When the 1973 (?) MacNally-Florescu book IN SEARCH OF DRACULA introduced Vlad the Impaler into popular culture, he was called Vlad IV. However, over the past decade, I see him referred to as Vlad III. So what’s the deal with the number change?
According to Wkipedia he’s Vlad III. Vlad IV was his half-brother.
Yeah, I did look there, but what I want to know is what the deal was with him being referred to as Vlad IV in the 1970’s accounts, and then it being changed to Vlad III. Did the earlier researchers just misread things?
As far as I can tell, it comes from a confusion between the names “Vlad” and “Vladislav”. Specifically, there was a ruler of Wallachia, who used to be referred to as Vlad I, but now is called Valdislav I. So obviously, that changes the numbering.