Vlad the Impaler certainly wasn't one of the kinder characters in history; his title of "The Impaler" speaks to that. However, new research has perhaps offered a more complex picture of the man often assumed to have been Bram Stoker's model for Dracula-indicating he may have been a vegetarian or vegan.
Vlad, also known as Mr. Impaler, was the ruler of Wallachia and earned his infamous reputation for his merciless treatment of his adversaries. It is believed that he could be accountable for as many as 80,000 deaths throughout his lifetime. His favored method of execution was impaling, where many victims endured extreme agony before meeting their demise.
Nevertheless, there is a chance that animals were not harmed during this gruesome banquet, as indicated by a chemical analysis conducted on three letters penned by Vlad in 1457 and 1475. These letters were addressed to Thomas Altemberger, the ruler of Sibiu, and focused on matters like tax collection. The analysis was executed using ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), a technique that seemingly does not inflict any damage or contamination.
The study's authors noted that out of the 500 peptides examined, 100 were unquestionably derived from humans. Furthermore, peptides associated with blood proteins or sourced from proteins involved in respiration were detected in all the characterized documents.
After careful analysis, peptides connected to proteins implicated in ciliopathy were identified. Furthermore, indications of retinal disorders and inflammatory responses were observed.
In combination, these identifications from proteomics data suggest that Dracula may have experienced hemolacria, a condition where tears of blood are shed, as some stories have described. While proteomics data alone is not comprehensive, the collective findings lend support to this hypothesis.
Surprisingly, the team discovered a lack of animal-based protein when examining the correspondence.
According to study co-author Gleb Zilberstein, food proteins are exclusively found in plant foods. The prototype vampire may have followed a vegan diet."
The authors suggest that the scarcity of meat during that time or the vampire's own poor health might explain this choice. Regardless, it is possible that the mysterious figure behind Dracula had a preference for salads.
The journal ACS Analytical Chemistry has published the study.