Never again complain about your in-laws.

During the reign of Matthias Corvinus, the King of Hungary from 1443 to 1490, it was the King’s habit to make a gift of a Kuvasz from his Royal Kennels to a nobleman. This was a special honor, and among the recipients was the man who married his cousin, Ilona Szilágyi. The dog was a wedding gift.

Matthias’ new relative was a Transylvanian named, “Vlad,” also known as Vlad, the Impaler, but you may know him as Count Dracula. So the next time you refer to one of your in-laws as a “blood sucker,” remember how much worse it could be.  Just saying.

This is a pretty simplistic explanation of the marriage between Vlad and Ilona, and the real facts are fascinating. You can read them here.

Image:  Bookplate of a portrait of a Kuvasz by Swiss animal artist, Willy E Bär, sold by FairlyVintagePrints here.