His father was in the order of the dragon. So he was Vlad Dracul, or Vlad the dragon. Vlad is the son of Dracul: Dracula or Vlad the son of the dragon. So basically the vampire is just the son of a dragon, which is pretty metal, but not as metal as the actual dragon.

[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It is a very metal title, and it's no wonder Bram Stoker chose it as the name of his character.

I still maintain that vampires = rabies, though.

Biting - the main way rabies is transmitted
Weak to holy water - rabies causes hydrophobia
Snarling faces - rabies causes muscles to tighten, dogs who have rabies are very snarly
Transforms into bats, wolves, etc - rabies is often spread by these animals
Feeds on livestock - many "prey" animals primarily exhibit the paralytic form of rabies
No reflection - in the past, a person was not considered rabid if they could look at their own reflection

Give me any other vampire trope, I think I can relate it to rabies.

[–] Spiralvortexisalie@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Would love to hear garlic and wooden stakes

[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

Garlic - rabies victims have an aversion to strong stimuli, eg taste, smell, and also light.
Wooden stakes - in the late stages rabid people are paralytic. They're still alive, but don't move. However, if you stab them they might scream.

[–] Paddzr@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I know you watched the same behind the bastards episode... But basically all of Romania, the people behind these, used it as the devil meaning. Yes the word might have medieval origins, but what Robert overlooked is when the stories actually began being formed.

[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

Yes the word might have medieval origins, but what Robert overlooked is when the stories actually began being formed.

Yes exactly! But at least he did mention rabies, and Balkan legends involving werewolves, even if only in passing.

Tbh I think there are so many facets to the "vampire" and associated legends that anyone can be forgiven for not comprehensively covering all of them - particularly with how they've been blended together over the last century or so. The podcast is meant to be about specific bastard people, after all.

[–] DosDude@retrolemmy.com 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I don't imply to be an expert. But all the information I got was from the first paragraph of vlad the impaler and vlad II Dracul.

It is interesting that in Romania it's a synonym for devil. That's metal.

But about the midieval origins, Vlad the Impaler is from the actual middle ages. As is his father. So I would assume the midieval origins are "the Dragon" or "Son of the Dragon". Any other origins might be influenced by Vlad II or Vlad the impaler.

They might have been: Vlad Bad, Dragon = devil. And it stuck. But I don't know. I'm not a historian.