Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Transylvania in popular culture

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Transylvania in popular culture

Largely as a result of the success of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Transylvania has become a popular setting for gothic horror fiction, and most particularly vampire fiction. In some later books and movies Stoker's Count Dracula was conflated with the historical Vlad Dracula, also known as Vlad III the Impaler (1431–1476), who though most likely born in the Transylvanian city of Sighișoara, ruled over neighboring Wallachia.

Contents

Books

  • According to some versions of the story, the Pied Piper of Hamelin took the children of Hamelin to Transylvania. The story may be an attempt to explain the Ostsiedlung of the Transylvanian Saxons in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
  • Dracula, a novel by Bram Stoker. Much of the early action is set in Transylvania, the homeland of the title character.
  • Many important figures in Hungarian and Romanian literature came from Transylvania and treated the region extensively in their works. These writers include the Hungarians Áron Tamási, Albert Wass, and Károly Kós and the Romanians Liviu Rebreanu and Ioan Slavici. The "Transylvanian trilogy" of historical novels by the Hungarian Miklós Bánffy is an extended treatment of the region's social and political history during the 19th and early 20th century.
  • Carpathian Castle, a book by Jules Verne. The action is set in a small village of Transylvania.
  • Überwald, a fictional region in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series that is partly based on Transylvania. The name, meaning "across the forest," is a literal translation of "Transylvania" from Latin into German.
  • The Historian, a novel by Elizabeth Kostova. Part of the book is set in Transylvania, where the main characters search for clues about Dracula.
  • The Sight by David Clement-Davies is set in Transylvania, the book involving a wolf pack and their quest to stop a lone wolf.
  • The Keep, a 1981 novel by F. Paul Wilson.
  • In the Harry Potter series Transylvania has a Quidditch team.
  • In the Left Behind series, the head of the global government, the Global Community, is a man named Nicolae Carpathia, who reigns from the Transylvania region of Romania.

    • Movies

  • Nosferatu (1922)
  • Transylvania 6-5000, a 1963 Bugs Bunny cartoon and a 1985 horror movie parody.
  • Dracula (1931) starring Transylvanian Bela Lugosi
  • Dracula's Daughter (1936), (partially)
  • Assorted Hammer Horrors (c. 1950)
  • My Fair Lady (1964) - although not shown in a horrific way, during the embassy ball the "Royal Family of Transylvania" makes an appearance
  • The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)
  • Young Frankenstein (1974)
  • The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) - a parody of horror and sci-fi movies, featuring characters from a distant galaxy called Transylvania
  • Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979)
  • The Transylvanians series is a trilogy of Romanian Red Western films featuring Transylvanians in the Wild West
  • The Prophet, the Gold and the Transylvanians (1978)
  • The Actress, the Dollars and the Transylvanians (1979)
  • The Oil, the Baby and the Transylvanians (1981)
  • The Keep (1983)
  • The Howling 2: Your sister is a Werewolf (1983)
  • Transylvania Twist (1989)
  • Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)
  • Van Helsing (2004)
  • Transylvania, a 2006 French film about a young woman who travels to Transylvania looking for a lost love
  • Castlevania (TBA)
  • Hotel Transylvania (2012)

    • Television programs

  • Transylvania is Count von Count's birthplace.
  • Transylvania is the main setting for the animated series Count Duckula.
  • Transylvania is one of the main settings for Wizards vs. Werewolves, a Wizards of Waverly Place episode.
  • Transylvania is referenced in the classic Doctor Who episode "The Curse of Fenric."

    • Animation

  • Transylvania is Count Duckula's residence
  • In the Teen Wolf cartoon, Transylvania is the origin country of main character Scott Howard's grandparents.
  • Dr. Zitbag's Transylvania Pet Shop
  • In the Ben 10: Omniverse episode: Galactic Monsters, an alien world called Anur Transyl is based on Transylvania. The inhabitants of the planet, the Transylians, resemble Frankenstein's monster, while Loboan, who live on Anur Transyl's moon, resemble werewolves. There is another Alien species called known as Vladats, and due to the pun on the name Vlad III the Impaler and the word bat, they most likely resemble vampires, but they have long since died out before the start of the episode.

    • Video games

  • Most Castlevania games revolve around the epic struggle between the Belmont lineage and Count Dracula who resides in Transylvania.
  • In Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge, Transylvania is said to be the ancestral home of Yuri. It is also featured as the map in the final mission of the Soviet Campaign.
  • In Bugs Bunny and Taz Time Busters, there is a Transylvanian era where the main boss is a vampire.
  • In Transylvania (computer game), the nation is the setting of the trilogy of graphic adventure games.
  • It is a location in Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, where Blade the Vampire Hunter can be found and be playable, and where Venom is fought as a boss.
  • A level in Twisted Metal: Head On centered on a fictional castle in Transylvania.
  • The DuckTales video game has a level set in Transyvania, with ghosts and skeletons as enemies and a vampire as the level boss.
  • Soviet Strike has a level set in an irradiated area of Transylvania, containing small "rivers" of radioactive material scattered around the terrain.
  • In Funcom's Conspiracy/Horror MMORPG The Secret World, Translyvania is included as an explorable region.

    • Songs and albums

  • Enchanting Transylvania, from comedian Lenny Bruce's album Interviews Of Our Times
  • Trip To Trancesylvania [sic], an album by X-Dream
  • "Transilvania" by Czech hard rock/gothic rock group XIII. Století.
  • "Transylvania" an instrumental song by Iron Maiden, that was also covered by Iced Earth on the concept album Horror Show
  • "Transylvania 90210" is an album and song by Wednesday 13.
  • "Transylvanian Concubine" by Rasputina, remixed by Marilyn Manson, can be found on the soundtrack from Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
  • "Transylvanian Forest" by the Polish blackened death metal band Behemoth (band)
  • "Transylvania" by American rapper Tyler, The Creator
  • "Transilvanian Hunger" by the Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone
  • "Shadows over Transylvania" by Swedish black metal band Dark Funeral
  • "Transylvania Transmission Pt1" by Rob Zombie
  • "Transylvania" by McFly on their third album Motion In The Ocean
  • "Transylvania" is a song by The Coffinshakers, a Swedish horror country/rock band whose lyrics focus almost exclusively on vampires and the undead.
  • "Welcome to Transylvania" and "Transylvania Mania" are songs in the Mel Brooks musical Young Frankenstein.
  • Many of Cradle of Filth's songs reference Transylvania in relation to Bram Stoker's Dracula

    • Webcomics

  • A "Transylvania Polygnostic University", or "Trans Poly U", is featured, with some degree of prominence, in the webcomic Girl Genius.

    • References

    Transylvania in popular culture Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA