Thurzo investigated and accumulated hundreds of witnesses, and a few were willing to testify against Bathory. Any remains or signs of her or her body cannot be found today. The Blood Countess, as she would be known in the centuries to come, was born into a prominent family who held power over an ironic region: Transylvania, which was then part of Hungary. Her family betrothed Bathory to Count Ferencz Ndasdy when she was 11 or 12. Peasant girls looking for servant work in the Csejte Castle were disappearing, and no one knew why. During colder parts of the year young women might be stripped naked and forced into deadly ice baths. [clarification needed] She was detained in the castle of Csejte for the remainder of her life, where she died at the age of 54. Transylvania is also infamous for the reputation of . Soon after her arrest, Bathory attended the trial against her. [10], Another branch of the family are the Bthory of Simolin family, which was named after their estate Simony (or Simolin). Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 49: Bloody Mary, also available on iTunes and Spotify. In fact, some modern Hungarian scholars say that it may have been motivated more by others power and greed than her supposed evil. Where did Elizabeth Bathory grow up? the surrounding dragon being the emblem of the Order of the Dragon. People grew more suspicious after she killed one noble girl. By that point, Bathory had reportedly killed multiple victims of noble birth, which concerned the authorities far more than the deaths of servants. However, it's unlikely Bathory was completely innocent. Her father was Baron George VI Bthory of the Ecsed branch of the family, brother of Andrew Bonaventura Bthory, who had been voivode of Transylvania. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Although the exact nature of the illness which led to his death is unknown, it seems to have started in 1601, and initially caused debilitating pain in his legs. Elizabeth Bthory (1560 - 1614 AD) was a countess from the renowned Bthory family of nobility in the Kingdom of Hungary and cousin of the Hungarian noble Stefan Bthory, King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Duke of Transylvania. Countess Elisabeth Bthory (August 7, 1560 - August 21, 1614) was a Hungarian noblewoman who has become renowned as a pre-modern Serial Killer, allegedly kidnapping, torturing, and murdering dozens of young peasant girls. It is crazy to think someone could find pleasure in killing and torturing other people, but crazier to find somebody you marry that have the same interests! In this time period, if someone was harmed, or someone even stole a chicken, a letter of complaint was written. Anna was born roughly in the year 1585, and Katalin approximately 1594. It seems most likely that the claim of Thurz's discovering Bthory covered in blood has been the embellishment of fictionalized accounts. Bthory was born in 1560 on a family estate in Nyrbtor, Royal Hungary. According to widespread misbelief, Elizabeth Bthory was one of the most notorious serial killers in history, supposedly murdering over 600 women in her castle during her lifetime. The King of Hungary, King Matthias II, ordered Gyorgy Thurzo, Palatine of Hungary, to look into the rumors and accusations about Bathory. [4], The charges leveled against Bthory have been described by several historians as a witch-hunt. No one living in Bthory's century alleged she was a vampire or a witch. So, Hungarian King Matthias II sent his highest-ranking representative, Gyrgy Thurz, to investigate the complaints against her. She has since gone on to become an accomplished activist and author. The testimony that Bathory had listed 650 victims was a secondhand accounting of what a court official had discovered yet the official who'd supposedly seen this information didn't testify. Countess Elizabeth Bthory de Ecsed (Bthory Erzsbet in Hungarian, Albeta Btoriov in Slovak; 7 August 1560 - 21 August 1614) was a countess from the renowned Bthory family of Hungarian nobility. History has a way of turning powerful women into folklore. The fact that a large debt owed by Matthias to Bthory was canceled by her family in exchange for permitting them to manage her captivity suggests that the acts attributed to her were politically motivated slander that allowed relatives to appropriate her lands. I recognize that most people took little interest in their servants, but I feel like someone would have noticed the mass disappearance of young girls, regardless of their social standing. Elizabeth Bthory (died 1614), daughter of George VI and through her mother niece of the Polish King Stephen Bthory. From 1585 to 1595, Bthory bore four children. I also find intriguing that Bathory was not charged with something more serious. Elizabeth Bathory was the Countess of Ecsed, born on August 7, 1560, in Hungary. The Bathory Nadasdy