne tells Linda that vampires technically have until their fifth birthday to grow in their vampire fangs. Dracula reassures everyone that he will get his fangs.
He is a Dracula after all he announces. Afterwards Frank and his wife Eunice come over to give their present to Dennis. A toy guillotine. Mavis thanks Frank and Eunice for giving it to them however she says they have to baby proof the it to protect Dennis. Mavis walks away with Johnny to find baby proof the toy while Dracula jokes that she is being over protective.
Later, as Dennis comes into two years of age one night Dracula and Johnny hear Mavis shouting. Dracula and Johnny quickly rush to Dennis' room thinking there's a problem. Dracula asks Mavis if Dennis is okay, Mavis turns around and says Dennis said his first word with a smile on her face. Dracula's panic quickly turns to joy as he and Johnny enter the room. Dracula's joy turns to annoyance as he once again assures them that he never says that. Johnny and Mavis continue to play with Dennis as Dracula leaves.
Dracula quickly returns catching Mavis in the act of teaching Dennis what to say. As Dracula's concerns for Dennis not being a vampire worsen, Mavis decides it might be best to leave the hotel and move to Johnny's hometown in California to raise Dennis in a safer place.
Seeing this as his last chance, Dracula comes up with a plan to distract Mavis with a vacation away from the hotel while he works on training Dennis into being a monster.
Dracula convinces Mavis to go to California with Johnny while he takes care of Dennis. Mavis although worries at first agrees and leaves for California with Johnny. Dracula instructs Dennis to put his har back to make it look like his, and tells Dennis that he's going to see how every monster does their special way of scaring humans.
Frankenstein tried to scare two female joggers, but instead they were happy to see Frank and instead they asked to take a selfie with him. Dracula now annoyed tells Dennis to mimic what Frank did an scare the next group of joggers. Dennis jumps out and yells "Boo", but the joggers simply admire Dennis and him being adorable while running off.
Dracula sees that this plan has failed and moves onto the next plan. The crew travel deeper into the forest to begin the next phase of their training.
Dracula spots a deer and has Wayne to kill it to inspire Dennis. Wayne is reluctant at first but eventually obeys Dracula. Wayne approaches the deer but quickly forgets to how to be a werewolf and insteads says "Growl" to it and at last retrieves a frisbee.
Growing impatient, Dracula turns to Murray and tells him it's his turn. Dracula tells Murray to summon a sandstorm to impress Dennis. Murray although hesitant agrees to do it despite it being so long since he's summoned anything.
Murray does his spell, however he just ends up throwing out his back instead, and summons a small amount of sand, which Dennis makes a snowman out of.
Dracula fears at this point that he is running out of time and quickly takes the crew back to the hearse to travel to their final destination. Dracula takes Dennis to his childhood Summer Camp, Camp Winnepacaca to teach him the ways of the vampire. He tells Dennis all the great activities he used to do, and how he learned to shape-shift, catch mice, use his incredible power, and strength and turn into a bat.
When Dracula and the others take Dennis to Camp Winnepacaca, they find out that it is under new management and Dracula is not pleased with all the changes done. Dracula meets the new camp instructor, Dana , as he takes them through the night doing safe activities and singing campfire songs.
Dracula finally having enough abandons the campfire with Dennis to show him the old camp tower where vampires used to jump off to learn to transform into bats. The rest of the crew realize Dracula has left and quickly follow him and Dennis close behind. The crew climb the tower where Dracula begins to toss Dennis off.
Frank pleads with Dracula that it is a bad idea, however Dracula ignores him insisting Dennis needs time to learn to fly. Dracula throws Dennis off the tower only realizing shortly after that it was a mistake. Dracula jumps down and safely grabs Dennis before he hits the ground.
Dennis is excited from the fall and asks Dracula if they could do it again. Dana and the rest of the camp kids run over to the tower to see what was going on. Dana is furious and insists that he will need to inform authorities or Dennis' mother about this, Dracula attempts to hypnotize Dana into forgetting what he say, however because Dana is also a vampire, the trick doesn't work. In the chaos, Mavis calls Dracula on his phone demanding to know where he and Dennis is.
Dracula tries to convince her that they are at the hotel but Mavis is not fooled. Dracula immediately returns to the hotel with Johnny. Dracula is stunned after watching the video of him throwing Dennis off the jump tower. After a series of obstacles Dracula, Dennis, and the others arrive at the hotel right after Mavis and Johnny returned. Mavis however already knows about what Dracula has been doing, after seeing a Youtube video of Dracula throwing Dennis off the tower filmed by one of the camp kids.
Mavis takes Dennis back angrily, tell Dracula that she doesn't even feel safe having Dennis around him anymore. Dracula lowers his head in sadness as Mavis and Johnny walk away with Dennis.
Later, Dracula and the Loughran family have dinner excluding Vlad, everybody is having a good time. When Mavis says that she invited her grandpa Vlad to Dennis' 5th birthday party, Dracula spits out his drink all over Linda's clothes. Dracula claims that there is going to be a masquerade party for the birthday, and then he freezes everyone but Johnny. Dracula tells Johnny that Vlad can not know that he and his family are humans, and that Vlad would steal Johnny's family's souls and even Johnny backpack, then unfreezes other people.
So, Johnny confirms to the family that he has Dennis' 5th birthday party as a monster masquerade party. On that night on Dennis' 5th birthday, everybody is having a great time at the hotel; Dracula walks through the monsters nervously smiling as a monster tells Dracula that the party is amazing. Dracula spots Johnny in a red vampire costume with an exaggerated wig and fake fangs.
