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Romanians: Famous & Historical Trivia

Romanians: Famous & Historical Trivia Quizzes

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4 quizzes and 40 trivia questions.
1.
  Vlad Tepes   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A controversial figure from Eastern European history, Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler In English) was a Prince of what is now Romania. He is depicted as a bloodthirsty villain in the West, but is regarded as a hero in his homeland. Was Vlad so bad?
Average, 10 Qns, Reamar42, Apr 05 24
Average
Reamar42 gold member
Apr 05 24
87 plays
2.
  10 Questions about Vlad the Impaler   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Vampires are a curiousity for many reasons, be it the immortality or the horror. Folklore varies greatly from region to region but this man is probably the most infamous of all.
Tough, 10 Qns, coolcookies, Sep 18 12
Tough
coolcookies
1282 plays
3.
  Romanians Away from Home   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
My East European country has many sons and daughters who lived most of their lives abroad and reached fame in foreign countries. Here are a few of them, all personalities of mondial renown. Let's try to remember their names.
Average, 10 Qns, denni19, Dec 06 06
Average
denni19
771 plays
4.
  Questions on Vlad the Impaler   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Vlad Tepes Dracula, the historical figure who inspired Bram Stoker for his blood thirsting Count, was a machiavellian leader of the 15th century. The true story of the legend that hides behind a myth.
Difficult, 10 Qns, blackmaggot, Dec 28 07
Difficult
blackmaggot
2289 plays
Related Topics
  Romanian Football [Sports] (3 quizzes)

  Romania [Geography] (13 quizzes)

  Romanian History [History] (3 quizzes)


Romanians: Famous & Historical Trivia Questions

1. Vlad the Impaler is better known to the Western world by the name of Dracula. What does this name mean?

From Quiz
Vlad the Impaler

Answer: Son of Dracul

Vlad III was known as Vlad Tepes (meaning impaler, a name given after his death) or Vlad Dracula (Draculea). The name Dracula was derived from his father's name, Vlad II Dracul. "Drac" means "devil" in modern Romanian but at the time when these men occupied it also meant "dragon".

2. Where was Vlad Tepes born?

From Quiz Vlad Tepes

Answer: Transylvania

Vlad Tepes was born in the town of Sighisoara, which was located in Transylvania in central Romania. The town was a settlement of ethnic Germans who had migrated to Romania, and was called Schassburg in German. Vlad was the second son of Prince Vlad II Dracul, who was a claimant to the throne of Wallachia, a principality of Romania at the time. Vlad was born in either 1428 or 1431.

3. Prince Vlad III Dracula was known as Vlad Tepes, meaning 'Vlad the Impaler'. The Turks called him 'the Impaler Prince' or...

From Quiz Vlad the Impaler

Answer: Kaziglu Bey

There are many arguments on the name 'Dracula'. The name is undoubtely related to Dracula's father's sobriquet 'Dracul'. Drac in Romanian means devil and 'ul' is the definitive article. Hence, 'Dracul' literally means 'the devil.' The ending 'ulea' means 'the son of.' Under this explanation Dracula becomes Vlad III, son of the devil. The connoisseurs who support this explanation usually argue that Vlad II earned his devilish nickname by his crafty,however clever, political tactic.

4. When was Vlad III born?

From Quiz Vlad the Impaler

Answer: 1431

He was born in Sighisoara, Transylvania in 1431. The identity of his mother is uncertain, but the common beliefs are that she was a Moldavian princess or a Translyvanian noblewoman. His father Vlad II was of royal lineage.

5. As a second son of a Wallachian prince, Vlad was not expected to accede to the throne, as, by tradition, his older brother Mircea was the heir apparent. What event made Vlad the heir to the throne of Wallachia?

