The Illuminati Plans for U.S. 2001 - 2010

-Elimination of fuel reserves;
-Creation of severe weather patterns designed to consume the remaining fuel;
-Utilities will be unable to cope with the demand;
-Regional natural disasters so large that local and civil authorities are unable to handle them;
-Rioting and chaos in major US cities;
-Polarization of minorities creating a call from the minorities for a need for segregation;
-Martial Law declared to restore order;
-Economic/stock market collapse as a result of the disasters, lack of utilities, and planned chaos;
-President will enact Executive Orders that in effect, will rescind the Constitution and civil rights;
-The United Nations will be called in to restore order. This comes with waves of Chinese, Russian, and German troops;
-Dissidents will be shipped for re-education to huge concentration camps already in place in the United States and Canada;
-The United Nations declares that the US is too large to be administered as is, and will order it to be split into two districts; Eastern and Western;
-The Eastern district capital will be Atlanta. The Western district capital will be Denver. This is why government offices and international super-airports were built in these two cities;
-Washington D. C. will becomes an illuminati cultural site and possibly even a religious center for them;
-New York City will be declared the United Nations Capital city for the Earth and given special status. This is why New York State is called the ´Empire State´;
-Undesirables will be eliminated via chemtrails "mosquito spraying," flu shots and other inoculations;
-Radicals will be eliminated (if all goes according to their plans);
-Programming Centers will become standard sites for children to visit - Montauk Point, Santa Fe, Yelm, and Huntsville Space Center;
-All air force bases will be staging areas;
-National parks will be declared International Sites and come under United Nations jurisdiction (done);
-All people will be issued identity cards that will contain their DNA.

For more information about that I recommend you Zeitgeist documentary. 

The Illuminati Society ( IV )

At the same time that their goals seemed within their grasp, Weishaupt and Knigge fell into a sharp disagreement about the correct manner of proceeding with their master plan; and in April 1784, Knigge withdrew from the Illuminati, leaving Weishaupt the supreme commander of the increasingly powerful society. Later in that same year, a number of initiates who had reached the highest level within the Illuminati became disillusioned when the special supernatural communication from a higher source that Weishaupt had promised had still not manifested after eight years of membership in the society. It now became obvious to them that Weishaupt had only sought to use them as blind instruments for the achievement of his political ambitions. The Illuminati was denounced as a subversive organization by many of its former members, some of whom informed the duchess dowager Maria Anna of Bavaria and the Bavarian monarch, Carl Theodore, that the society sought the overthrow of church and state.

In June 1784, Carl Theodore issued an edict outlawing all secret societies in his provinces. In March 1785, another edict specifically condemned the Illuminati. Weishaupt had already fled to a neighboring province in February, 1785, where he hoped to inspire the loyal members of the Illuminati to continue as a society. In 1787, the duke of Bavaria issued a final edit against the Order of the Illuminati, and Weishaupt apparently faded into obscurity. Although he never realized his goal of a German Republic and the overthrowing of the European monarchies, the sparks that he had ignited with the Illuminati would soon burst into the flames of the French Revolution in 1789.

The Illuminati Society ( III )

Weishaupt had taken great care to enlist as many young men of wealth and position as possible, maintaining that philanthropy, as well as mysticism, was a principal goal of the society. He had also managed to create around himself a great aura of mystery, permitting himself to be seen by none but those in the highest ranks of the society, encouraging the myth that he was an adept of such great power that he existed largely as an invisible presence. Initiates into the ranks of the Illuminati underwent secret rites, wore bizarre costumes, and participated in grotesque ceremonies that were designed to give complete obedience to Weishaupt. Soon the Illuminati became a force to be reckoned with behind the scenes in Germany's political life, and its members worked secretly to over-throw both church and state.

As their influence as a secret society grew, Weishaupt and Knigge became concerned that a good many authorities were beginning to take seriously the rumors of the existence of the Illuminati. If it should be proven that the society existed in fact, certain of the more powerful German princes would take immediate steps to suppress it. To hide the society even more completely from the scrutiny of public view, the leaders implemented Weishaupt's original plan of grafting the Illuminati onto the larger brotherhood of the Freemasons. The Illuminati were already utilizing the classes and grades of Freemasonry, so the initiates of the Illuminati would easily amalgamate with the more established society. To appear to become one with the Freemasons would allow Illuminism to spread more widely and rapidly, and Weishaupt and Knigge had great confidence that they would soon attain complete control over the blended organizations.The hierarchy within the Freemasons were not long in discovering that the two interlopers had joined the fraternal brotherhood with less than honorable motives, and in 1782, a group within the Masons called the Strict Observance demanded that a council be held at Wilhelmsbad to examine the true beliefs of Weishaupt and the Illuminati. Knigge's powers of persuasion effectively blocked the attempt of the Strict Observance contingent to expel Illuminism from their society, and he managed to enroll almost all the members of the council in the Illuminati. By 1784, Illuminati membership had risen to 3,000, and the secret society appeared on the verge of assuming control of the entire Masonic establishment.

