The St. Gall Dracula Manuscript - 1500.

The Library Of St. Gallen, Switzerland. 

St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, Codice Sang. 806, p283 to p288.

This is another collection of stories concerning Vlad III Dracula that have emanated from the Michael Beheim poem of 1463 through the Dracole Waida of 1488 and into this work from 1500, I present this translation as an act of completion. It is not a total translation but the best I could achieve, it will certainly give you the gist of the original, which is housed in the St. Gallen Library in Switzerland.

King Caspar of Hungary sent old Daniel to the land of the Turks, and he had him say that he should bring him the Turk's tribute, which he had formerly promised to give every year.

Then Daniel went to the Turks and brought the tribute and gave it. But the Turks were angry about this, and they wished to seize the land of Wallachia.

And there was a lord named Dracula, who sat in that land as prince.

Then they began to quarrel with him and seized some of his people. But Dracula caused them to be seized again and punished.

Then they came again with an army and wanted to drive him out of the land. But he resisted them bravely and did them much harm.

Then the Turks marched into Wallachia with a great host. Dracula had his people withdrew into the forests and mountains and left the country empty.

Thus the Turks came into the land and found nothing to take. They burned villages and took prisoners wherever they could find them.

But Dracula followed them continually with his men and attacked them, often by night.

And he caused great fear among them, so that they did not know where they were safe. Then he set traps for them in the roads and in the woods. 

And many Turks were taken and impaled. He also caused many of them to be burned and others to be flayed.

And he did many strange things in order to frighten the Turks.

Then the Turks gathered themselves together and made a great army. They marched into the land again with many soldiers and many weapons.

Dracula ordered his people to burn the villages and destroy the food so that nothing should remain for the Turks.

And then he had the wells poisoned so that the Turks could not drink. When the Turks came into the land they found nothing except burned places.

Many of them died of hunger and thirst.

Then Dracula fell upon them with his men and killed many of them. And he took prisoners and had them impaled.

The Turks became greatly afraid of him.

Wherever they marched, they found impaled men. Some were still alive upon the stakes and cried out terribly. Others were already dead.

And the number of those impaled was very great. Thus the Turks could not endure it and many of them fled.

And they said that the prince of Wallachia was cruel and terrible beyond measure.

Yet he did all this because the Turks had invaded his land. 

There was also in the land a great army of Turks that had come with the Sultan.

They encamped near the city and intended to fight Dracula. But Dracula attacked them at night.

He had his men put on Turkish clothing and go among the enemy. Thus they came into the camp without being recognised.

And they struck the Turks in their tents and killed many of them. Great confusion arose among the Turks.

Some believed their own people were attacking them. Others fled in fear. Many were slain that night.

Then Dracula withdrew again into the mountains with his men.

After this the Turks did not dare to pursue him far into the land.

They remained near the border and sent word to the Sultan about what had happened. And they reported how many of their people had been killed.

Thus the land remained under the rule of Dracula.

.....On the third day

And they experienced that he came wall storming and with ladders, and knew also well the chaplains and the others who were therein.

He had them all killed whom he had found therein, and had them cut to pieces, and that town he had completely burned down with the people inside.

And, as one says, in total there were thirty thousand persons.

Anno Domini 1462.

Then Dracula came into the great city....... There he had killed more than five and twenty thousand people, all of the Christian folk there.

There were also taken all the greatest lords and princes.

The Hungarians were waging war in the meantime.

The Turks desired that Dracula should remain in the lands.

But Dracula would not and commanded that all should depart from the court. And he gathered himself and came secretly and seized the Turkish emperor's people who were in that place.

The Dracula had them all executed.

He also let many people be seized and did not spare them.

Also he had them impaled.

Then messengers came from the Turkish lord; they were slain and impaled in Wallachia.

Also a great number were taken whom he had roasted and flayed.

Then an army came against him which was very large, and he went out against them. And he let them into Wallachia with cunning, so that he might destroy them.

He had many of them seized; he had some cut to pieces. Then he had them impaled on stakes, and among them some of the highest lords.

Also he had many burned.

Then it happened in the land that many people fled. He took the old and the young and had them burned.

The women he had their breasts cut off and their children fastened upon them. And thus he had them burned together.

Then he did also to the poor people who remained in the land. After that, as they complained, he had them all burned in a house, in total a hundred persons.

Then he had the young roasted and measured the mothers by them. And he had the women's breasts cut off; these he gave the children to eat.

Then it happened that a monk came to him and reproved him for it. And said that it was not right.

Then he spoke: "It is the custom of my land."

The monk answered him that he should cease from such custom.

Then Dracula became angry and had a nail driven through his head. And he had him fixed there with the nail. And thus he remained, as an example.