[Haunted]

Actually Stoker made a whole witches brew of vampiric lore to created the character, Dracula. I think his main source was probably from Romania and was probably not Vlad Tsepes himself. I read, while doing a research paper on Lord Byron that Polidori's, "The Vampyre" did play a key role in the formation of Dracula.

However, as ___V___ stated, he was not lovely in the books. It was his charisma...more of a magical/other worldly power than social that drew the likes of Lucy and Mina. In the Romanian myths vampires had foul breath, big bushy eyebrows, thick red lips, disgusting dirty finger nails, dry, thin, and whispy hair. Stoker captured that with his character.

Where we really start to see Polidori's Byronic vampires is in the likes of Anne Rice's novels (she bores the piss out of me). I have to admit that I borrow from that style as well. Shit, who doesn't anymore?

If you haven't read Polidori's novella and you like vampires, read it. It's sort of boring, but it's worth it for the history of vampire stories. Also, check out Varney the Vampire. (I know that was made into a play, but was it ever made into a movie)?

Thanks for answering my questions guys. :D You've officially relieved some of my shyness.:D

Sorry about what happened to your thread, S.:( The Scientology topic was really interesting, but it just ran over an skunk so we had to change the subject.