No one knows for sure which dark character Bram Stoker was inspired by to create his most famous protagonist: Dracula, the famous vampire. Many scholars of his work believe that he is based on the figure of Vlad the Impaler, however, from Ireland, Stoker’s birthplace, voices have been raised to claim that he was possibly the legend of the Irish Abhartach, the origin of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Join us to discover who that terrifying character was.
The legend of the Irish Abhartach
The most extensive mention of the legend of Abhartach was made by the Irish historian and writer Patrick Weston Joyce. In his work «The Origin and History of Irish Names of Places» of 1875 he explained the history of that man. Previously, he had been cited in the 17th century, as a real person, by another Irish poet and historian who was also a Catholic priest named Geoffrey Keating.
We must go back among the 5th and 6th centuriesto the area of Glenullin, to find Abhartach. At that time, that area of Ireland was a mosaic of small kingdoms in which a leader or local ruler dictated rules and laws that all of his subjects had to abide by. Legend has it that Abhartachwhom they describe as a dwarf, was an especially cruel and ruthless and those who were subject to him hated and feared him since They thought he had dark powers. Finally, they went to a neighboring leader named Cathain to ask him for help and free himself from his yoke. This He confronted Abhartach and killed him.
They buried him as Celtic tradition commanded: standing. Legend has it that the next day he reappearedmore cruel if possible, and He asked to feed on the blood extracted from the veins of the wrist of one of his subjects. Cathain returned and killed him again, however Abhartach again escaped from his tomb and appeared in his domain demanding more blood to continue living. Cathain consulted a druid who explained that he was a «neamh-mairbh» or «dead walker» and to finish him off he had to stab him with a sword made of yew wood, bury him face down and in a tomb surrounded by thorn and place a large stone on top of it so that he could not escape again. He followed the instructions and Abhartach did not appear again.
It was Professor Elizabeth Miller who, in 1990, studying Stoker’s notes to create her novel, realized that he had very little information about Vlad III and launched the hypothesis that his character was actually based on the legend of the Irishman Abhartach. Another of the curiosities that scholars of Stocker’s work assert to affirm that Dracula’s origin is Irish is the existence of a Celtic word that means «contaminated blood» and is «dreach-fhuola». They believe the main character’s name is derived from her.
What do you think of this theory? Do you think Bram Stoker could have been inspired by Abhartach instead of Vlad the Impaler? Or maybe both? If you want to know other vampire stories, we invite you to read: The legend of Brodka, the Polish witch who became a vampire.