Howdy key lovers!
Today's honorary key has a story that comes with a twinge of
mystery and a dash of horror. Attention bibliophiles,
today's post is for you!
The Count's Key
Bran Castle
is a mighty fortress nestled between the regions of Transylvania and Wallachia
in central Romania. But the Bran fortress
is not just any castle; it has been given the title of Dracula's Castle. Dracula,
a novel written by Bram Stoker in 1897, describes a castle in Transylvania with
geographic surroundings very similar to Bran Castle. While Bran Castle is not crumbling into ruins
like the fictional castle described in the horror novel, it nevertheless bears
a likeness to the description of Count Dracula's castle. The character of Dracula and his eerie
dwelling is mesmerizing to anyone who loves a good horror novel. Stoker's description of Count Dracula gave
rise to the myth of vampires, as well as the modern day definition of a
vampire. And while Count Dracula himself
is a terrifying being, the setting of the story is the icing on the horror
cake. The disturbing description of a
seemingly haunted castle--from which those who enter never return--adds heaps
of suspense to the story by giving readers a sense of uncertainty. We all know that a home can be just as creepy
as the person or people living in it...
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| Bran Castle in Romania |
Here at the Baldpate, we know a little something about the
significance of novella to buildings, seeing as our story comes from the novel The Seven Keys to Baldpate. The story behind a structure, fictional or not,
gives a building character and transforms it from a place to an
experience. That being said, Dracula's
Castle is a place of great significance to horror fans everywhere. The key to a secret passage from the well to
the royal garden of Dracula's Castle now resides in the key room of the
Baldpate Inn. Gifted by Alexandra
Claudia Leonte, one of our former museum curators from Romania, the key is over
nine inches long and exhibits a very intricate design on its bit. This key is treasured for its literary and
historical significance, and we are proud to display it for guests here in the
key room.
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| *Key donated by Alexandra Leonte and the managers of Bran Castle* |
And for
those who really love a good haunting, catch this: although Count Dracula is a
fictitious character, people living in the village of Bran believe that evil
spirits actually exist in the village.
It is believed that these spirits show themselves as normal people
during the day, but have another personality that comes out at night to haunt
people. The many mysterious
circumstances that have historically surrounded the village of Bran gave rise
to the town's haunted folklore, but it is up to you to decide how much truth
lies in these legends!
Blog written by:
Alicia Byers
Museum Curator, The Baldpate Inn
References:
Images:
Camping Transylvania
