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The word "tepes" in Romanian means "impaler", and Vlad was so named because of his fondness for impalement as a means of punishing his enemies. In addition to his title of "Impaler," Vlad was also known as "Dracula," which means "son of the Dragon." Originally, this title came about because his father belonged to the Order of the Dragon, an order formed by the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund for defeating the Turks. .
The elder Vlad used the dragon symbol on his coins and went by the name "Dracul", which means dragon or devil. As the younger Vlad's talent for torture and drinking his victims blood became known, however, the name Dracula came to be seen and understood as the sinister "son of the devil.".
Another famous vampire is Elizabeth Bathory also know as "the queen of blood". She was a noblewoman who held lands throughout Transylvania, and was considered one of the most powerful women in the country. .
She was a young bride who married Count Ferencz Nadasdy at the age of fifteen. Nadasdy spent most of his time away from the home; he was a high-ranking officer and was at war most of the time. Elizabeth was restless and bored .
during his absence. She amused, and thought to beautify herself by inflicting pain upon her servants. This became Elizabeth's main passion. She ran the castle with an "iron hand" punishing anyone for the slightest mistake. Elizabeth enjoyed torturing her servants, and for many years did all the torturing herself. However, the Count was not upset by his wife's barbaric habits, for she was of Noble birth. To him, the peasant girls meant nothing and the instances of tortures were not important. .
The death of her husband, in 1604, had a devastating effect on Elizabeth. By the Count dying, it gave her a constant reminder that she was getting older and her looks were beginning to fade. That terrified Elizabeth, she was determined to stay beautiful and by any means possible.
