Forget Blood: Was the Real Dracula Vegan?
paint (someone) as: to describe someone in a specific way
Surprising news about Vlad III, who lived in southern Romania during the mid-1400s and inspired the Dracula tales! Also known as Vlad the Impaler, he’s believed to have killed over 80,000 people, many by impalement.
While the legends paint him as thirsty for blood, he might’ve preferred a good salad! Recent studies of his letters reveal important clues about his diet. Scientists analyzed proteins on these letters that likely came from him. They found no animal-based ones. This suggests Vlad III might have been vegetarian or vegan. The proteins also suggest he may have had hemolacria, which causes people to cry tears of blood.
Vlad III’s possible veganism might not have been an ethical choice. Europe faced very cold weather during his lifetime, limiting food options even for the wealthy.
Sample sentences
1. The story paints Bob as a hero, even though he was just doing his job.
2. Teachers often paint historical figures as perfect, but they had their flaws too.
3. Some movies paint villains as completely bad, but there’s often a backstory.
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Vlad the Impaler’s letters suggest iconic inspiration behind Dracula may have been vegan