Did Dracula Leave a Lot at Stake in His Will?

31 Oct Did Dracula Leave a Lot at Stake in His Will?

Did Dracula leave a lot at stake when writing his Will or did he get his affairs in order?

Halloween is the time of spooks and ghouls, ghost stories and tales of spirits stalking the earth.

Included in the supernatural folklore associated with Halloween is the most famous of all vampires to ever roam the earth, the gothic horror who is Dracula.

Dracula is eventually defeated in Bram Stoker’s novel, so he does not stalk the earth now, but with his history it is hard to believe he didn’t have a network of similar characters who he would like to leave his possessions and knowledge to in the event of his death, even if he was not expecting to die, already being several centuries old.

You would hope Dracula had taken the advice of his Solicitor to make a Will, although Jonathan Harker may have been a little pre-occupied with escaping from Dracula’s clutches to advise him on more than his proposed castle purchase in England. It is also very probable Mr Harker would not have volunteered to be his Executor.

Leaving that aside and assuming Dracula has made a Will, what might that contain and what jobs may his Executors find they have to undertake to sort out his estate?

The Legacy of the Ancient Bloodline and More

Dracula was a centuries-old vampire of noble lineage, tracing his ancestry back to the infamous Vlad the Impaler. Given his obsession with maintaining his lineage and power, it is highly likely he would consider his Will as a means to secure his legacy beyond his supposed immortal existence.

You can also imagine that Dracula may also leave a letter of wishes with his Will detailing the instructions for his Executors on how to ensure the rules and traditions he wishes his vampiric descendants to undertake will be followed to ensure they maintain their dominance and secrecy within the immortal world. He could also leave instructions on how his heirs should manage alliances with any allies he has made during his life and how and when to conduct vendettas against his enemies. Vendetta instructions would be much better to be included within a side letter rather than within his actual Will as this becomes public record once Probate is granted. His enemies are unlikely to be caught unaware if they have already seen their name in print.

It is highly likely Dracula was in possession of ancient knowledge and had amassed a large number of occult secrets, magical rituals, and forbidden information. His Will or Letter of wishes should also deal with how these will be managed after his death, and who will be entitled to have access to this bank of priceless detail. His Executors will need clear guidance about this specialist subject as getting it wrong could have fatal consequences for them.

If Dracula was progressive and stored information electronically, he would need to make sure his Executors can access this. Blood bank records as well as finances, social media and any other online accounts will need to be dealt with. For example, has his LinkedIn profile been locked or can his Executors access it and see who his connections are, whether friend or foe?

Any supernatural artefacts will also need to be safeguarded and instructions provided to his heirs about how they are used and what powers they give. His Executors are likely to find it difficult to obtain insurance for protection of these artefacts so they will have their work cut out finding a company to cover them.

Dracula may also try to make sure there is no access to sharp knives, wooden stakes, or crucifixes within the assets he leaves behind, so his heirs do not succumb to a similar fate. His Executors are likely to be instructed to dispose of anything of this nature as soon as possible after his death.

Wealth and Possessions

Dracula’s formidable castle in Transylvania and his grand mansion in England are just a glimpse of the opulent lifestyle he enjoyed. In his Will, he might be expected to leave his vast estates, priceless antiques, and extensive wealth to his surviving descendants (if he has chosen to transform others into vampires to perpetuate his bloodline).

You would also hope Dracula would leave a gift for his dentist. Dracula’s teeth were greatly used throughout his lifetime and therefore his Dentist needed to be on his toes. Dracula with toothache was not a good idea. Hopefully to recognise all the out of hours visits he made to look after Dracula’s pearly whites his Dentist would receive a substantial cash legacy to reward him for his efforts.

Guardianship of the Coffins and Resting Places

Central to Dracula’s survival was his ability to rest in his native soil within his coffin during daylight hours. In his Will, he should appoint a trusted steward or vampire servant to oversee the maintenance and security of the resting places for his heirs to ensure they continue to have access to the places they need. His Executors may be asked to release funds from his estate to enable resting places to be purchased or rented, and access maintained for as long as is needed for his heirs.

Funeral Requests

The pile of ashes which represent Dracula at the end of his life will need dealing with. Dracula should decide what type of funeral he would like and indicate where his ashes will go – is he planning on being interred or scattered in one of his favourite locations. These instructions are an expression of his wish rather than a fixed requirement, so his Executors may decide locking his ashes away in a vault which can never be accessed may be a better option.

Managing Expectations

The one thing which would not be good in relation to Dracula and his wealth would be a dispute between beneficiaries. It is unlikely they would fight any battle out in Court, much more likely to be settled in a vastly different way. This could have grave consequences for earth and us mortal beings. Fighting immortal, angry vampires does not bode well for us.

Halloween brings out all the supernatural fears and vampires are one of the most frightening supernatural beings. This Halloween keep yourself safe, arm yourself with garlic, silver and if possible, head towards running water. B&Q have a good range of fencing stakes – click the link here.