The Illuminati Society ( II )

The term "Illuminati" was first used by Spanish occultists toward the end of the fifteenth century to signify those alchemists and magicians who appeared to possess the "light" of spiritual illumination from a higher source. The term may have originated in the Gnostic dualism of the forces of Light and Darkness, and many individuals who claimed to be Illuminati, those enlightened by a higher wisdom, joined the Rosicrucians and took refuge in France to escape the fires of the Spanish Inquisition.

The secret society known as the Order of the Illuminati was founded in the city of Ingolstadt in the southern German monarchy of Bavaria on May 1, 1776 by Adam Weishaupt, a 28-year-old professor of religious law. Beginning with only five members, Weishaupt's order grew slowly, numbering about 60 in five cities by 1780. The professor deliberately blended mysticism into the workings of the brotherhood in order to make his agenda of republicanism appear to be more mysterious than a political reform group. He joined the Masons in Munich in 1777 and adopted many of their classes and orders and promised his initiates that they would receive a special communication of occult knowledge as they advanced higher in the ranks of the Illuminati.

Weishaupt's society had little effect on the German political structure until 1780 when he attracted the interest of Adolf Francis, the Baron Von Knigge, a master occultist and a man who had risen to the highest levels in many of the secret societies that preceded the Illuminati, including the Masons. Knigge had no problem melding his interest in the super-natural with Weishaupt's goal of political revolution, and the two men quickly established branches of the Illuminati throughout all of Germany. A few months after Knigge had joined Weishaupt's cause, membership in the Illuminati swelled to 300.

The Illuminati Society ( I )

For many conspiracy theorists, the Illuminati is the ultimate secret society, a group that stretches its tentacles of control to encompass the entire world. According to these theorists, the members of the Illuminati are the real rulers of the world, and they have been pulling the strings from behind the political scenes for centuries. They have infiltrated every government and every aspect of society around the planet—and some say that their ultimate goal is to accomplish a satanic New World Order, a one-world government, that will prepare Earth's citizens for the coming of the Antichrist.

Although such paranoid claims make for exciting reading, the Illuminati of history, rather than legend, was a secret society formed in Bavaria in 1776 with the political goal of encouraging rebellion of the people and the abolition of the established monarchies. Structuring the society along the lines of the classes and orders of the Freemasons, the Illuminati included levels of enlightenment that could be achieved by undergoing initiation through various mystical rites and ceremonies. Although the society's founder, a professor of religious law named Adam Weishaupt, sought to establish a new world order in the late eighteenth-century, the Illuminati was destroyed within 15 years of its founding.

Egyptian Astrology

In the beginning, astrology and religion were very closely connected. Astronomy and astrology were the same science--the split came only during modern times when it became expedient for the Church to redirect attention toward dogma and the scientific schools were looking to elevate logical study of the heavens by displacing the current science, much the same way allopathic medicine has displaced naturopathic medicine. Long before recorded history, the stars, sun, moon, eclipses, etc., were studied by men who charted the heavens and helped their contemporaries to understand the events and goings-on as they endured and celebrated with the "as above, so below" philosophy that still does and always will prevail in astrological thought. Because of these attempts to harness the knowledge of the heavens, calenders were made possible. Eventually, the ancient star mappers were able to see the power each of the planets, the sun , the moon and even the eclipses had on people and nations here below. The sun, being the most powerful, correlates to the individual or nation as a representation of self, which is why sun sign astrology has become so popular.

Egyptian astrology

From about 3,000 BCE to 300 BCE, astrology and religion were synonymous in practice with the priests holding the knowledge of the heavens. The main focus of life in Egypt was the Nile River and it is not surprising that water is a basic imagery used in Egyptian astrology. The sky became a large river (a goddess named Nut) and the lesser gods crossed the sky-river in boats. From this came the custom of supplying deceased pharaohs, with all they would need to cross the great river. The Egyptians believed the sun god controlled the Nile River and made it possible for the Nile to flood its banks making agriculture possible. The moon and Venus held superior places also.
In the beginning, the Egyptians divided the sky into 36 sections. These 36 sections became what the Greek astrologers called the dekanoi (ten days apart) and come down to us in tact as the decanates, which we still use today. Later, the sky was divided into 12 sections and each section was given a name and assigned three stars. Each was given a boat to cross the sky river. There as a special deity or god for each month and each day of the year.
Individual chart forecasting using the date of birth was first developed by the Egyptians in the 5th century BCE. Until that time astrology was used, as in other cultures, to predict wide-scale common events like weather, war, famine and leadership issues.

Egyptians - The History of Cheops Pyramid

The Cheops Pyramid, which at 2005 is the largest and the oldest pyramid in the Giza Necropolis. It also is widely known as the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Pyramid of Khufu.

