There are few fictional characters who have entrenched themselves so thoroughly in the popular imagination as Count Dracula. In the 10 episodes of The Real History of Dracula, folklorists Dr. Sara Cleto and Dr. Brittany Warman, of The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic, will shine a light into the dark recesses of our cultural obsession with vampires. Using folklore, literature, history, television, film, and more, Sara and Brittany will show you how—and why—vampires are a potent metaphor for what matters most about the human condition.
The Real History of Dracula
What can vampires teach us about being human?
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Esjohnso from
Such a fun course
This course was so much fun. I learned a lot about the subject, but also how it related to the societies that produced these legends. The two-teacher format was nice. I felt like I was listening to two very clever friends chatting. This was one of my favorite Great Courses EVER!
Date published: 2024-10-16
Rated 5 out of
5
by
fungcat from
This has been interesting course reminding me of the arts degree years ago. But what I feel now is the truth about the concept of the vampire is back the front for me, as my take on it is when you say ESSENCE, its really more about the towns folk sucking off the stillness and calm isolated broken shadow of the loner, the vampire to me is the real victim of the drama addicted people who are so wrapped up in their world to notice the loner needs help. After hearing the lectures it was shocking horror for me to finanally see the reversal truth, its the towns people, feeding off the vampire and sucking off the life of the vampire then the other way around! Or at least that is how I want to plot my vampire story some time to be, set around a piano graveyard. Its them draining the old insufferable one, they made him that way. That is how I feel. This is why I am doing this course. Thank you for letting me see the opposite at least.
Date published: 2024-08-29
Rated 1 out of
5
by
TiredOfPolitics from
Please, stop with the injection of narratives
I could not believe that, when watching a "Great Courses" offering on the history of Dracula that I had to endure a tirade accusing early 19th century European authors of being racist for not including people of color in the novels, including Dracula. What is most shocking about this inclusion of current certain virtue signaling narratives in such content is that the book doesn't actually mention anyone's race.
Date published: 2024-08-02
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Mr Dan from
Entertaining series
I really liked these lectures. Definitely did a good job of tying myths together and the influences on Bram Stoker. The professors were a little spooky which added to the courses charm!!!
Date published: 2024-05-28
Rated 5 out of
5
by
MadHun from
New Perspectives on "The Count"
As a 1st generation Hungarian-American, vampires are a subject near and dear to my heart (pun intended). I would note the historical fact that Transylvania (Erdely in the Hungarian language) was part of Hungary from time immemorial until 1920 when it was given to Romania as part of the tragic Treaty of Trianon. So Stoker's book took place in Hungary, not Romania. I would also note (pun intended) that the eminent Hungarian composer Bela Bartok wrote a one-act opera "Bluebeard's Castle" that is still regularly performed.
Anyway... I found this course to be excellent, well researched, especially in placing vampirism in its social, historical, and cultural context. The two-presenter format worked well for me, and the more informal style of delivery was a welcome change from the often stiff academic style.
That being said, there are a few previous comments that I agree with. Dr. Warman's giggling was a bit distracting, and I don't want to count the number of times I heard the words "exactly," "totally," and absolutely." Another issue is that the graphics were good, but then the same images kept reappearing over and over again, often for no apparent reason.
However, overall, I greatly enjoyed this course and learned much from it.
Date published: 2024-03-07
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Meenoo from
A Fascinating and Well-Researched Course!
This was such an interesting course on a fascinating topic! The professors are very knowledgeable and engaging. Their rapport with each other is positive and fun and you can tell they love the subject!
While I had some background knowledge on vampires and Dracula, I still learned a lot of new stuff about their connections to folklore, history, and pop culture. I highly recommend this Wondrium course and the professors' amazing online school, The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic!
Date published: 2023-12-11
Rated 5 out of
5
by
MaddieMira from
Fabulous Course!
A fascinating, well-rounded course! Dr Cleto and Dr Warman were clear, informative and entertaining in their delivery of information. The course was wonderfully in-depth, exploring vampiric history and folklore from many different angles while clearly tracing how vampires have changed within culture over time.
Date published: 2023-11-15
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Steven Aelfcyning from
Dracula in Literature and Popular Culture...
