Today we examine the duality of Vlad. But more specifically, the land he fought for. There have been longer rulers in the region.

More popular rulers.

But none who claimed the Devil who would fight for God.

A quick note:

Wallachian geopolitics and history is fascinating. Vlad's life and lineage is chronicled in Radu Florescu & Raymond McNally's "Dracula: Prince of Many Faces".

Alongside this title; Captivating History has an accessible and thorough history of Vlad and Wallachia available in audiobook, Kindle, and print forms

"Vlad the Impaler: A Captivating Guide to How Vlad III Dracula Became One of the Most Crucial Rulers of Wallachia and His Impact on the History of Romania"

Both come with my highest recommendation.

He's only the third Vlad I know of, and definitely the one I'd least like to be stuck in a forest with.

We briefly dive into the history, lore, and non-vampiristic character of Vlad Tepes III, Son of the Dragon. If you're interested in Vlad, I highly recommend these two books: Dracula, Prince of Many Faces: His Life and His Times In Search Of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires Both authored by Radu Florescu & Raymond T. McNally

If you'd like to connect on social media, feel free to follow me @RavynReads

We've had a scientific rebuttal from 2025. But we've also got one from an 18th century librarian-monk-scholar! @RavynReads on socials

When I'm not reading books into a microphone, I have a degree in biomedical sciences.

Unbelievably, our two worlds are about to collide as we revisit the stories of early vampires and examine the likely biomedical causes of the descriptions.

I'm delighted to say that your high school chemistry class is about to come roaring back.

Forget Dracula, the scariest thing we'll encounter today is the ideal gas law...

After all, pressurized vampires equal necrosis, rigor, & trauma.

...

@RavynReads for socials and updates (and no more chemistry jokes)

Marked explicit for pretty gross post-mortem biology

Today, we're taking a break from all the blood and gore and returning to a far more seemingly placid disquiet. Grand Isle and the slow piercing of the Ponteliers. I hope you enjoy, friends.

@RavynReads for social and updates

18th-century medicine has entered the vampire discourse...

And...things to do not go well...

This one is marked as explicit for the fairly dispassionate description of dissections.

@RavynReads for socials and updates

Visum et Repertum: The Vampire Project: Visum et Repertum

VISUM ET REPERTUM by Johannes Fluckinger (1732) – @literaryvampire on Tumblr

The First Vampire never knew he was the first vampire. Which honestly, seems unfair. @RavynReads for socials and updates

For the month of October, I'm tracing this history of the Vampire, from the first original reports in Eastern Europe all the way to Bram Stoker's jaunt into a place he'd never actually visited. Bloodlust, missing shoes, a Romanian hero and monster, a handsome brother, a hotel that doesn't exist (but does now), and paprika hendl. Feel free to follow along, I don't bite, but the stories might. @RavynReads to follow along.

No fun voices today.

Tonight we turn the podcast over to Edna Pontellier and to Kate Chopin, a woman writing against the grain in 1899.

We begin The Awakening.

It starts innocently enough: a parrot repeating phrases, a vacation at Grand Isle, croquet, and my very bad French. But beneath the surface, there's a tension. Something about to rupture, or maybe something just waiting to be discovered.

There's something going on at Grand Isle, and I think it matters.

--- Marked Explicit for racist, historical language.

We return to the riverbank, where friendship smells like rope and reed and watercress. In memory of Jess, my father's dog, and the spirit of good picnics. Everyone needs a friend like Ratty.

@RavynReads on socials.

Have a sandwich for me today, will you?