The reanimated corpse of Dragut would be a more popular leader than Adrian Delia, a new poll has revealed.
Dragut Reis – or Turgut Reis in Turkish – was an Ottoman naval commander during the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, and is arguably the biggest villain of Maltese history.
In the survey carried out by Maltatoday, 65 per cent of respondents indicated that, if they were forced to choose between Delia and Dragut, they would opt for the latter to be brought back to life by dark magic and be made Prime Minister.
Particularly surprising was Dragut’s popularity relative to Delia’s in Gozo. In 1551, Dragut took part in a successful invasion of the island, during which the majority of its 6,000 inhabitants were taken as slaves.
However, 70 per cent of Gozitan respondents indicated a preference for the man known as The Drawn Sword of Islam.
Historian Charles Fenech was not surprised by the preference for Zombie Dragut.
“Dragut may have been the scourge of Malta and the wider Mediterranean, but he earned that reputation by being a great warrior a brilliant strategist, and a fine administrator, who also inspired fierce loyalty in his troops. Furthermore, those powers would only be amplified by the use of necromancy.
“Adrian Delia, on the other hand… Well let’s just say that if he tried to lay siege to Gozo he’d probably get beaten back by an old lady with a broom,” Fenech said.