Built in 2560 BC it is of this date the oldest and largest pyramid in the Giza Necropolis. Bordering in what is now known as El Giza, the Cheops Pyramid is known to have been built within a 20 year period. For over 3,800 years the Great Pyramid is known to be the tallest man – made structure in the world. Originally it is covered by on outer core made of casing of stones that formed a smooth outer surface, today what visitors can see is only the inner core as time has already worn out the outer surface.

It is believed that the Cheops Pyramid was intended for the burial site of the fourth dynasty pharaoh Khufu. Estimated to have consists of about 2.3 million blocks it is a massive architectural feat.

Even for 3,800 years the Cheops Pyramid is the tallest man-made structure unsurpassed even by the construction of the Lincoln Cathedral which is 160 meter tall (including the spire) built in 1300. Not only that the accuracy of the Cheops Pyramid is an amazing workmanship that the four sides of the base  have an average error of only 58 millimeters in length. This is again a testament of the detailed workmanship of the architects and workers during the ancient time.

Egyptians - The origins

 Ancient Egypt was a civilization that was made along the lower part of the Nile River in the north. The ancient Egyptian civilization lasted for nearly three millennia and ended upon the conquest of Alexander the Great. Women, men and children played a vital role in the civilization of ancient Egypt. In addition, a big part of the civilization was water. Dark soil was deposited by the flood of the Nile River and that is why Egypt was known as “the black land.” 


The name Egypt means "Two Lands," reflecting the two separate kingdoms of Upper and Lower prehistoric Egypt - Delta region in the north and a long length of sandstone and limestone in the south. In 3000 B.C., a single ruler, Menes, unified the entire land and set the stage for an impressive civilization that lasted 3,000 years. He began with the construction of basins to contain the flood water, digging canals and irrigation ditches to reclaim the marshy land. From these earliest of times, so important was the cutting of a dam that the event was heralded by a royal ceremony. King Menes is credited with diverting the course of the Nile to build the city of Memphis on the site where the great river had run. By 2500 B. C., an extensive system of dikes, canals and sluices had developed. It remained in use until the Roman occupation, 30 B.C. - 641 A.D


There have been recent studies that show the Egyptians are related to the North African regions. The kings of the ancient Egyptian times were called Pharaoh’s. The pharaoh’s reigns went between 3000 BC and 30 BC. For a number of different reasons, the Egyptian government imposed taxes on the people in Egypt. During the ancient Egyptian period, there was no type of currency; therefore, taxes were paid by work. The type of work that would be done all depended on the person. Every individual that lived in Egypt was expected to pay the tax by doing work for the public for at least a couple of weeks out of the year. Some of the work that was done involved mining and digging canals. A rich noble was able to hire a not so wealthy individual to do their tax.

During the ancient Egyptian times, there was the ever so famous hieroglyphic, which was a writing system. Hieroglyphics are known for being the earliest writing system in the world. Until the introduction of Christianity, the Egyptian magicians and the Egyptian priests used spells and magic. In ancient Egypt, there have been a few changes that have been noticeable. For instance, 2580 BC was the Great Pyramid of Giza. Ancient Egypt is one of those times where you would just have to be there in order to fully grasp and understand the knowledge. No one living today is able to describe fully the civilization of ancient Egypt as it truly was. All we are able to do is go by the records that were left behind by the Egyptians and make our own comprehension out of them. 

Dracula - The Legend ( IV )

» Dracula – Beyond the Legend

Bram Stoker’s inspiration

Vlad Tepes was born in 1428 in the fortress city of Sighisoara. His father, Vlad Dacul, was the military governor of Transylvania and had become a member of the Order of the Dragon a year before. The Order, similar to the Order of the Teutonic Knights, was a semi-military and religious organization established in 1387 in Rome in order to promote Catholic interests and crusades.

The Order is relevant for the legend, mainly because it explains the name of Dracula. For his deeds, the Order of the Dragon was bestowed upon him, hence the title Dracul (the Latin word for dragon is draco). While in medieval lure dragons served as symbols of independence, leadership, strength and wisdom, the biblical association of the devil with the serpent that tempted Adam and Eve gave the snake-like dragon connotations of evil. Thus, the Romanian word Dracul stands in English for both dragon and devil. Dracula, the title of Vlad Tepes,translates as Son of Dracul.

Moreover, the ceremonial uniform of the Order – black cloak over red accouterment – was Bram Stocker’ source of inspiration for Count Dracula’s look.

But how did Bram Stoker’s story turn into a myth? A partial explanation is provided by the circumstances under which the book was written and received. A genuine epidemic of “vampirism” had hit Eastern Europe at the end of the 17th century and continued throughout the 18th century. The number of reported cases soared dramatically, especially in the Balkans. Then, the epidemic traveled west to Germany, Italy, France, England and Spain. Travelers returning from the East would tell stories about the undead, which helped keep the interest in vampires alive. Western philosophers and artists tackled the issue ever more often. Bram Stoker’s novel came as the pinnacle of a long series of works based on tales coming from the East. Back then, most readers were certain that the novel had been inspired by real facts and that its story was perhaps just a bit romanticized. 

