Hungary and the vampire lore
Just finished reading the novel The Historian
by Elizabeth Kostova. The book was a great fun, I enjoyed every bit of the 656 pages. In the novel it turns out that Dracula is not actually dead but has been living for the past five centuries in an "undead" state, occasionally surfacing from his tomb and interacting with the world. I found it quite funny that one of his hobbies was to collect books and he had gathered a large library for which he needed someone as a cataloguer.
Part of the novel is set in Hungary because the female protagonist's mother is actually from Budapest, although the heroine does not know that this woman is her mother until the end of the book. But the family is not Hungarian, they come from Romania, more specifically Wallachia where Vlad the Impaler, aka Dracula, once ruled. It turns out that the heroine is actually a direct line descendant of Dracula (kind of like the heroine in The Da Vinci Code is the direct line descendant of Jesus Christ).
But it is interesting how Hungary's image is always somehow connected with Dracula, even though the lore of Dracula belongs to Romania. I personally do not know of any Hungarian folklore related to Dracula, this connection only exists in the minds of Westerners. Naturally, I am not accusing Elizabeth Kostova of not having done her research for the novel. She (an American writer of Bulgarian origin) has done it well and only makes sure to push the right buttons for an American reader. There is nothing in the novel that actually connects Hungary with Dracula, other than the minor episode that he had once been detained by the Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus. This is the same king whose name the Coronation Church on the Castle Hill (next to the Hilton) bears.
So it seems that Hungary will never be free from the shadow of Dracula.
Vlad the Impaler, aka Dracula
by Elizabeth Kostova. The book was a great fun, I enjoyed every bit of the 656 pages. In the novel it turns out that Dracula is not actually dead but has been living for the past five centuries in an "undead" state, occasionally surfacing from his tomb and interacting with the world. I found it quite funny that one of his hobbies was to collect books and he had gathered a large library for which he needed someone as a cataloguer.Part of the novel is set in Hungary because the female protagonist's mother is actually from Budapest, although the heroine does not know that this woman is her mother until the end of the book. But the family is not Hungarian, they come from Romania, more specifically Wallachia where Vlad the Impaler, aka Dracula, once ruled. It turns out that the heroine is actually a direct line descendant of Dracula (kind of like the heroine in The Da Vinci Code is the direct line descendant of Jesus Christ).
But it is interesting how Hungary's image is always somehow connected with Dracula, even though the lore of Dracula belongs to Romania. I personally do not know of any Hungarian folklore related to Dracula, this connection only exists in the minds of Westerners. Naturally, I am not accusing Elizabeth Kostova of not having done her research for the novel. She (an American writer of Bulgarian origin) has done it well and only makes sure to push the right buttons for an American reader. There is nothing in the novel that actually connects Hungary with Dracula, other than the minor episode that he had once been detained by the Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus. This is the same king whose name the Coronation Church on the Castle Hill (next to the Hilton) bears.
So it seems that Hungary will never be free from the shadow of Dracula.
Vlad the Impaler, aka Dracula
Labels: Books about Hungary, Transylvania, vampires
posted by Steve Bekes at
3:41 AM
12 Comments:
If it makes you feel any better, I have always thought of Dracula as being Romanian. (And I'm American.)
I'm an American as well and for me Romania also comes to mind when I think of Vampirism. Hungary conjures thoughts of gastronomic delights, and fine wine. Historically speaking the Hapsburgs, and the struggles during the Soviet era come to mind. I did read Kostova's work and agree it was well written.
OK, first of all: Vlad III. Draculea, Tepes (meaning Impaler) was Prince of Walachia from 1456-1462, leading the so called Black Army of king Matthias Corvinus against marauding hordes and muslims after he fled the imprisonment of the Sultan.
I am no American, I'm German, and the lore of Hungary and Romania crosses in such, as Walachia is part of Moldavia, the borderlands. As such, Vlad Tepes resides in both histories.
I had no idea that Vlad III was actually leading the Black Army of king Matthias. I might be mistaken but I remember from the book that he was imprisoned by Matthias, not working for him.
What is the source for this? It would be interesting to read some more on the subject.
I am in the process of reading
"The Historian". I have friends from both countries, Romania and Hungary. The legends of Vampires did come directly from Transylvania, Romania; my friends are from there. My other friend is Hungarian and has never mentioned it. Possibly borders have changed over the years?
