The Tale of Stefan of Snagov, Faithfully Transcribed by Zacharias the Sinner

The Tale of Stefan of Snagov, Faithfully Transcribed by Zacharias the Sinner The following is excerpt is from The Historian a Novel by Elizabeth Kostova.  It is an explanation of how Count Vlad Tepes Dracula the Prince of Wallachia; become connected with the vampire legend.  Vlad Tepes (pronounced tse-pesh), who intermittently ruled an area of the Balkans called Wallachia in the mid 15th century. He was also called by the names Vlad III, Vlad Dracula and Vlad the Impaler. The word Tepes stands for "impaler" and was so coined because of Vlad's propensity to punish victims by impaling them on stakes, then displaying them publicly to frighten his enemies and to warn would-be transgressors of his strict moral code. He is credited with killing between 40,000 to 100,000 people in this fashion.   The Tale of Stefan of Snagov, Faithfully Transcribed by Zacharias the Sinner.   I, Stefan, after years of wandering and also after the loss of the beloved and holy city of my birth, Constantinople, went in search of rest north of the great river that divides the Bulgarians from Dacia.  I wandered into the plain and then the mountains, and at length I found my way to the monastery that sits on the island in Lake Snagov, a most beautifully secluded and defensible place. There the good abbot welcomes me and I took my seat at table with monks as humble and dedicated to prayer as any I had met in all my journeys.  They called me their brother and shared freely with me the food and drink of their meal, and I felt more at peace in the midst of their devout silence than I had in many months.  As I worked hard, and followed humbly every direction of the abbot, he soon granted me permission to stay among them.  Their church was not large but was of surpassing beauty, with famed bells whose sound rang across that water.   This Church and the monastery had received the utmost assistance and fortification from the prince of the region, Vlad son of Vlad Dracul, who was twice chased from his throne by the sultan and other enemies.  He was also once long imprisoned by Matthias Corvinus, king of the Magyars.  This prince Dracula was very brave, and in reckless battle he plundered or took back from the infidels many of the lands they stole, and of his battle spoils he gave to the monastery, and was constantly desirous that we should pray for him and his family and their safety, which we did.  Some of the monks whispered that he had sinned through exceeding cruelty and also had, while prisoner of the Magyar king, allowed himself to be converted to the Latin faith.  But the abbot would hear no ill word of him from anyone and had more than once concealed him and his men in the sanctuary of the church when others nobles wished to find and kill him.   In the last year of his life, Dracula came to the monastery, as he had been wont to do more often in earlier times.  I did not see him then, because the abbot had sent me and one other monk on an errand to another church, were he had some business.  When I returned, I heard that the lord Drakulya had been there and had left new treasure. One brother who traded for supplies with the peasants in the region and heard many stories in the countryside, whispered that Dracula was as likely to present a bag of ears and noses as a sack of treasure, but when the abbot heard about this remark he punished  the speaker very soundly. Thus I never saw Vlad Dracula in life, but I did see him in death, which I shall report soon enough.   Perhaps four month later there came word that he had been surrounded in a battle and there caught and slain by the infidel soldiers, first killing more than forty of them with his great sword. Upon his death, the sultan's soldiers cut off his head and took it away with them to show their master.   All this was known by the men of Prince Dracula's camp, and although many hid away after his death, some of them brought this news and also his body to the monastery of Snagov, after which they also fled.  The abbot wept when he saw the body lifted from the boat and prayed aloud both for the Lord Dracula's soul and for the protection of GOD, because the crescent of the infidel was now coming very near.  He caused the body to be laid in state in the church.   It was one of the most dreadful sights I have seen, this headless corpse robed in red and purple and surrounded by many flickering candle flames.  We sat in watches in the church, keeping the holy vigil, for another three days and nights.  I sat in the first vigil, and all was peaceful in the church apart from the sight of the mutilated body.  In the second vigil all was peaceful again—so said the brothers who watched that night.  But on the third night some of the tired brothers dozed, and something occurred to strike terror into the hearts of the others.  What it was they could not later agree, each having sen something different.  One monk saw an animal leap from the shadows of the stalls and over the coffin, but could not ascertain what shape the animal had.  Others felt a gust of wind or saw a thick fog enter the church, which guttered many of the candles, and they swore by the saints and angels and especially the archangels Mikhail and Gabriel that in the dark the headless body of the prince stirred and tried to rise.  There was a great shrieking among the brothers in the church, who lifted their voices in terror, and by this the whole Community was roused.  These monks, running out, related their versions with bitter disagreement among them.   Then the abbot came forward and I saw in the light of the torch he held that he grew very pale and awed at the stories they related, crossing himself many times.  He reminded all who were present that the soul of this nobleman was in our hands and that we must act accordingly.  He let us into the church, relighting the candles there, and we saw that the body lay quietly as before in its coffin.  Then abbot caused the church to be searched, but no animal nor any demon was found in any corner.  Then he bid us to compose ourselves and go to our cells, and then the hour for the first service came it was held as usual and all was calm.   To read this complete Story go to  www.Barnes&Noble.com and get your copy of  "The Historian A Novel" by Elizabeth Kostova.   Carl Ray Louk "FRIENDSHIP NEVER ENDS" SG-1996 "LET LOVE LEAD THE WAY" SG-2000 "THE PHOENIX SHALL RISE" SD "EVEN A MAN WHO IS PURE IN HEART AND SAYS HIS PRAYERS BY NIGHT, MAY BECOME A WOLF WHEN THE WOLFBANE BLOOMS AND THE AUTUMN MOON IS BRIGHT." LT-1941 "FLESH OF MY FLESH; BLOOD OF MY BLOOD; KIN OF MY KIN WHEN SAY COME TO YOU, YOU SHALL CROSS LAND OR SEA TO DO MY BIDDING!" CVTD-1895 "FROM HELL'S HEART I STAB AT THEE, FOR HATE SAKE I SPIT MY LAST BREATH AT THEE" CA-1895  "I HAVE BEEN, AND ALWAYS SHALL BE YOUR FRIEND" Spock  "TRICK OR TREAT, TRICK OR TREAT CANDY IS DANDY BUT MURDER, OH MURDER, IS SO SWEET" CRL-2003  "EYE OF NEWT, AND TOE OF FROG, WOOL OF BAT, AND TONGUE OF DOG ADDER'S FORK, BLIND-WORM'S STING, LIZARD'S LEG, AND OWLET'S WING. FOR A CHARM OF POWERFUL TROUBLE, LIKE A HELL-BROTH BOIL AND BABBLE. DOUBLE, DOUBLE, TOIL AND TROUBLE, FIRE BURN, AND CALDRON BUBBLE" WS MySpace.com: www.myspace.com/carlraylouk http://www.myspace.com/carlraylouk Yahoo Group: Yahoo! Groups : LouksHauntedGraveyardhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/LouksHauntedGraveyard/ Yahoo Group: Yahoo! Groups : TheWorldAccordingtoCarlRayLouk http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheWorldAccordingtoCarlRayLouk/