The Golden Cup
It was widely known that Vlad Tepes was very insistant on honesty and order. Thieves would almost never dare theft while in his domain, for they knew that if they were caught it meant impalement on a stake. This was so effective that Tepes left a cup made of pure gold in the central square of Targoviste. The golden cup remained this way during his entire reign.
The Foreign Merchant
Vlad Tepes capital of Targoviste was once visited by a foreign merchant. This merchant had heard of Tepes reputation for honesty within his land, and believing that his cart and its valubles would be safe from thieves, he left it unguarded over night. When he returned to his wagon in the morning he found that one hundred and sixty golden ducats missing. The merchant informed prince of this theft, and Vlad assured him that the money would be returned to him. In return for the loss, the merchant was invited to stay at the palace for the night. Tepes issued a proclamation to the city which stated that if the thief was not and the money not returned, the city would be
destroyed. He then ordered that one hundred and sixty ducats plus one extra be taken from his own
treasury and placed in the merchant's cart. When the merchant found the stolen money plus and the one extra ducat in his cart the next morning, he reported the discovery to Tepes. Vlad informed the merchant that the thief had been caught and ordered impaled, but he also informed the the merchant that had he not reported the extra ducat, he too would have been impaled.
The Two Monks
Two monks once visited Vlad Tepes at his palace in Targoviste. Tepes was curious to know what their reactions would be if he showed them his victoms, so Vlad took the two too see the rows of impaled corpses in his courtyard. When he asked for their opinions, one of the monks answered saying, 'You are appointed by God to punish evil-doers.', but the other monk had the courage to condemn Tepes. The most common German version states that Tepes rewarded the servile monk and impaled the honest monk. The Russian and Romanian versions states that Tepes rewarded the honest monk for his integrity and courage and impaled the servile one for his dishonesty.
The Polish Nobleman
A Polish nobalman in the service of the King of Hungary named Benedict de Boithor visited Tepes at Targoviste in September of 1458. At dinner Vlad ordered a golden spear brought and set up in front of Boithor. When Tepes asked him why he thought this spear had been set up, Boithor replied that some boyar may have offended the prince and that Tepes intended to honor him. Vlad then responded that he actually had the spear set up in the honor of his noble, Polish guest. Boithor told Tepes that if he had done anything to deserve death, then he should do as he thought best. Boithor further stated that Tepes would not be responsible for his death; instead, Boithor himself would be responsible for it because he incurred the displeasure of the prince. Tepes was pleased by this answer and showered Boithor with gifts while declaring that had he answered in any other manner he would have been immediately impaled.
The Foreign Ambassadors
Foreign ambassadors once visited Vlad Tepes court at Targoviste. When granted an audience with the prince the envoys refused to remove their hats as was the custom when in the presence of the prince in Wallachia. Angered at this sign of disrespect Dracula had the ambassadors' hats nailed to their heads so that they might never remove them.
There are two versions to this tale. The German version says that the envoys are Florentine and refused to remove their hats in order to demonstrate superiority. When Tepes asked them why they would not remove their hats, they stated that it was not their custom and that they would not remove their hats, even for the Holy Roman Emperor. Tepes had their hats nailed to their heads so that they might never come off and had them thrown from his court. In Germany and the West the concept of diplomatic immunity was at least given lip service, and this was taken as an act of barbarity against representatives of a friendly power.
The version most common in the East says that the envoys are Turkish. When taken to the prince, they refused to remove their Phrygian caps. When asked why they answered that it was not the custom of their fathers to remove their hats. Tepes ordered their hats nailed to their heads with three nails so that they might never have to break such this tradition, and they were sent back to the sultan. In the East this was held to be a courageous act of defiance in the face of the Ottoman sultan. The nailing of ones hat to the heads of those who displeased a monarch was not an unknown act in Eastern Europe.
Dracula's Mistress
Tepes once had a mistress who lived in a house in the back streets of Targoviste. This woman
loved the prince very much and was always anxious to please him. Vlad was often moody and depressed, so the woman made every effort to lighten her lover's burdens. Once, when Dracula was particularly depressed, the woman told him that she was with child, which was a lie. He warned her not to joke about such matters, but she insisted that what she said was true, despite the prince's feelings about dishonesty. Tepes had her examined by the bath matrons to determine if what she said was true. When informed that the woman was lying he sliced her open from the groin to her breasts while proclaiming his desire for the world to see where he had been. Tepes left the woman to die in agony.
The Lazy Woman
A man working in the fields was questioned one day when Vlad Tepes noticed that he was wearing short caftan. The Tepes asked him if he had a wife, and when the man answered yes, Tepes had her brought before him. He questioned her as to how she spent her days, and when she told him that she washed, baked and sewed, the prince pointed out her husband's short caftan. When this evidence was presented, she was shown to be lazy and dishonest. Tepes ordered her impaled despite the husband's protestes. Tepes then ordered another woman to marry the peasant but admonished her to work hard or she would suffer the fate of the other woman.
The Nobleman with the Keen Sense of Smell
On St. Bartholomew's Day in 1459, Vlad Tepes impaled thirty thousand merchants and nobles belonging to the city of Brasov in Transylvania. To better enjoy the masicure, the Tepes commanded that his table be set up and that his boyars join him for a feast amongst the forest of impaled corpses. While dining, Tepes noted that one of his boyars was holding his nose to ward off the smell of the clotting blood and emptied bowels. Upon seeing this, Tepes ordered him impaled on a stake higher than all the rest so that he might be above the stench.
The Burning of the Sick and Poor
Vlad Tepes wanted all people in his realm to work and contribute to the common welfare, but he
began to note that the poor, vagrants, beggars and cripples had become very numerous. He issued an invitation to all the poor and sick in Wallachia to come to Targoviste for a great feast, claiming that no one should go hungry in his land. When they arrived in the city they were taken to a large hall where a great feast awaited them. The guests ate and drank late into the night, and then Tepes himself made an appearance. 'What else do you desire? Do you want to be without cares, lacking nothing in this world?' he asked. The people answered that they did, so Tepes ordered the hall boarded up and set on fire. No person escaped those flames. Tepes explained his actions to the boyars by claiming that he did this, so they were no longer a burden to other men and so no one will be poor in his realm again.