family agreed to cancel Matthias's debts- and Matthias decided that Elizabeth Bathory would disappear behind the walls of her castle. Countess Elizabeth Bathory, or Erzsbet Bthory, was a wealthy and powerful Hungarian noblewoman whose relations included an uncle who was king of Poland and a nephew who was prince of. At times, Bathorys husband went away at war, but when he was at home, he shaped Bathory in how she killed.6 Nadasdy enjoyed torturing peasants and servants in brutal ways. That said, families of her stature could pretty much do as they wished provided that they were not overtly disloyal to the crown. Overall, I believe the author did a good job telling a tragic story. I had never heard of this story/person prior to reading this article, how disturbing! Sadistic pleasure is considered a far more plausible motive for Bthory's crimes. Afterwards, his body was burned on the same pyre as J and Szentes. She descended from multiple noble lineages and included the King of Poland and the prince of Transylvania among her relatives. Later, the interest of the Zpolyas were represented at the Habsburg court by the Voivode's son Stephen IX, who would go on to become Prince of Transylvania and King of Poland. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The accusations of murder were based on rumors. Then, discover the true story behind the real-life Bloody Mary. [4][32] Nagy argued that the proceedings against Bthory were largely politically motivated, possibly due to her extensive wealth and ownership of large areas of land in Hungary, which increased after the death of her husband. It is also interesting to note that the King of Hungary only took notice or sent someone to investigate the disappearances of young girls when it was young noble girls disappearing. Imprisonment allowed family members to take control of the powerful widow's possessions (her sons-in-law knew beforehand that her arrest was coming). For example, he instructed her to strip her servants naked, cover them in honey, and let bugs eat at them.8 Elizabeths husband, Nadasdy, was yet another influence to why she became obsessed with torturing her servants. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. Countess Elizabeth Bathory, or Erzsbet Bthory, was a wealthy and powerful Hungarian noblewoman whose relations included an uncle who was king of Poland and a nephew who was prince of Transylvania. This diary, however, appears to have only been a legend. The Somly branch, on the other hand, supported John Zpolya, whom the greater part of the Hungarian nobility had elected King. Elizabeth Bathory may have had a secret love child At the age of 11, Elizabeth's family betrothed her to 15-year-old Ferenc Nadasdy, the son of the then Palatine of Hungary. The family divided into two major branches, which descended from the sons and grandsons of Want to Read. Elizabeth was raised on Ecsed, an estate in Transylvania. . According to the opinions of a majority of historians, legends such as her bathing in the blood of the young women were based on later rumors. At first, all appeared to have been well under Bathorys leadership. This is the turning point where Bathory began killing sporadically, and it eventually led to her arrest.10. During the time she lived, she was one of the most powerful women in Hungary.21 She gained notoriety and received the nickname Blood Countess through her deviant acts.22 Bathory is known today for being one of the worst female, serial killers. Today, Elizabeth Bathory is infamously remembered as the "Blood Countess" who killed up to 650 girls and women in the Kingdom of Hungary. I wouldve expected her to get decapitated or more severely punished. A history of epilepsy from the Greeks to the beginnings of modern neurology", "Bthory Erzsbet Bthory Erzsbet: Short FAQ", "No Blood in the Water: The Legal and GenderConspiracies Against Countess Elizabeth Bathory in Historical Context", "The Early Ottoman Period, Including Royal Hungary, 15261606", "Elizabeth Bthory Drop of Blood Festival: 16 August 2014", "A genealogy of the Ndasdy family, including her descendants", A complete genealogy of all descendants Elizabeth Bthory (17th-20th century), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elizabeth_Bthory&oldid=1132822934, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from March 2018, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia references cleanup from March 2021, Articles covered by WikiProject Wikify from March 2021, All articles covered by WikiProject Wikify, Articles containing Hungarian-language text, All articles that may contain original research, Articles that may contain original research from October 2021, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from October 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from October 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 10 January 2023, at 