Carin
Right. Over here the story's the same - Vlad being the son of a Wallachian Prince had grown up as a hostage at Istanbul (former Constantinople) thus earns their trust and easily obtains the throne of Wallachia (one of the romanian principalities, LIKE -not part of-Moldavia). He then turns agaisnt the turks and manages a surprising victory against them. However the nobility plots against him, and he loses the throne. He flees but is imprisoned by Mathias Corvinus (whose father was originally a Transylvanian noble). Later on he is freed and tries to take the country again, but his reign is short lived. This is just the aisberg of the story. He also had a brother named Radu who he had to fight for the throne of Wallachia, he dealed with Stefan the Great (local legend moldavian prince), etc. There's so much to Vlad's story besides the "impaling" you could write another whole damn book. And this only span on about 50 years of history...
And as far as I've seen, noone has yet associated Hungary with Dracula, other than thinking of Bram Stoker, the original author of Dracula, a hungarian.
Vlad III was a Wallachian noble who also ruled Wallachia and Transylvania for Matthias Corvinus (King of Hungary).
Wallachia and Transylvania were part of the Kingdom of Hungary (Although they held limited autonomy). It was not a Romanian Principality. Romania didn't get control of Transylvania from the Austria-Hungary Empire until after World War I.
That said Vlad III is a part of both Hungarian and Romanian history. It is like arguing about whether or not Davie Crockett is part of Tennessee or American history (Say if Tennessee succeeded from the union).
On another note Vlad III and his his brother were sent to Turkey as hostages to insure his fathers complacency with the Ottoman Empire. After his Father (Vlad II) died he and his brother were sent home. Vlad III taking over his fathers land and title had nothing to do with the Ottoman Turks other than his release. Matthias Corvinas ruler of Hungary decided that. It was his Kingdom. Both Matthias and Vlad III were born in Transylvania although Vlad III was a Wallachian where as Matthias was Hungarian.
Now Vlad III did fight for his King Matthias against the Ottoman Turks. But later down the road German Saxons and Wallachian Nobles complained to the king about Vlad III brutality. King Corvinas decided to imprison Vlad III at Visigrad a Castle near Budapest. A few years later he released Vlad III to fight the Turks again. The Turks ended up winning although it is not known how Vlad III died. Vlad III interest faded somewhat until Bram Stokers book.
Also wanted to point out that Bram Stoker was not Hungarian he was Irish and born near Dublin.
Although oddly enough the first person to play Dracula was Bela Lugosi a Hungarian born in Transylvania. It was part of Hungary when he was born in 1882. He speaks Hungarian like many Transylvanians do.
There is also the famous scene from the movie Ed Wood, a fictionalized story about the director and Bela Lugosi:
[Bela is doing his trademark "hypnotic" hand gesture.]
Ed Wood: My gosh, Bela, how do you do that?
Bela Lugosi: You must be double-jointed. And you must be Hungarian.
I think that made a lot of people associate "Dracula" and "Hungarian."
I'm of Hungarian decent (I have an aunt and uncle who live in Budapest with their children), but my mother did not know much about Hungarian folklore as she only recently found this family.
I've always associated vampires with Hungary, as my mom always did, although I now know that the lines are blurred on how much it is a part of Hungarian folklore.
I know one person in particular gets mad at me bringing up vampires and the connection, or lack of one, to Hungary.
I don't see how you can separate it out of Hungarian folklore and leave it to just Transylvania and Romania....these countries were all once a part of one larger Kingdom of Hungary.
As for no connections....there is the thing with Vlad and Mattias, there is the vampire like attacks in the Austro-Hungarian empire in the 1700s, and also Countess Erzsébet Báthory, "The Blood Countess", was born in Hungary in 1560.
I think that the connection to Hungary will not die, and I don't see why it should.
I need to get going on this reading of "The Historian", my mom gave me the book to read 2 years ago, and I have yet to start it. Got to get going on that. :-)
Dracula was from Transylvania, which belongs now to Romania, but it belonged to Hungary since the Trianon
To me being a Magyar and an historian, i tend to think of Vlad Tepes to be more of a Hungarian than Romanian. His last name Tepes doesn't really have that strong Romanian feel too it. There is a Hungarian word (Tep, or to rip) that is very similiar to Tepes itself. His mother was a slovak, that much i know. For his father, i don't think he was 100 percent Romanian. Just a thought.
I still am reading the book, and loving so far.
But, yes, I know Dracula was Romanian. Funny enough, I have a Romanian pal that doesn't seem all too confortable discussing Dracula...
(I tried didcussing the book with him, and he said, "ah! Draculya - that's how he spelled it - great man, but he was a demon. There are better things of Romania to discuss, not Tepes, please." i confess that got me thinking...)
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