Dracula is the most popular vampire story. It can be told many different ways and changes from place to place. But the history and beginning of the Dracula tale can be traced back to one place. The man best known as Dracula was actually named Vlad Tepes or Vlad the Impaler. Many questions about the Dracula legend can be confirmed: Why he was called Vlad the Impaler, where he lived and came from, and why he was known as a vampire. Vlad’s name can be taken very literal. The last name “Tepes” translates to “The impaler.” He was known by Tepes because impaling was his favorite form of punishment. He would use this on criminals and his enemies. It’s been said he chose this cruel form of torture because death wasn’t always immediate. It was usually