19:35. It was a political arrangement within the circles of the aristocracy. Liz Torture Throw Pillow. Elizabeth was born August of 1560 to a powerful branch of the royal family in Hungary. Her relatives included the governor of Transylvania, The king of Poland, and the prince of Transylvania. [19] Her family, which ruled Transylvania, sought to avoid the loss of Bthory's property which was at risk of being seized by the crown following a public scandal. Such acts weren't illegal at the time Bathory was only punished because her victims were said to have included noblewomen but would still make Bathory responsible for many ruined lives. She eventually was put on trial. George and Anna were both Bathorys by birth; he a member of the Ecsed branch of the family and of the Somlyo. [25], The highest number of victims cited during the trial of Bthory's accomplices was 650, but this number comes from the claim by a servant girl named Susannah that Jakab Szilvssy, Bthory's court official, had seen the figure in one of Bthory's private books. She was born on a family estate in Nyrbtor, Hungary, and spent her childhood at Ecsed Castle. Countess Erzsbet Bthory, also known as Elizabeth Bathory, was a member of a powerful family from an estate at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains, the Bathory family. Luke possessed wide estates in Szatmr and was granted by King Charles Robert the lordship of Ecsed, where he built the castle called Hsg (loyalty). [18] In 1610, Matthias II assigned Gyrgy Thurz, the Palatine of Hungary, to investigate. Darvulia supposedly implanted in Bathorys mind that if she killed young virgins and bathed in their blood, she could maintain her youth.9 Bathory confided in Darvulia and took interest in learning more about witchcraft and Satanism. Printable . After these executions Thurz continued to investigate the countess. As she was not convicted of a crime, Bathory's holdings passed to family members instead of being seized. in order to explain Bthory's cruelty later in her life is that she was trained by her family to be cruel. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Elizabeth Bthory (or Erzsbet, to use the Hungarian spelling) was born into a Hungarian noble family on the 7th August, 1560. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-Bathory. Due to his youth and the belief that he was less culpable, Jnos jvry was executed by a much less painful method: beheading. Elizabeth Bathory was born on the family estate of Nyirbator in eastern Hungary on the 7th of August 1560. [15] The child, said to have been fathered by a peasant boy, was supposedly given away to a local woman who was trusted by the Bthory family. [2] She was from a very important family that included kings, cardinals, knights, and judges. Bthory was born into prominent Protestant nobility in Hungary. Elizabeth received a strong education, and she became fluent in several languages.3 Although she seemed to be a regular noble woman, there was a dark truth behind her family and her. This branch, since they retained the possession of Btor, are sometimes called of Btor or, as the younger branch, Nyrbtor (New Bathory).[3]. Elizabeth Bthory., College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences. The theory is consistent with Hungarian history at that time, which included religious and political conflicts, especially relating to the wars with the Ottoman Empire, the spread of Protestantism and the extension of Habsburg power over Hungary. Elizabeth is 24 degrees from Margaret Atwood, 26 degrees from Jim Carrey, 25 degrees from Elsie Knott, 27 degrees from Gordon Lightfoot, 30 degrees from Alton Parker, 29 degrees from Beatrice Tillman, 27 degrees from Jenny Trout, 23 degrees from Justin Trudeau, 27 degrees from Edwin Boyd, 24 degrees from Barbara Hanley, 33 degrees from Fanny Rosenfeld and 27 degrees from Cathryn Hondros on our single family tree. [3], The younger branch of the family, the Bthory of Ecsed, were descended from Luke, the youngest son of Briccius. Elizabeth Bthory was a Hungarian countess who purportedly tortured and murdered more than 600 young women in the 16th17th century. [16] The threat of attack was significant, for the village of Csejte had previously been plundered by the Ottomans while Srvr, located near the border that divided Royal Hungary and Ottoman-occupied Hungary, was in even greater danger. Simon Kezai, Lzl Veszprmy, Frank Schaer (ed. [citation needed], Several authors, such as Lszl Nagy and Dr. Irma Szdeczky-Kardoss, have argued that Elizabeth Bthory was a victim of a conspiracy. Also known as Bthori Erzsbet, Elizabeth Bathory was born to an incredibly powerful family on August 7, 1560, in Hungary. