Count Dracula

Time and place: 15th century, Romania

Story: The aristocrat who lived in Transylvania and was a vampire. An antagonist of Bram Stoker's novel published in 1897.

Prototype: Vlad III Tepes, Prince of Wallachia in 1450's. History Man.

Interesting facts:

1. Tepes was a big fan of executions with stakes.
2. There is an anonymous German paper in 1463 which describes the many atrocities of the prince. Facts are not reliable but served as the basis for future legends.
3. Dracul means "dragon".
4. Stoker took his base because he had heard that the Tepes became a vampire after death. His body wasn't found in the grave and killed by him often cursed him before they died. The latter was enough in local folklore to become a vampire after death.

Jack The Reaper

Time and place: London in 1888

Story: Maniac who strangled and mutilated five prostitutes knife during about six month. Was not caught and still unknown who it was.

Persons: 

1. Jack the Ripper (unknown killer)
2. Mary Ann Nichols (first victim)
3. Annie Chapman (the second victim)
4. Elizabeth Stride (third victim)
5. Katherine Eddous (fourth victim)
6. Mary Jane Kelly (the latest victim, most beautiful and the youngest of all)

Interesting facts:

1. The nickname is taken from a letter sent by the Central News Agency in which author confessed to the murder.
2. Scotland Yard and various publishers were received many letters with declarations, none of which were considered valid.
3. Killer perfectly versed in anatomy.

Version:

1. Victims could be more. There are about 15 that could have belonged to Jack.
2. They are popular theories that could be some murderers or that the killer might be a woman.
3. Of all the letters, the most distinguished "Letter from Hell" (with the victim's kidney). Also, it differed illiteracy unlike the previous ones.
4. The victims were either stabbed or strangled. Quietly and without bloodshed.
5. Perhaps Jack ate bodies of their victims.

Captain Kidd's treasure

Time and place: The Atlantic coast of America, the end of the 17th century.

Story: William Kidd, the famous pirate captain, knew that if he was caught Britain confiscate all his property. He hid all the stolen goldin the caches along the Atlantic coast hoping to use them as bribes to the English lords.

Interesting facts:

1. No cache has not been found or confirmed for 300 years. Searches are conducted up to now.
2. According to archival evidence in 1701, all the loot Kidd was confiscated and sold at auction in London. The money received by the Royal Hospital nursing sailors. There were bailed out with about six thousand pounds
3. The confiscated property have not found any records or maps indicating his treasure.
4. According to the legend, Kidd killed all the sailors who helped him with burying treasure. Bodies hung so that they point to the treasure.

Facts about the wild west

1. Located on the Frontier to the Pacific coast.
2. As a cultural phenomenon, has existed since the beginning of the Civil War until 1890.
3. Dissatisfied with the way of European settlers moved west in Frontier which at the time were kind of no man's land.
4. Settlers moved in covered wagons pulled by horses. They gathered in dozens of caravans for security.
5. Since coming to power of President Abraham Lincoln, immigrants could to buy land in the west for a purely symbolic price. He also proposed the idea of the creation of the transcontinental railroad.
6. In the first half of the 19th century, colonists had a war with the Mexicans for lands on the west of the Mississippi. As a result, in 1845 Texas, New Mexico and California were ceded to the United States.
7. Until 1886 there was a war with the Indians Apache, Navajo, Shaen and many others. Indians greatly underestimated the strength of the enemy so it is not united to protect and lost.
8. At the beginning of 1848, there are started the "Gold Rush". The gold which were found there made hundreds thousands of settlers to explore previously uninteresting parts of the region. In the first five years, the population had six time grew while gold was produced by 52 million dollars.
9. In addition to gold, in Texas and California were the grass. later was called "gold which grows from the earth". Grass grew up everywhere and easy to tolerate drought and frost. Cows were introduced by the Spanish years before and were more feral have been adapted to the conditions of the Wild West. They could smell the water for many miles, find food over their head, etc.
10. Then there were the cowboys who were engaged in catching them. They branded the cattle, making sure that they are not scattered and protected them of Indian and robbers while lead them on the sale. Consisting mainly of veterans of the Civil War who were looking for any job.

Flying Dutchman

Original name: De Vliegende Hollander

Time and place: 17-18 century, The East Indies.

Story: Dutch sailing ghost ship was doomed forever to surf the sea with the immortal team without the opportunity to go ashore until the second coming.

Interesting facts and versions of the legend:

1. According to legend, the ship was carrying a young couple. Captain killed the guy and made an offer marriage to the girl but she jumped overboard. The ship then caught in a storm and disapeared.
2. Captain named Philippe Van der Decca. Another version - Van Straaten.
3. According to legend, every ten years the captain can go ashore and find the girl who would become his wife voluntarily to remove the curse from himself and his crew.
4. Van der Deken vowed to sell his soul to the devil if he could run against the rocks unscathed on the ship.
5. A crew of Dutch merchant ship contracted a terrible disease. Out of fear that the disease may be entered on the shore no port did not take the ship. The ship with the sailors who died from the disease, lack of food and water still roam the seas and oceans.
6. The crew of The Flying Dutchman so hurried home and not help of another sinking ship. For that there were cursed.
7. The roots lie in the legend of the "ghost ships". Due to epidemics, fire and pirates many ships often remain afloat without a team. Half sunk, they were difficult to see from afar. Especially at night or in a fog. The collision with the ship could have ended tragically. Especially, if the team died of the epidemic there.