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WARNING!  Not for weak stomachs!  You may be grossed out!

This episode is about two military characters of history who may have served as inspiration for two famous pieces of literature - Vlad the Impaler for Dracula by Bram Stoker, and the historical character of Tamerlane for Tamerlane by Edgar Allan Poe.

• Why is this episode so gross?
• Where did Stoker get the name “Dracula”
• What was Vlad’s favorite means of torture?
• How was Vlad the Impaler a champion of a certain kind of “law and order?”
• Approximately how many people did Genghis Khan kill?
• Approximately how many people did Tamerlane kill?
• How does Poe change the historical Tamerlane?
• What is a hippodrama?  Does it use hippos?

0:00 Introduction 
02:55 Vlad the Impaler and Count Dracula
03:59 Romania 
05:10 A few facts about Vlad
07:30 “We will release you, but not your sons"
08:55 Impalements and other forms of torture 
13: 07 Legends and opinions about Vlad the Impaler
16:32 Historical Tamerlane and Poe (Introduction)
18:44 Genghis Khan background 
20:22 Enter Timur (Tamerlane)
22:59 Destruction of Bagdad and Delhi
25:30 Edgar Allan Poe Connection
25:55 Horse-spectacles and hippodramas
28:22 Research and reproduction of script
30:53 Poe and his disregard of the historical Tamerlane
33:25 Sources
34:43 Future episodes
35:19 Outro

Thank you for experiencing Celebrate Creativity.