Vla III, called "Vlad the Impaler" (that is, Vlad Ţepeş, pronounced [ˈtsepeʃ] in Romanian; also known as Vlad Dracula or simply Dracula, in Romanian Drăculea; 1431 – December 1476), was a Wallachian (Romanian) voivode. His three reigns were in 1448, 1456–1462, and 1476. Vlad the Impaler is known for the exceedingly cruel punishments he imposed during his reign. In the English-speaking world, Vlad III is best known for (possibly) inspiring the name of the eponymous vampire in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula.