7 Facts About Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'

7 Facts About
Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' 1. It's possible 'Dracula'
was based on a nightmare. Legend has it, Stoker dreamt
of “a vampire king rising from the tomb,"
following a meal of what may have been spoiled crab. 2. Vampires and 'Frankenstein'
have a shared history. A ghost story contest proposed
by Lord Byron led to Mary Shelly's
'Frankenstein' and the first English
language vampire story, 'The Vampyre.' 3. Stoker may have
based Dracula on
a terrible boss. Stoker was the manager of
the famous Shakespearean actor,
Henry Irving. Irving had a reputation of
being charming, handsome and a "mental" vampire. 4. Romanian Prince Vlad
"The Impaler" was
likely an influence. The Prince was infamous for
impaling his enemies. His nickname, Dracula,
means "devil" in the Wallachian language. 5. 'Dracula' was written
in the wake of the
Jack the Ripper murders. The serial murders dominated
the London headlines in 1888,
just two years before Stoker
began writing 'Dracula.' 6. Dracula's castle
had Scottish roots. As the author never visited
Transylvania, the Slains Castle
in Scotland is widely considered to be
the inspiration for Stoker's creation in Dracula. 7. 'Dracula' was almost
titled 'The Undead.' Stoker used the working title,
'The Dead Undead,' shortening
it to 'The Undead,' before deciding
on 'Dracula' just before publishing.