Who was Vlad Dracula?

An Intriguing Figure in The Fifteenth Century
by Benjamin Hugo Leblanc - EPHE-Sorbonne (Paris) & Laval University (Quebec) Count

Dracula is more than 100 years old and still alive! Of course, almost everybody has heard about this Nosferatu: through movies featuring Max Schreck, Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee or Gary Oldman; in several books, including the recent Vampire Chronicles of Anne Rice, or even in bedtime stories told to us in our childhood. We all have an idea of who or what the Count is. However, on the other hand, Vlad Tepes (Dracula), the historical figure who inspired Bram Stoker’s novel, is definitely less well-known.

Vlad Tepes was born in December 1431 in the fortress of Sighisoara, Romania. Vlad's father, governor of Transylvania, had been inducted into the Order of the Dragon about one year before. The order — which could be compared to the Knights of the Hospital of St. John or even to the Teutonic Order of Knights — was a semi-military and religious society, originally created in 1387 by the Holy Roman Emperor and his second wife, Barbara Cilli. The main goal of such a secret fraternal order of knights was to protect the interests of Christianity and to crusade against the Turks. The boyars of Romania associated the dragon with the Devil and decided to call Vlad's father "Dracul," which in the Romanian language means "Devil;" "Dracula" is a diminutive, meaning "the son of the Devil."

In the winter of 1436-1437, Dracul became prince of Walachia (one of the three Romanian provinces) and took up residence at the palace of Targoviste, the princely capital. Vlad followed his father and lived six years at the princely court. In 1442, in order to keep the Turks at bay, Dracul sent his son, Vlad, and his younger brother, Radu, to Constantinople (today Istanbul) as hostages of the Sultan Murad II. Vlad was held there until 1448. This Turkish captivity surely played an important role in Dracula's upbringing; it must be at this period that he adopted a very pessimistic view of life and learned the Turkish method of impalement on stakes. The Turks set Vlad free after informing him of his father's assassination in 1447. He also learned about his older brother's death and how he had been tortured and buried alive by the boyars of Targoviste.

When he was 17 years old, Vlad Tepes (Dracula), supported by a force of Turkish cavalry and a contingent of troops lent to him by Pasha Mustafa Hassan, made his first major move toward seizing the Walachian throne. Vlad became the ruler of Walachia in July of 1456. During his six-year reign, he committed many cruelties, hence establishing his controversial reputation.

His first major act of revenge was aimed at the boyars of Targoviste for not being loyal to his father. On Easter Sunday of what we believe to be 1459, he arrested all the boyar families who had participated at the princely feast. He impaled the older ones on stakes while forcing the others to march from the capital to the town of Poenari. This fifty-mile trek was quite grueling and no one was permitted to rest until they reached their destination. Dracula then ordered the boyars to build him a fortress on the ruins of an older outpost overlooking the Arges River. Many died in the process. Dracula, therefore, succeeded in creating a new nobility and obtaining a fortress for future emergencies. What is left of the building today is identified as Poenari Fortress (Cetatea Poenari).

Vlad Tepes adopted the method of impaling criminals and enemies and raising them aloft in the town square for all to see. Almost any crime, from lying and stealing to killing, could be punished by impalement. Being so confident in the effectiveness of his law, Dracula placed a golden cup on display in the central square of Targoviste. The cup could be used by thirsty travelers, but had to remain on the square. According to the available historical sources, it was never stolen and remained entirely unmolested throughout Vlad's reign. Crime and corruption ceased; commerce and culture thrived, and many Romanians to this day view Vlad Tepes as a hero for his fierce insistence on honesty and order. It’s worth mentioning that most written sources regarding his reign are based on the numerous propagandistic pamphlets spread by the Germans with the help of their new invention, the printing press.

In the beginning of 1462, Vlad launched a campaign against the Turks along the Danube River. It was quite risky, the military force of Sultan Mehmed II being by far more powerful than the Walachian army. However, during the winter of 1462, Vlad was very successful and managed to gain several victories. To punish Dracula, the Sultan decided to launch a full-scale invasion of Walachia. His other goal was to transform this land into a Turkish province. He entered Walachia with an army three times larger than Dracula's. Finding himself without allies and forced to retreat towards Targoviste, Vlad burned his own villages and poisoned the wells along the way, so that the Turkish army would find nothing to eat or drink. Moreover, when the Sultan, exhausted, finally reached the capital city, he was confronted by a most gruesome sight: hundreds of stakes held the remaining carcasses of Turkish captives, a horror scene which was ultimately nicknamed the "Forest of the Impaled." This terror tactic, deliberately stage-managed by Dracula, was definitely successful. The scene had a strong effect on Mehmed's most stout-hearted officers, and the Sultan, tired and hungry, decided to withdraw (it is worth mentioning that even Victor Hugo, in his Legende des Siecles, recalls this particular incident). Nevertheless, following his retreat from Walachian territory, Mehmed encouraged and supported Vlad's younger brother, Radu, to take the Walachian throne. At the head of a Turkish army and joined by Vlad's detractors, Radu pursued his brother to Poenari Castle on the Arges River. According to legend, this is when Dracula's wife, in order to escape capture, committed suicide by hurling herself from the upper battlements, her body falling down the precipice into the river below, a scene exploited by Francis Ford Coppola's production. Vlad, who was definitely not the kind of man to kill himself, managed to escape the siege of his fortress by using a secret passage into the mountain. He was, however, assassinated toward the end of December 1476.