From Quiz Vlad Tepes

Answer: His father and older brother were murdered

Vlad's father assumed the Wallachian throne in 1436. Vlad and his younger brother, Radu, were sent to the Ottoman court as hostages in 1442. In 1447, the Hungarian regent, John Hunyadi, invaded Wallachia and murdered Vlad's father and older brother, installing Vlad's cousin Vladislav II as Prince. Vlad reigned briefly in 1448, but had to flee. He courted both Ottoman and Hungarian support to regain his throne, which he finally won back in 1456.

6. The legend implies that Dracula, the Prince of Walachia, was born in 1431. Where he was born?

From Quiz Vlad the Impaler

Answer: Transylvania

Dracula was born in Transylvania, at the time when it was ruled by Hungary. He was born in the town of Sighisoara, the second son of Vlad Dracul, the Prince of Wallachia. The country of Wallachia was a principality, indicating that it was ruled by a prince, rather than a king. Dracul was a member of The Order of the Dragon. The Order of the Dragon was a group of Slavic leaders who were dedicated to defend the Christian faith by fighting the Turks of the Ottoman Empire. At that period of history Wallachia was on almost continuous wars.

7. What was Vlad's official title during his reign?

From Quiz Vlad the Impaler

Answer: Prince of Wallachia

Vlad actually reigned three times, in 1448, 1456-1462 and lastly 1476. He was known for exceptionally cruel punishments. After the death of Vlad's grandfather the region of Wallachia had fallen into disarray. It was constantly at war, crime was on the rise and their trade partners were disappearing. It is believed that the harsh punishments were meant to restore order.

8. After re-taking the Wallachian throne in 1456, Vlad reportedly purged those nobles who had supported Vladislav. Vlad took his revenge on those that he held responsible for removing him from the throne in order to crush any opposition to his rule. According to contemporary accounts, what did Vlad do to his prisoners?

From Quiz Vlad Tepes

Answer: Had thousands of people impaled

To consolidate his position, Vlad rounded up those who had supported his cousin and had them impaled, in at least one documented case, while he ate his dinner. He was known as Vlad the Impaler after this event. Impalement was a form of execution wherein the victim has a stake, stood upright in the ground, thrust into the rectum and into the bowels. The pain would have been excruciating, and it would take hours or even days for the victim to die.

9. On how many occasions did Dracula rule as Prince of Walachia?

From Quiz Vlad the Impaler

Answer: On three separate occasions.

He first took the throne in 1448 with Turkish support and he ruled for only two months (October-November) before being driven out by a member of the Danesti supported by Hungary. Dracula lived in exile for several years. He returned to Wallachia and kill the Danesti prince, Vladislov II, to claim again the Wallachian throne with the support of Hungary. Dracula reigned for second time from 1456 to 1462. During that period Dracula had his greatest battles against the Turks and also committed his most grisly crimes.In 1462 Dracula went to Transylvania to ask the assist of the King of Hungary when a Turkish army engulfed Wallachia. The Hungarian king, instead of offering his aid, imprisoned Dracula. Dracula managed to regain the esteem of the Hungarian king and in 1476 he once again invaded Wallachia. Dracula possessed the throne in November 1476 until December 1476 when he was killed in a battle against the Turks near Bucharest.

10. What term was commonly used at the time of Vlad III for the ruler of a principality in Eastern Europe?

From Quiz Vlad the Impaler

Answer: Voivode

The term "voivode" is Slavic in origin. The crown of Wallachia did not necessarily get passed from father to eldest son. At the end of a reign the new leader was elected by "boyars", who choose from those with "voivode blood". Boyars were a class of people just below that of royalty. They would be of noble origin, be land owners with serfs and would have a position with military/administration function. Even then they had to have the position bestowed by the prince. Mircea was actually the name of Vlad III's grandfather, Mircea the Elder.