Dracula asks Johnny if that is really his vampire costume, and that he's nuts. Johnny says he ordered his vampire costume online, and that it was the only place he could deliver it overnight.
Dracula tells Johnny that his vampire wig looks like a baboon's butt. Just then the ball room doors all the sudden burst open to reveal Vlad and demands to know where his vampson Dennis then Dracula feel annoyed asks his dad why he still does dramatic entrances then Dracula puts on a fake smile and pretends to be happy to see his dad says it is good to see him and laughs then Vlad sounding annoyed and says that his son the prince of darkness has become the king of room service and is running a hotel and Dracula laughs and tells his dad he will be right with him as he silently slips Brandon away so that Vlad doesn't see him and as Dracula slips Brandon away so that Brandon can change into Kakie the cake monster as Dracula and Brandon pass by Frank who eats a whole plate of hors d'oeuvres, Dracula tells Frank to keep Vlad away from the humans and Mavis and Frank with his mouth full says he's on it.
Then Dracula swoops in to hide Dennis' half human side before Vlad figures out that Dennis is half human then Vlad asks Dracula what is he doing as Dracula cradles Dennis in his arms and Dracula tells his dad that he loves Dennis so much that he wants to hug him right in the fangs then Vlad use his magic to take Dennis out of Drac's arms and places Dennis in front of him and tells Dennis again to show his fangs and so Dennis opens his mouth.
Dracula and Johnny become nervous that Vlad is about to discover that the kid does not have fangs, and then Vlad realizes Dennis might be a late-fanger just like Dracula. Johnny sighs in relief that Vlad has not discovered that Dennis is half human, and Dracula chuckles and puts Dennis back on the ground. Vlad says to Murray, Frank, and Johnny that Dracula used to be a giant cry baby. Dracula and Johnny awkwardly laugh at that; Vlad adds that Dracula used to pee in his bed, which in turn does annoy Drac a lot.
Vlad tells them they need to scare the fangs out of Dennis. Johnny sounding scared, asks 'scare out the hangs? To show Dennis what a monster is, Vlad demonstrates what popping Dennis' fangs out would be like with a balloon, which makes Dracula and Johnny gasp in horror.
Just then, Brandon who is now dressed up in his Kakie the cake monster costume, walks up to Dracula, Johnny, and Vlad and tells them seriously that if he misses the book fair he'll miss the street fair. Dracula points to Kakie and tells his dad that Kakie is the one that he needs to be possessed. Vlad chuckles and follows the disguised Kakie, when Johnny tells Dracula that if they let Vlad possess Kakie, Dennis will be very upset. But Dracula reassures Johnny that if the possession cause Dennis' fangs to pop out then boom he's a vampire then Dennis, Mavis and him can stay at the hotel then Johnny relents by saying capes and Dracula says good call.
Then, as the performance starts, Vlad possesses Kakie, as planned. Drac asks Dennis if Kakie the cake monster is scary, and asks him if he feels anything different or feels any change. Dennis starts concerned about Kakie and Dennis asks Dracula if Kakie is okay then Kakie spit out cakes out of his mouth that hits all the guests in the face.
Dennis asks Dracula what's happening to Kakie. Kakie roars at Dennis and exclaims "you don't eat cake, cake eats you! Upset, Dracula stops Vlad's control over Kakie with a display of his own powers, turning Kakie back to normal.
Vlad then asks Dracula why he stopped him, and Dracula says it wasn't worth it. Mavis, surprised, asks what was going on, and so, Dracula tells her that it was his last attempt to turn Dennis into a vampire so that her, Dennis and Johnny can stay. Mavis angrily says, "by ruining his favourite thing? Mavis tells Johnny that Dennis is not a monster, which causes Vlad to gasp in shock to find out that his great grandson is half-human, and not a full vampire.
Mavis says he like avocados and Johnny tells Mavis that she doesn't let Dennis eat anything fun. Linda says she thinks that Dennis just wants to be normal and Mavis asks them to stop talking about Dennis being normal and Dracula exclaims that "where we live now is normal" and Mavis tells her dad that Dennis just is who he is and he can't change him. Then Vlad tells Dracula if he had stopped him Dennis wouldn't have to be a wimp his whole life like Johnny supposedly is who, over-hearing this, angrily walks up to Vlad.
Then by mistake, Johnny pulls off the wig of his classic vampire disguise and Dracula shouts. Vlad gasps in shock once again when he finds out that Johnny is a human and not a vampire. Mike, Johnny's father, says "Of course, he's human, he's our son. You think we're monsters? Vlad is more than shocked at this point that his son let his daughter marry a human being and then have a human kid. Feeling so upset, he also tells Dracula to just drive a stake through his heart. Dracula tells Vlad they don't hate humans anymore and humans don't hate monsters anymore and the rest of Johnny's family reveal themselves.
Then Vlad's side-kick Bela who has been spying through a window and watching the whole thing yells the word humans and growls. Then Vlad tells Dracula he is a fool then Dracula back at his dad that his great-grandson Dennis is "the sweetest, kindest most special boy he has ever met and if he Vlad can't give him the love he deserves, since he Dennis is half human then he's the fool".
Upon hearing her dad's words, Mavis runs up to her dad and hugs him. As the family fight comes too close, Johnny realizes that Dennis is missing, and everybody starts to panic and search for him in the hotel, looking everywhere and anywhere for him, even calling out his name numerous times.
Then the families decides to go outside to search for Dennis, but as they leave the hotel to search for Dennis, Mavis yells at her grandfather and tells him that she deeply regrets inviting him to Dennis' 5th birthday party. Dracula and Vlad share the same sad expression on their faces.
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