Associated Press
BUCHAREST, Romania -- There was no sign of Dracula, but students in Transylvania did get a visit from dozens of bats that flapped through their classroom.
The students at Csiky Gergely high school in the western Romanian city of Arad were about to take an exam Friday morning when they found bats flying around the room. Others appeared to be sleeping with their wings spread out on the floor.
School official Mirela Aldescu told Romanian daily Adevarul that the creatures had probably flown in overnight through open windows. She says that rather than disturb them they took the exam in another classroom.
Transylvania was home to Vlad the Impaler, the 15th-century ruler who inspired Bram Stoker's "Dracula," which has spawned dozens of movies and superstition about garlic, holy water - and vampire bats.
Being born and educated in Romania, we had learned that Count Vlad the Impaler - Vlad Tepes (Vlad Tzepesh-Romanian pronunciation) who reigned over Walachia, modern Transylvania, that is a portion of Romania. Born in Dec. 1431, died in Dec. 1476 and he fought the Ottoman Turks.
For all that anyone knows, he was not a vampire but he would dine amongst forests of those he impaled, as he learned from the Turks when was detained by them. He became a little off the mark mentally but, well, who can blame him. He is known for immense cruelties to his own people like when he enslaved and worked to death the Boyars. However, if you look into that story, you shall find that the Boyars were not on his side and would have threatened his reign.
He also secured law in a lawless land. He would put a gold cup in the center of various villages unattended. Nobody dared to steal it.
He is considered both a villain and a hero. For those who call him a villain, do a bit of reading about him and the times he lived. He was successful in repelling the Turkish army with a very small number of defenders.
He was the first person to actually use psychological warfare.
Read more: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/history/vlad/west_2.html