Re: "Basarab" surname, the first dynasty of Wallachian kings
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In reply to:
"Basarab" surname, the first dynasty of Wallachian kings
Holly Hampton 7/29/12
The original Bassarab arms were three dancing figures, and the Draculas are only the one branch: there ARE other Bassarabs. Radu Florescu, on page 193 of his book, "Dracula: Prince of Many Faces" documents that these arms were changed by the Draculas, to be the same as those of the Bathory family of Hungary. On January 20, 1535 Ladislas Dracula and his brother John were granted letters patent ( a patent of nobility) by the Holy Roman Emperour Ferdinand I documenting their direct descent from Dracula and describing these arms specifically as "the ancient insignia of Ladislas's family" being the same as the arms of Bathory--i.e., Gules (red), a sword covering three wolf teeth. http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~emiller/vlad.htmlhttp://www.ucs.mun.ca/~emiller/vlad.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radu_Florescuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radu_Florescu Also, on page 159 of, "In Search of Dracula" by the same author, you can see an illustration of these arms, as well as a genealogical chart on page 23 ibid. also. The dragon supporter was unique to the Draculas, not shared by the Bathorys.