The only real link between the historical Dracula (1431-1476) and the modern literary myth of the vampire is the 1897 novel. Bram Stoker built his fictional character solely based on the research that he conducted in libraries in London. Political detractors and Saxon merchants, unhappy with the new trade regulations imposed by Vlad, did everything they could to blacken his reputation. They produced and disseminated throughout Western Europe exaggerated stories and illustrations about Vlad's cruelty. Vlad Tepes' reign was, however, presented in a different way in chronicles written in other parts of Europe.

Dracula - The Legend ( III )

Arefu

Where: 104 miles northwest of Bucharest / 11 miles north of Curtea de Arges
Note: access by car only
Next visit Arefu, where many of the villagers trace their ancestry back to the loyal minions of Vlad Tepes himself (in the movies, these are the ones who are always busy loading up Dracula’s coffins with Transylvanian earth). Legend has it that when the Turks attacked and took over the Poenari Castle in 1462, it was the villagers of Arefu who helped Vlad escape. Spend the night with the locals camping around a fire and listening to centuries-old folk tales. Homestays and B&Bs are available in Arefu and nearby villages.

Brasov

Where: 100 north of Bucharest
Nearest train station: Brasov 
Fringed by the peaks of the Southern Carpathian Mountains and resplendent with gothic, baroque and renaissance architecture, as well as a wealth of historical attractions, Brasov is one of the most visited places in Romania. Founded by Teutonic Knights in 1211 on an ancient Dacian site and settled by the Saxons as one of their seven walled citadels*, Brasov exudes a distinct medieval ambiance and has been used as a backdrop in many recent period films.


Sighisoara

Where: 170 northwest of Bucharest
Nearest train station: Sighisoara
Founded by Transylvanian Saxons during the 12th century, Sighisoara still stands as one of the most beautiful and best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. Designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this perfectly intact 16th century gem with nine towers, cobbled streets, burgher houses and ornate churches rivals the historic streets of Old Prague or Vienna for atmospheric magic. It is the birthplace of Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), ruler of the province of Walachia from 1456 to 1462


Vlad Dracul’s House (Casa Dracula)
Address: Str. Cositorarilor 5
Tel: (265) 771.108
Open: Tue. – Sun. 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.; Closed Mon.
The Vlad Dracul House is located in Sighisoara’s Citadel Square, close to the Clock Tower. This ocher-colored house is the place where Vlad Tepes, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s famous Dracula, was born in 1431 and lived with his father, Vlad Dracul,  until 1435 when they moved to Targoviste. A wrought-iron dragon hangs above the entrance. The ground floor of the house serves as a restaurant, while the first floor is home to the Museum of Weapons.


Bistrita


Where: 265 miles northwest of Bucharest
Nearest train station: Bistrita
Located at the foot of the Bargau Mountains, not far from the Borgo Pass (Pasul Tihuta in Romanian) which connects the provinces of Transylvania and Moldavia, the town of Bistrita is one of the oldest in the region. Archeological findings indicate that the area has been inhabited since the Neolithic age, long before Bram Stocker chose it as the setting of his fictional Dracula’s castle. Saxon colonists, who settled here in 1206, helped develop the town into a flourishing medieval trading post. First mentioned in 1264 as Villa Bistiche, the name was later changed to Civitas Bysterce. Soon enough, Bistritz,as it was known to its German inhabitants, became one of Transylvania’s most important Saxon citadels (Siebenbürgens*).

Today, the old town’s quaint 15th and 16th century merchants’ houses, the remains of the 13th century fortress walls and a generally unhurried pace have preserved some of Bistrita’s  medieval atmosphere.

Dracula - The Legend ( II )

Bucharest

Known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards, glorious Belle Époque buildings and a reputation for the high life (which in the 1900s earned its nickname of “Little Paris”), Bucharest, Romania's largest city and capital, is today a bustling metropolis. Bucharest is laden with charm – from the streets of the Old City Center, which are slowly being restored, to the grand architecture of the Royal Palace and the lush green of Cismigiu Park. The city also claims a large number of museums, art galleries, exquisite Orthodox churches and unique architectural sites.