11. After his victory in 1456, for how long did Vlad reign in Wallachia?

From Quiz Vlad Tepes

Answer: Six years

Vlad refused to pay tribute to the Ottoman sultan, even murdering two Ottoman envoys. He invaded Ottoman territory in 1462, and the Sultan sought to replace Vlad with his younger brother, Radu. Vlad fled to Hungary to seek support from the Hungarian King, Matthias Corvinus, who imprisoned him when presented by Wallachian nobles with letters allegedly written by Vlad to the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II, offering Vlad's support to the Ottomans.

12. Vlad the Impaler is said to have married twice. He had a son with his first wife known as Mihnea Cel Rau. What does his name mean?

From Quiz Vlad the Impaler

Answer: Mihnea the Evil

Vlad also had two children by his second wife, after his first wife supposedly committed suicide by jumping off a tower. His first-born son succeeded in becoming Prince of Wallachia.

13. For how long was Vlad imprisoned in Hungary?

From Quiz Vlad Tepes

Answer: Twelve years

In 1475, after being imprisoned in the castle of Visegrad for 12 years, Prince Stephen of Moldavia asked that Vlad be released to help drive the Ottomans out of Wallachia and Bosnia. Vlad fought in the Hungarian army in Bosnia, and then he and his allies drove the Ottoman puppet Besarab from Wallachia. Vlad's success was short-lived, as Besarab returned with Ottoman troops and re-took the throne. Vlad was killed in battle in January 1477.

14. To which military order, founded by King Sigismund of Hungary in 1408, did both Vlad and his father belong?

From Quiz Vlad Tepes

Answer: The Order of the Dragon

The Order of the Dragon was founded in 1408 by Sigismund of Luxembourg, who was the King of Hungary at the time. Modeled on the Crusader-era military orders, the members were sworn to defend Christianity and the Cross, and to fight the enemies of the King of Hungary, mainly the Ottoman Empire. Vlad's father was a member of this order, as was Vlad by right of birth. The order lost most of its power and influence after Sigismund died in 1437.

15. The daughter of a train driver, this Romanian singer was married to Italian tenor Roberto Alagna, is one of the most famous contemporary sopranos. She made her international debut as Zerlina ("Don Giovanni") in 1992 at Covent Garden.

From Quiz Romanians Away from Home

Answer: Angela Gheorghiu

Angela Gheorghiu was born in 1965 and she graduated from Bucharest Music Academy in 1989, the year when Romanian Revolution overthrew the Communist regime. This event made it possible for this talented and promising soprano to seek an international career. She has a particular affinity for the operas of Verdi and Puccini, some of the well known characters she played in her career being Violetta ("La Traviata"), Mimì ("La Bohème"), Juliette ("Roméo et Juliette"). One of her most frequent roles is Marguerite in "Faust". She was recently chosen the 74th most beautiful woman in the world by the magazine FHM - not necessarily a great pride, but an interesting fact. Lucia Popp and Maria Jeritza are sopranos too but not of Romanian origin. Nadia Comaneci is a Romanian gymnast.

16. Vlad's younger brother, Radu, was, like Vlad, held as a hostage by the Ottoman sultan. What was Radu's role during Vlad's struggle for the Wallachian throne?

From Quiz Vlad Tepes

Answer: Radu fought for the Sultan

Radu III, also known as Radu the Fair, converted to Islam during his captivity and later became a member of the Imperial Court. It was rumored that he had an intimate relationship with the Sultan. Radu led a cavalry unit in the Ottoman army and fought against his brother, becoming Prince of Wallachia on four different occasions from 1462-1475. Radu died in January 1475.

17. Vlad later married a woman who was related to Matthias Corvinus, the king of Hungary. What was her name?

From Quiz Vlad the Impaler

Answer: Ilona

It seems that Corvinus made an aggreement with Vlad to help him regain his throne. To strengthen the bond, Vlad was offered a royal bride. Vlad's wife was left with his three sons after his death. Mihnea, the eldest, was from his first marriage. He had two sons by his Hungarian wife -- Vlad, and a second whose name is unknown. Only Mihnea succeeded in gaining the Wallachian throne and ruled from 1508 to 1509. It is believed that he could be a comparable successor to his infamous {father;} known as 'Mihnea the Bad,' he had the reputation of cutting off the noses and lips of his political enemies. He was killed in 1510 on the steps of a church in Sibiu.

