Bram Stoker modeled Dracula partially on a 15th century Wallachian prince named Vlad Țepeș, who was also called Vlad the Impaler and Vlad Dracula (which denoted the family as belonging to the Order of the Dragon). During his life, he was famous as a military leader for resisting the Ottoman invasion of Transylvania, but he was also known for his ruthlessness -- particularly his habit of impaling enemies en masse. Some famous woodcuts illustrate him feasting at a table amid a forest of impaled bodies. Dracula's bloodthirstiness provided inspiration for Stoker's character.