Old Princely Court


At the center of the historic area in Bucharest are the remains of the Old Princely Court, built in the 15th century by Vlad Tepes. According to local lore, Vlad kept his prisoners in dungeons which commenced beneath the Old Princely Court and extended under the city. All that remains today are a few walls, arches, tombstones and a Corinthian column.

The Old Court Museum was established in 1972 when an archaeological dig revealed the remains of the fortress, along with Dacian pottery and Roman coins, evidence of Bucharest’s earliest inhabitants. The oldest document attesting to the city’s origin under the name of Bucuresti was discovered here. It was issued on September 20, 1459 and signed by Prince Vlad Tepes.

Next to the palace stands the Old Court Church (Biserica Curtea Veche), dating from 1559 and considered the oldest in Bucharest.  For two centuries, the church served as coronation ground for Romanian princes. Some of the original 16th century frescoes have been preserved.

Snagov Monastery

Where: 25 miles north of Bucharest
Nearest train station: Bucuresti Nord
One hundred years after the church at Snagov was built (1364), Vlad Tepes added fortress walls and a dungeon. A plaque on the floor of the church marks the grave with the presumed remains of the ruler. The monastery, located on an island on the far side of the lake, can only be accessed by boat.

Targoviste – Princely Court

In Targoviste, tour the 14th centuryPrincely Court and Chindiei Watchtower(Turnul Chindiei). The Princely Court served as the capital of Walachia, where Vlad ruled. It was here that the Prince impaled a great many disloyal court members (the boyars) after inviting them to a celebratory feast. Chindiei Watchtower now houses an exhibition illustrating Vlad's life.

Poenari Fortress 

Where: 108 miles northwest of Bucharest /15 miles north of Curtea de Arges
Note: access by car only
The ruins of Poienari Fortress stand high on a cliff overlooking the Arges River, at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. Built at the beginning of the 13th century by the first Walachian rulers, the castle changed names and residents a few times over the decades; eventually, it was abandoned and left in ruins. Vlad recognized the potential of the location and upon taking over the throne, he ordered that the structure be repaired and consolidated, turning it into one of his main fortresses. When the Turks attacked and captured the castle in 1462, Vlad escaped via a secret passageway leading north through the mountains. Although the castle was used for many years after Vlad's death in 1476, it was eventually abandoned again in the first half of the 16th century and left to the ravages of time and weather. In 1888, a major landslide brought down a portion of the castle which crashed into the river far below. The castle underwent repairs and the remnants of its walls and towers stand to this day.

You will need stamina to climb the 1,462 steps to reach the castle ruins, perched high above the surrounding area like an eagle's nest.

Dracula - The Legend ( I )

Dracula – Beyond the Legend
» Bram Stoker’s inspiration
» Who was Vlad Dracula ?

“We Draculs have a right to be proud…
I am the last of my kind”
 – Dracula, from Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Some say that Transylvania sits on one of Earth's strongest magnetic fields and its people have extra-sensory perception. Vampires are believed to hang around crossroads on St. George's Day, April 23, and the eve of St. Andrew, November 29. The area is also home to Bram Stoker's Dracula, and it's easy to get caught up in the tale while driving along winding roads through dense, dark, ancient forests and over mountain passes.Tales of the supernatural had been circulating in Romanian folklore for centuries when Irish writer Bram Stoker picked up the thread and spun it into a golden tale of ghoulishness that has never been out of print since its first publication in 1897. To research his immortal tale, Stoker immersed himself in the history, lore and legends of Transylvania, which he called a “whirlpool for the imagination.”Count Dracula, a fictional character in the Dracula novel, was inspired by one of the best-known figures of Romanian history, Vlad Dracula, nicknamed Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), who was the ruler of Walachia at various times from 1456-1462. Born in 1431 in Sighisoara, he resided all his adult life in Walachia, except for periods of imprisonment at Pest and Visegrad (in Hungary).

Tracking Dracula

Although he never traveled to Romania, Stoker crammed his book with descriptions of many real locations that can still be visited in present-day Romania. They include the most important historical places associated with Vlad Tepes, such as the 14th century town of Sighisoara where you can visit the house in which Vlad was born (now hosting a restaurant and a small museum of medieval weapons).
Other Dracula sites include: the Old Princely Court (Palatul Curtea Veche) in Bucharest,Snagov Monastery, where, according to legend, Vlad’s remains were buried; the ruins of the Poenari Fortress (considered to be the authentic Dracula's Castle); the village of Arefu where Dracula legends are still told, the city of Brasov where Vlad led raids against the Saxons merchants, and, of course, Bran Castle.
Some tours also cover the folkloric aspects of the fictional Dracula. For instance, visitors can eat the exact meal Jonathan Harker ate at The Golden Crown in Bistrita and sleep at Castle Dracula Hotel, built no so long ago on the Borgo Pass at the approximate site of the fictional Count’s castle.