18. Why was impaling Dracula's favourite punishment?

From Quiz Vlad the Impaler

Answer: Because the death was slow.

Impalement was and is one of the most horrible ways of dying conceivable. There was usually a horse attached to each of the victim's legs while a sharpened stake was slowly forced into the body. The end of the stake was usually oiled and care was taken that the stake not be too {sharp;} else the victim might die too rapidly from shock. Normally the stake was inserted into the body through the buttocks and was forced through the body until it came out from the mouth. Death by impalement was slow and painful. Victims sometimes endured for hours or days. It appears that Vlad was determined at times to change it in ways that would ensure the longest possible period of suffering for the victim.

19. The novel "Dracula" by Bram Stoker is thought to have been inspired not only by Vlad III but also by a 16th century Hungarian Countess, who was rumoured to have murdered countless girls and young women and bathed in their blood. What was her name?

From Quiz Vlad the Impaler

Answer: Elizabeth Bathory

Elizabeth Bathory was known as the "Blood Countess". She was believed to be among the most prolific serial killers in history. It is said, in popular horror culture, that she bathed in the blood of virgins "to retain her youth". Though she was born in Hungary and her family had ties to the ruling class of Translyvania. (The exact number of her victims is not known). She is said to have tortured her victims before their deaths. It is thought that Bram Stoker's Dracula borrows from the stories of Elizabeth Bathory and Vlad III Dracula. Bathory's supposed 'pastimes' give rise to the idea of the thirst for blood.

20. During his three reigns as Prince of Wallachia, how many people is it estimated that Vlad had executed?

From Quiz Vlad Tepes

Answer: 40,000-100,000

While executions for almost any crimes were common in Wallachia at the time of Vlad's rule, Vlad took revenge on anyone that he suspected of aiding his enemies, especially people from the noble classes. It is thought that he had some 40,000 to 100,000 people put to death during his reigns, mostly by impalement.

21. In Romania Vlad III is remembered as what?

From Quiz Vlad the Impaler

Answer: A national hero

The name of Dracula was never linked with the myth of the vampire, outside of Stoker's novel. Although he was famous for his atrocities, in Romania, Dracula is remembered as a national hero who resisted the Turkish conquerors and defended Romanian national autonomy against the powerful Hungarian kingdom.

22. How is Vlad largely regarded in modern day Romania?

From Quiz Vlad Tepes

Answer: As a hero

Romanians today hold celebrations in Vlad's honor. He is regarded as a patriot who fought off the Ottomans and kept the country free. Many of the accounts of Vlad's cruelty come from the Ottomans and the ethnic German inhabitants of medieval Romania, who Vlad fought against for most of his life. While the tales of Vlad's behavior may be biased and embellished, he was probably no more cruel than his contemporaries.

23. Vlad was killed in battle in a forest just north of Bucharest under unclear circumstances. A Russian source claims that he was mistaken by one of his own men for a Turk and consequently killed. Where was his body buried?

From Quiz Vlad the Impaler

Answer: He was buried in a monastery.

Some sources claim that he was beheaded, and his head was taken back to the Sultan in Constantinople and displayed as a trophy. According to the tradition, his body was taken by monks to the Snagov Monastery and buried there close to the altar, in recognition of the fact that he had supplied funds for the monastery years earlier. However, excavations on the site during the early 1930s failed to reveal a burial site. Some suggest that he was buried elsewhere on the monastery site where indeed remains were found but have since disappeared. Others say that he is buried near the altar, but at a greater depth than was excavated. Yet others suggest he may have been buried in a different monastery altogether. No one knows for sure.

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Last Updated Oct 05 2024 5:51 AM
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