This episode of the Kings Hall Podcast is brought to you by Backwards Planning Financial,

Alpine Gold, Max D trailers, Salt and Strings Butchery, Reformation Heritage Books,

Premier Body Armour, and by our supporters at Patreon.com. The Legend of Dracula, the blood-sucking vampire, started in Europe with the novelist

Bram Stoker in the 1890s and is somehow connected in

more recent history to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Since then the

story has taken on a life of its own. For all its twists and turns the story fundamentally centers around Wallachia or present day Romania and

one key historical figure. Vlad Tepes also known as Vlad the Impaler or as he was known by contemporaries Vlad Dracul.

How does it all fit together?

In the summer of 1890, 45-year-old Graham Stoker visited the library in

Whitby, England, where he requested a very specific title. The accounts of

principalities of Walaccia and Moldovia by William Wilkinson.

A rare book unavailable to the public, it was somewhat strange that Stoker had requested it.

In reality, an acquaintance of his... It was somewhat strange that Stoker had requested it.

In reality, an acquaintance of his recommended he check out the rare manuscript.

Patrons who did read the book were kept under the watchful eye of the librarian, who immediately after the patron was done, returned the book to its place on the shelf.

When he viewed the book, Stoker turned immediately to a specific passage, left, then visited Whitby Museum, then began investigating a strange shipwreck.

In his journal, he wrote the following,

Voivode or Dracula.

Dracula and Wallachian means devil.

Wallachians were accustomed to give it as a surname to any person who rendered himself conspicuous

either by courage, cruel actions, or cunning."

When he finally wrote his book, Dracula, he included a strange preface, one that was

...