Maya - The lost civilization ( III )

Post Classic Period - 1000 - 1500 AD Growth and Ruin
Chichen Itza was first populated between 500 and 900 AD by Mayans and for some reason abandoned around 900, the city was then resettled 100 years later and subsequently invaded by Toltecs from the North. There are numerous reliefs of both Mayan gods including Chac and the Toltec gods including Quetzacoatl. For some reason the city was abandoned around 1300. If the Spanish did not make it a policy to kill all of the Mayan priests and burn books when they arrived in Mexico, we would all have a few more answers. After the Classic period, the Maya migrated to the Yucat n peninsula. There they developed their own character, although their accomplishments and artwork are not considered as impressive as the Classic Maya. Most of the ruins you can see South of Cancun are from this time period and are definitely worth a visit. Chichen Itza (near Valladolid), Uxmal (near Merida) and Mayap n (west of Chichen Itza) were the three most important cities during the Post Classic period. They lived in relative peace from around 1000 - 1100 AD when Mayap n overthrew the confederation and ruled for over 200 years. In 1441 the Maya who had previously ruled Uxmal destroyed the city of Mayap n and founded a new city at Mani. Wars were fought between rival Mayan groups over the territory until the region was conquered by the Spanish.

Maya - The lost civilization ( II )

Maya had a complex society (Classic period 300 - 900 AD)



Most artistic and cultural achievement came about during the Classic period 300 - 900 AD. The Maya developed a complex, hierarchical society divided into classes and professions. Centralized governments, headed by a king, ruled territories with clearly defined boundaries. These borders changed as the various states lost and gained control over territory. Mayan centers flourished in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. The major cities of the Classic period were Tikal (Guatemala), Palenque and Yaxchilan (Chiapas, Mexico), Cop n and Quirigua (Honduras). For most of this period, the majority of the Maya population lived in the central lowlands of Mexico and Belize. The Northern Yucatan (where present day Cancun is located) was sparsely populated for most of the Classic period with only a few cities such as Dzibilchaltun (near M rida) and Xpuhil, Bec n and Chicann (near Chetumal). During the 9th century the population centers of the central lowlands declined significantly. This decline was very rapid and is attributed to famine, drought, breakdowns in trade, and political fragmentation. Fragmentation from large states into smaller city-states focused resources on rivalries between cities including not just wars, but competitions of architecture and art between rival cities. As the cities in the lowlands declined, urban centers sprung up in the Northern Yucatan, including Uxmal (near M rida).
Anthropologists used to contrast the "peaceful" Maya with the bloodthirsty Aztecs of central Mexico. Although human sacrifice was not as important to the Maya as to the Aztec, blood sacrifice played a major role in their religion. Individuals offered up their blood, but not necessarily their lives, to the gods through painful methods using sharp instruments such as sting-ray spines or performed ritualistic self mutilation. It is probable that people of all classes shed their blood during religious rites. The king's blood sacrifice was the most valuable and took place more frequently. The Maya were warlike and raided their neighbors for land, citizens, and captives. Some captives were subjected to the double sacrifice where the victims heart was torn out for the sun and head cut off to pour blood out for the earth.
The Mayan civilization was the height of pre-Columbian culture. They made significant discoveries in science, including the use of the zero in mathematics. Their writing was the only in America capable of expressing all types of thought. Glyphs either represent syllables or whole concepts and were written on long strips of paper or carved and painted on stone. They are arranged to be red from left to right and top to bottom in pairs of columns. The Mayan calendar begins around 3114 BC, before Maya culture existed, and could measure time well into the future. They wrote detailed histories and used their calendar to predict the future and astrological events. Fray Diego de Landa, second bishop of the Yucat n ordered a mass destruction of Mayan books in 1562 and only three survived.

Maya - The lost civilization ( I )

The Maya are probably the best-known of the classical civilizations of Mesoamerica. Mayan history starts in the Yucatan around 2600 B.C., Mayan history rose to prominence around A.D. 250 in present-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, western Honduras, El Salvador, and northern Belize.

Building on the inherited inventions and ideas of earlier civilizations such as the Olmec, the Maya developed astronomy, calendrical systems and hieroglyphic writing. The Maya were noted as well for elaborate and highly decorated ceremonial architecture, including temple-pyramids, palaces and observatories, all built without metal tools. Mayan history shows that they were also skilled farmers, clearing large sections of tropical rain forest and, where groundwater was scarce, building sizeable underground reservoirs for the storage of rainwater. The Maya were equally skilled as weavers and potters, and cleared routes through jungles and swamps to foster extensive trade networks with distant peoples.

Many people believe that the ancestors of the Maya crossed the Bering Strait at least 20,000 years ago. They were nomadic hunter-gatherers. Evidence of settled habitation in Mexico is found in the Archaic period 5000-1500 BC - corn cultivation, basic pottery and stone tools.

The first true civilization was established with the rise of the Olmecs in the Pre-Classic period 1500 BC -300 AD. The Olmecs settled on the Gulf Coast, and little is known about them.

