Dracula Soil Vial - Cetatea Poenari Earth in Riker Box With History Card

A Dracula Soil Vial of Earth From Cetatea Poenari

This Dracula soil vial holds earth from Cetatea Poenari, a cliffside fortress in Romania. Our co-founder collected it in person, with permission. A glass-topped riker box displays it.

Product Details

• SKU: 80-112-0084-201-36
• Specimen: Earth from the foot of Cetatea Poenari, which may hold small bits of stone or clay
• Container: Small glass vial with a cork stopper
• Display: Glass-topped riker box, 4 1/2 in x 3 1/2 in
• Includes: Information card that serves as the certificate of authenticity
• Shipping: Cannot ship to Australia or New Zealand

Collecting the Soil

The collector climbed the cliff below the castle at night. That avoided wolves, bears and feral dogs, and the ground was dry. He took the stairs back the next day.

This Cetatea Poenari soil comes from the foot of the castle. The cork stopper is not sealed, so small bits of stone may sit in the vial.

The Vampire Soil Legend

A vampire legend says the undead must sleep on the soil of their home. Bram Stoker used the idea in Dracula, published in 1897. Stoker never visited Transylvania, and his research on Vlad was minimal.

Vlad Tepes III ruled Wallachia in 1448, from 1456 to 1462, and in 1476. His father, Vlad II, was nicknamed Dracul. See more in our Authentic Historical Artifacts.

Display and Care

Keep the riker box with its Cetatea Poenari soil out of direct sun. Open the cork gently, and close it again after you look.

About Cetatea Poenari

Wallachians built the fortress, and Vlad III ordered it rebuilt in the 15th century. Earthquakes in the 20th century damaged it. The vampire soil legend may be a coincidence with Vlad, but the earth is real. Your Dracula soil vial comes from the fortress that Vlad Tepes III used.

For More Reading from the Web

• Read a short biography of the ruler behind the legend. Vlad the Impaler - Britannica
• Follow the fortress through its recent restoration. Vlad the Impaler's Fortress at Poenari Reopened After Extensive Conservation and Restoration Works - AGERPRES