Witches Pond, Boldu-Creteasca Forest

This pond is only a few meters big and is well hidden in its forest, located somewhere outside of the capital city of Bucharest. Exact location is unknown.

First, though, a bit of a history lesson. As many of us know, Romania is also known as Transylvania, home to Dracula. In the Fifteenth Century, he was known by many names.

• Vlad Tepes
• Dracula (Dracul was his father's name and means "devil" or "dragon", so this name means " son of the devil")
• Vlad the Impaler
• The Impaler Prince

It wasn't until Bram Stoker published his book did his myth reach a wider audience.

At the time, Romania was called Wallachia. Our dear Vampire King, Vlad III, was ruthless. He would take enemies and hammer 20 foot long poles up the rectum. If the skin around the anus turned blue, the pole was removed and reinserted so he victim could feel every agonizing moment of the wood traveling through their body. The goal was to have the sharp stick come out of the mouth, but it often came out of necks, shoulders, and backs.

After this, Vlad and his captains had dinner among the forest of the impaled, drinking their blood. It was believe you could gain the strength and knowledge of the fallen by drinking his life essence. In a way, it was him saying that the men he impaled were honorable warriors. Traitors were also impaled, but their blood was never drunk as traitors have no honor.

Dracula was seen as both a hero and a villain in his country. Because he impaled so many people, a gruesome forest of bodies lined the road to Castle Dracula, so he is a villain. However, he is a hero for removing the Turks from Wallachia, thus freeing the people of their impressive rule. Even today, people are still torn in Romania over this subject.

Vlad was beheadded by his boyars in a battle with the Turks. It is said that Witches Pond is where his blood flowed into andthat is how it got its powers. He was the "son of the devil", so he inherited dark powers and became a vampire, as the legend goes.

The pond never grows bigger, no matter how much it rains. It also never grows smaller in droughts. People have tried to fill this pond up with building debris, but found that it would all disappear. This is hundreds of pounds of concrete and brick going into a pond only 2m (6'6") deep.

Elders at the site have said that women who got pregnant, and didn't want the baby, would go to the pond and bathe in the water to terminate the pregnancy. Animals also shy away from the pond. Not a single fish, frog, or deer willingly goes to the pond. Sudden and unexplained storms appear and disappear over its surface, lasting only a moment. Those who inharit the occult arts com to the pond every year on Midsummer's Day to receive their powers, like a right of passage or initiation.