The vampire Count Dracula is believed to be based on a real person: Vlad III, a ruthless 15th-century Romanian prince, also known as Vlad the Impaler. Recent analysis of Vlad’s letters revealed a new reason why the ruler seemed so terrifying: He may have cried tears of blood!
Scientists from the University of Catania in Italy applied a special plastic film to Vlad’s letters. It allowed them to gently lift pieces of proteins—large biological molecules—off the delicate papers. Since proteins break down over time, the scientists were able to determine which were the oldest. These were most likely to be Vlad’s.
The researchers identified proteins linked to skin and respiratory issues, as well as a protein associated with hemolacria (hee-moh-LAK-ree-uh). This rare condition causes a person to produce bloody tears. “It must have contributed to his fearsome reputation,” says Vincenzo Cunsolo, a chemist who co-authored the study.