Bram Stoker’s Dracula remains one of the most famous and popular characters in history. Gary D. Rhodes, a university professor, and Dacre C. Stoker, the author’s great grand-nephew, have just discovered one of the two key inspirations that led to the creation of Count Dracula.
‘Midst the Wild Carpathians, a novel published in England in 1894, describes a character that bears marked similarity to Count Dracula’s physical appearance in the novel, from his bushy eyebrows and moustache to his “aquiline” facial features.
This is not mere coincidence. Written by Maurus Jokai, ‘Midst the Wild Carpathians also includes descriptions that influenced Stoker, from its superstitious Transylvania to its “Gradina Dracului,” the “Devil’s Garden.” Stoker even incorporated Jokai’s title into a phrase in Dracula.
In March 2024, the London Library confirmed that its copy of ‘Midst the Wild Carpathians contains pencil markings in the margins resembling those Stoker wrote in other books in their collection. One of Stoker’s marks is next to the description of the character who looked like Count Dracula three years before Stoker’s novel was published.
Rhodes and Stoker’s findings represent the biggest Dracula discovery in many years.
Rhodes stumbled across ‘Midst the Wild Carpathians nearly three decades ago. After consulting with the London Library in 2024, Rhodes contacted Dacre Stoker, who had separately researched Maurus Jokai. Stoker had mentioned another Jokai novel in some of his notes, but no other scholars followed up on the lead.
It is now evident that Bram Stoker based Count Dracula’s appearance largely on Jokai’s novel, while basing Dracula’s demeanor and personality on stage actor Henry Irving. Dacre Stoker has long undertaken research on the Irving influence, particularly in his role of Mephistopheles, as Dacre’s great-grand uncle worked as Irving’s manager.
Years ago, researchers emphasized the impact of Vlad Dracula on Bram Stoker, the connection resting on Vlad’s name and habit of impaling his victims on stakes in the 15th century. While Stoker relied on Vlad’s “warlike” biography to give Count Dracula a backstory, Vlad’s influence was not nearly as important as once believed.