Vlad Dracula, also known as Vlad The Impaler or Vlad III, is a national hero of Romania because of his defence of the region of Wallachia against the Ottoman invasion. A demanding and cruel leader, his favourite method of execution was impalement. Because of his fortitude and horror inducing punishments, he kept the Turks at bay for some time. As far as anyone knows, Vlad never turned into a wolf or a bat, but there are other interesting facts about a man that is both loved and hated, depending on what side of the story youre on. When Bram Stoker, an Irish writer, was looking for a dark romantic story to tell, it is believed that he looked towards the dark prince of Romania. It is known that Stoker spent a few years researching European folklore, including Transylvanian superstitions, where he undoubtedly encountered stories of werewolves and strigoi, and possibly the terror of Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory. Stoker was originally going to name his story Count Wampyr, which is pretty much like naming your dog Canine. Luckily, when he stumbled upon Dracula, he knew he had a winner. Wampyr? Really, Stoker? So, as the new Dracula movie premieres and Halloween approaches, lets examine some truths about the voivode of Wallachia.