Who are the Brides of Dracula?!

Dracula has been explored with his story tied to an inspiration, Vlad the Impaler, but what is left out is when and why he made his brides vampires! First, we have to go back to Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel. The brides are described by Stoker in Jonathan Harker’s journal, 16 May, as “three young women, ladies by their dress and manner.” It is thought they are nobles, possibly of Dracula’s court. Two of them seem to be from Transylvania, “Two were dark, and had high aquiline noses, like the Count, and great, dark piercing eyes.” The leader, allowed by the others to take the blood of Jonathan, is told, “yours is the right to begin.” She is described by Jonathan pretending to sleep, “The other was fair, as fair can be, with great wavy masses of golden hair and eyes like pale sapphires.” 

The leader appears to be of a different origin than the others, they all speak English, and there are Romanian blonde-haired women. It could be they were from the Transylvanian Saxons that supported Vlad the Impaler. Possibly, she is from neighboring Moldavia which was visited by Vlad. She is defiant to Dracula when he reminds them that he has forbidden them from taking Jonathan’s blood. She says, “You yourself never loved; you never love!” It seems like the leader is saying this like a rejected lover. Which may be why Dracula leaves them at the castle to go to Whitby, England. Later, we find their fate with Van Helsing in his memorandum. He recounts finding their graves and takes their heads turning their bodies to dust. This may be that the brides are actually decades old. 

Still, who are these vampire women? In “Dracula’s Guest” part of the short story collection, Dracula’s Guest and Other Weird Stories (1914). An Englishman who is thought to be Jonathan Harker heads to Transylvania from Munich. He finds a tomb of Countess Dolingen of Gratz who “sought and found death”, in 1801. Lightning destroys the tomb. The novel was published in 1897 so it is possible that the brides are almost a hundred years old! Vlad the Impaler died around 1476 to 1477. He had an unknown first wife. His second wife was Justina Szilágyi, princess consort of Wallachia. It is interesting because we have two women, Lucy Westenra, and of course Mina Murray. 

Still, three wives?, one of the supposed inspirations for Dracula is Elizabeth Báthory, the Hungarian Countess. She said to be a serial killer, called the Blood Countess, who died in 1614. She featured in Dracula The Un-dead (2009), set in 1911, by Dacre Stoker, the great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker. Possibly all noblewomen. In film, Dracula (1931), the actresses, no dialogue are; Geraldine Dvorak, Cornelia Thaw, and Dorothy Tree. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) had the brides played by Monica Bellucci, Michaela Bercu, and Florina Kendrick. The Brides of Dracula (1960) is a Hammer Film that has Baron Meinster (David Peel) who has turned into a vampire by Dracula. Marianne Danielle (Yvonne Monlaur) is a French schoolteacher who finds herself in the castle. 

The baron kills his mother, Baroness Meinster (Martita Hunt), and then the servant, Greta (Freda Jackson), making them both into vampires. They are confronted by Doctor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing). One of the most developed parts for Dracula’s brides is in Van Helsing (2004). It’s basically Robert E. Howard’s Solomon Kane facing the Universal Monsters. In 1887, Gabriel Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman) heads to a Transylvanian village to confront Verona (Silvia Colloca), Marishka (Josie Maran), and Aleera (Elena Anaya). 

The best exploration of Dracula's brides is from novelist, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and her series, Sisters of the Night. The first book is The Angry Angel (1998) which features Kelene, daughter of a merchant. A noblewoman, Fenice Zuchar, is the subject of the second book, The Soul of an Angel (1999). Still, the trilogy is incomplete and it would be great to read about the last bride. In 2020, there was a series entitled The Brides that was cancelled. It was to star Gina Torres who would play Cleo Phillips, the leader of the women. The writer/executive producer was Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. He created the Riverdale series. 

I wonder if this show will transform into another form like a television movie. The other stars were Erin Richards, Goran Visnjic, and Katherine Reis. The series was contemporary and did feature Dracula, it would be more fascinating going to the classic setting. Delving back into the origin of Dracula’s brides is interesting. Why he married them as a vampire, over love he had in life?, or to hide his vampire nature? Did he make the leader a vampire and then found the other two women? The story of Dracula’s brides has potential for horror, romance, jealousy, in their dark origins! 

 #BridesOfDracula, #BramStoker, #JonathanHarker, #VladTheImpaler, #DraculasGuest, #CountessDolingen, #JustinaSzilagyi, #ElizabethBathory, #DraculaTheUndead, #DacreStoker, #GeraldineDvorak, CorneliaThaw, #DorothyTree, #BramStokersDracula, #MonicaBellucci, #MichaelaBercu, #FlorinaKendrick, #TheBridesOfDracula, #BaronMeinster, #DavidPeel, #MarianneDanielle 

#YvonneMonlaur, #BaronessMeinster, #MartitaHunt, #Greta, #FredaJackson, #DoctorVanHelsing, #PeterCushing, #VanHelsing, #GabrielVanHelsing, #HughJackman, #Verona, #SilviaColloca, #Marishka, #JosieMaran, #Aleera, #ElenaAnaya, #ChelseaQuinnYarbro, #SistersOfTheNight, #TheAngryAngel, #Kelene, #TheSoulOfAnAngel, #FeniceZuchar, #TheBrides, #RobertoAguirreSacasa, #GinaTorres, #ErinRichards, #GoranVisnjic, #KatherineReis