They are regarded as the inventors of many aspects of Meso-American cultures including the first calendar and hieroglyphic writing in the Western hemisphere. Archeologists have not settled the relationship between the Olmecs and the Maya, and it is a mystery whether the Maya were their descendants, trading partners, or had another relationship, that is white place in Mayan history.

It is agreed that the Maya developed a complex calendar and the most elaborate form of hieroglyphics in America, both based on the Olmec's versions.

The Croatoans and The Missing Roanoke Colony (II)

Missing Roanoke Island Colonists

Landing at Roanoke on August 18, 1590, White found the settlement deserted. The houses and fortifications had been dismantled in an orderly manner. The only clue was the word "Croatoan" carved into a post of the fort and "Cro" carved into a nearby tree. As there was no cross, White assumed they’d moved to Croatoan Island, but violent weather forced him to abort a search and the privateers refused to stay any longer – it was hurricane season. White was forced to return to Plymouth without a chance to so much as question the neighboring Croatoans.

In 1607, the Jamestown Colony sought information about the fate of the Roanoke Island colonists. One report indicated they took refuge with friendly Chesapeake Indians, but Chief Powhatan (a powerful Virginian tribal chief), claimed his warriors had attacked and killed most of the Roanoke colonists. Powhatan showed artifacts he claimed belonged to the colonists, including a musket barrel and a brass mortar.

In 1609, the Jamestown Colony received reports of English captives and sent search parties to no avail. Then in 1612, William Strachey, a secretary of the colony, wrote of Indian settlements at Peccarecanick and Ochanahoen having two-story houses with stone walls, a housing he was sure the lost Roanoke colonists had shown them.

Roanoke Colony Theories

Historian Lee Miller believes the Roanoke colonists were sold by a Wainoke tribe into slavery. Others believe the survivors were absorbed into the Croatoan tribe. Sadly, the most obvious fates cannot be ruled out - massacre or starvation though no bodies have been found.

In the late 1990s a group of climate researchers concluded the Roanoke colony had been established during the worst drought in more than 300 years.

The Croatoans and the Missing Roanoke Colony ( I )

Roanoke Island Chosen for Colonization

In 1584, Sir Walter Raleigh dispatched an expedition piloted by Simon Fernandez, a Portuguese pilot familiar with America’s eastern coast, in an attempt to find a suitable location to establish an English settlement. Roanoke Island of North Carolina was ultimately chosen. Roanoke Island, lying between the treacherous Outer Banks and the mainland, is characterized by abundant wildlife, marshlands and oaks.

First Roanoke Colony Effort

In the spring of 1585, Raleigh dispatched a host of mostly veteran soldiers to begin colonization of Roanoke. Ralph Lane and Richard Greenville led the expedition. While exploring the surrounding coast they accused natives in the village of Aquascogoc of stealing a silver cup. In retaliation, they sacked and burned the village, executing the tribal chief by fire.

The expedition landed on Roanoke Island on August 17, and shortly thereafter Greenville left Lane with about 75 men to establish the colony, promising to return by April 1586 with reinforcements and supplies. In June the settlers were inadvertently rescued by Sir Francis Drake and they left Roanoke Island to return to England. Greenville's ship arrived about two weeks later. Finding the Roanoke colony abandoned, he left behind fifteen men to protect Raleigh’s patent requiring continuous occupancy of the island.

Second Roanoke Colony Effort

In 1587, Raleigh dispatched a group of 117 colonists led by John White who’d served on the previous Roanoke Island expedition. Raleigh had since decided the Chesapeake Bay area would make a better location, and to recruit settlers he promised each 500 acres of land and involvement in the colony’s government. White brought 91 men, 17 women, and 9 children.

On July 22, the colonists disembarked at Roanoke Island expecting to find the fifteen men Greenville left behind the previous year. Instead they found the bones of only one man apparently killed by Indians. Lane’s fort was charred but the houses were intact. White noticed the Indians were more hostile than before. But Fernandez (the pilot of previous expeditions) had reportedly grown impatient and refused to guide them further. For whatever reason, they stayed on Roanoke Island. White successfully re-established relations with the neighboring Croatoans and tried unsuccessfully re-establishing relations with the tribes Lane had attacked.

Then a Roanoke colonist named George Howe was killed by natives. The Croatoans accused a neighboring tribe, saying they’d killed Greenville’s soldiers as well. On Aug 8, an attack was launched at the accused Indian settlement but the English attackers found only Croatoans who’d come to forage after the accused Indians fled.

On August 18, White’s daughter Eleanor gave birth to Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the Americas. Ananias Dare was a bricklayer in London before the expedition. Little else is known of him.

Fearing retaliation for Ralph Lane’s treatment of the natives, the Roanoke colonists persuaded White to return to England for help. They’d discussed moving the colony inland so a code was established; if they moved, they’d carve their new location in a conspicuous place. If under attack by either Spaniards or Indians they were to carve a Maltese cross.