My heart bleeds for the reviewer who was expecting more about Vlad and less about Bram Stoker, but I would stake my reputation that this is a course one can sink one's teeth into. The professors clearly enjoy the topic and bring a wealth of research out in a well-organized series of presentations. No, it is not a lecture hall, it is a charming set, and yes, the graphics are a bit repetitive, but it remains thoroughly entertaining. It might be better to think of this as a folklore and literature course, rather than a history course. As such, it's time well spent. Oh, and I will never look at Snow White the same way again!
Date published: 2023-11-14
Overview
About
Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman are folklorists, teachers, and writers who cofounded The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic, where they show creative souls how to reenchant their lives through folklore and fairy tales. They both earned PhDs in English and Folklore from The Ohio State University. They have authored more than four dozen publications and lectured at venues such as the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Maryland Renaissance Festival. The Carterhaugh School won the Dorothy Howard Prize from the American Folklore Society.
Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman are folklorists, teachers, and writers who cofounded The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic, where they show creative souls how to reenchant their lives through folklore and fairy tales. They both earned PhDs in English and Folklore from The Ohio State University. They have authored more than four dozen publications and lectured at venues such as the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Maryland Renaissance Festival. The Carterhaugh School won the Dorothy Howard Prize from the American Folklore Society.
Trailer
01: Why Dracula Frightens and Seduces Us
Meet your experts, Sara and Brittany, and explore Dracula in popular culture, as well as the roots of the vampire in European folklore that preceded Bram Stoker’s creation. Close with a consideration of why the vampire is such a seductive yet terrifying monster and why it continues to have such a powerful presence in contemporary media.
27 min
02: Surprises from Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Dracula was first published in 1897 and was only moderately successful in the beginning. As you will see, over time, the novel changed the way we think about vampires and what they represent. Explore the creation of the novel, examine its plot and structure, and consider how it became such an integral part of Western culture and media.
26 min
03: Vampires and Bloodlust before Dracula
Examine the folkloric, literary, and historical sources that influenced Stoker’s creation of Dracula, including figures like Vlad the Impaler, the demon Lilith, Jack the Ripper, and others. Take a closer look at the Irish and Eastern European folklore traditions that likely inspired Stoker’s conception of the vampire.
25 min
04: How Dracula Became a Count
Prior to Dracula, most vampires were considered little more than overgrown leeches; so why did Stoker make his vampire an elegant, sophisticated count? Look back to the year 1816. Trace the origins of the prototype for the aristocratic, Byronic vampire that was born in John Polidori’s short story The Vampyre.
28 min
05: Vampire Romance On-Screen
One of the major contributing factors for the popularity of vampires, and Dracula in particular, is Dracula’s proximity to the birth of the film industry in the early 20th century. Consider the way the vampire has become more attractive and romantic in modern renditions and what these stories say about both our desires and our anxieties.
28 min
06: Why Dracula and Disease Travel Together
Vampires are not just monsters that can kill you—they are monsters you could become. As you will see, this association with contagion or infection taps into very specific anxieties about death, disease, endangering the community, and more. You will also see how Dracula and other vampire narratives have affected the real-world discourse of disease.
29 min
07: The Vampiric Threat from Abroad
Dracula is part of a tradition of the “imperial Gothic,” a sub-genre of the late Victorian period that often presented the fear of foreign invasion or loss of power through the lens of the supernatural. And consider: How do more recent vampire stories challenge the racist fears and imperial anxieties of their predecessors?
26 min
08: How to Kill a Vampire
Where did the typical weapons used against vampires—wooden stakes, garlic, and crosses—develop from? And why have the methods to fight vampires changed so much over time? Consider the traditions and superstitions that have been associated with vampires and see how Bram Stoker brought various sources together in his definitive vampire story.
25 min
09: Once Upon a Vampire
Vampires have found their way into numerous genres beyond horror and supernatural thrillers. Follow the vampire into the fairy tale and see what kind of shadow his presence casts there. Trace the parallels between vampire stories and several different versions of the famous fairy tales “Bluebeard” and “Snow White.”
25 min
10: The Vampires among Us
Close the course with a look at the impact of the vampire in the real world. From the harmless hobbies of legend tourism, vampire balls, and roleplaying games to the much darker realm of “vampire” serial killers, the allure of the vampire has crossed over from fiction into reality in a range of ways.
30 min
