Vlad “the Impaler” III, aka, one of the inspirations behind the Dracula character (he was also known as Vlad Dracula), just had a study published on him, and he might have had a condition that made him cry tears of blood. Metal.
Just as a refresher, Vlad III (d 1476/7) was an Early Modern ruler of Wallachia, located in modern Romania, infamous in his day due to his cruelty. His moniker indicates one of his favorite execution methods, and he impaled large groups of people at a time who got in his way (and he had a short circuit for deciding who that was).
In an August 2023 paper in _Analytical Chemistry_, scientists looked at protein peptides (snippets of proteins) on three letters written by Dracula. Using mass spectrometry, the analysts could separate out the oldest peptides and figure out things like what bacteria or fauna had been on the skin, and what human conditions existed.
Although many people might have handled the letters, there was a dominant amount of old peptides that the researchers conclude must have come from Vlad. And there were several types that indicated inflammatory disease, vascular disease with eye tissue, and rental disease associated with blood. Putting this information together, the scientists conclude that “these identifications might indicate that Dracula ‘cried tears of blood’,” in a condition known as hemolacria. The Impaler weeping blood as he watches his victims die makes sense in a violent and macabre way.
Sources: Count Dracula Resurrected: Proteomic Analysis of Vlad III the Impaler’s Documents by EVA Technology and Mass Spectrometry,” _Analytical Chemistry_, Aug 8, 2023, Maria Gaetana Giovanna Pittalà et al. Image is likeness of Vlad III in Cavalry of Christ painting, 1460, Maria am Gestade Church, Vienna