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain was the longest-reigning monarch in British history. She sometimes even used scissors to slice open the skin between her victims fingers. For the 1982 song by Venom, see, Copy of the lost 1585 original portrait of Elizabeth Bthory, The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of, Lengyel Tnde, Vrkonyi Gbor: Bthory Erzsbet - egy asszony lete / Life of a woman, Letters from Thurz to both men on 5 March 1610, printed in, A letter from 12 December 1610 by Elizabeth's son-in-law Zrnyi to, Szdeczky-Kardoss Irma - Bthory Erzsbet igazsga / The truth of Elizabeth Bthory (10 years of research using contemporary correspondence), Infamous Lady the true story of Countess Erzsebet Bathory Kimberly L. Craft 2009 p.298, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The Bloody Countess? This article caught my eye because there is a Swedish extreme Metal band that goes by the same name (Bathory). Countess Elizabeth Bathory was a member of the aristocracy in Hungary. Thurzo found a dead body of a girl and two other girls wounded. Vitus killed it with three thrusts of his lance and as a reward received the castle. [5][6][7] Other writers, such as Michael Farin in 1989 have said that the accusations against Bthory were supported by testimony from more than 300 individuals, some of whom described physical evidence and the presence of mutilated dead, dying and imprisoned girls found at the time of her arrest. The book was never revealed and Szilvssy never mentioned it in his testimony. On August 7th, 1560, Elizabeth Bthory de Esced ( Bthory Erzsbet in Hungarian) was born to a very powerful Hungarian family. Bthory's other known children include Orsolya (Orsika) Ndasdy (1590 unknown) who would later become the wife of Istvn II Beny; Katalin (Kata or Katherina) Ndasdy (1594 unknown); Andrs Ndasdy (15961603); and Pl (Paul) Ndasdy (15981650), father of Franz III Ndasdy, who was one of the leaders of the Magnate conspiracy against Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I. I do wonder though, how coincidental is it that she found a husband that was practicing the same satanist things as her family? Their hands showed burn marks, or their faces were disfigured. According to SyFy, this claim didnt even appear in print until after shed been dead for more than a century. [3], In 1310, Btor came into the sole possession of Briccius when he reached an agreement with his nephew Michael and his cousin Vid to divide the joint possessions. This too may have been politically motivated, as the death penalty meant that the king could seize her land. Anna Bthory was the widow of the last descendant of the Dragfi family and George now seized the castles of the Dragfi. She was born into one of the noble families of Hungary, the Bathory family which uses the fang of a dragon as its crest. I have never heard of this story, it was very interesting to read and learn about! Despite being a noblewoman, she was a famous serial killer. Elizabeth I was a long-ruling queen of England, governing with relative stability and prosperity for 44 years. Elizabeth Bathory was technically a subject of the Habsburg crown. Two of the women and the male servant were sentenced to death, which was quickly carried out. That evidence included numerous bodies and dead and dying girls found when the castle was entered by Thurz. Orsika's year of birth was probably some time between that of Anna and Katalin, around 1590. [15] Evidence of this pregnancy came up long after Elizabeth's death, through rumors spread by peasants; therefore, the validity of the rumor is often disputed. Those horrific acts of violence and the sometimes-supernatural legends that surround the crimes help define Elizabeth Bathorys terrifying legacy today. and Andrew's sons George (d. 1307), Benedict (d. 1321) and Briccius (d. 1322) for their military services by granting them Btor in the county of Szabolcs. It is more likely that the stories were made up by rival families. I really liked the introduction of this article because it made me wonder what she did and ask why should she have gotten a stricter punishment, and boy did I find out. The Simolin family possessed large estates in Prussia and Courland and members served the Russian Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine as diplomats. If so, login to add it. The youngest son, Nicolaus III (d. 1506), bishop first of Syrmia and after 1474 of Vc, excelled as a renaissance scholar and served as counselor to King Matthias Corvinus. He was allegedly as into dark stuff as his wife, cruelly torturing Ottoman captives and sticking pieces of paper between his servants' toes and setting them on fire. Her actions resulted in a nickname of the "Blood Countess" and may have been a source of inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. Through her mother, Elizabeth was the niece of the Hungarian noble Stephen Bthory (15331586), the King of Poland, the Grand Duke of Lithuania of the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth, and Prince of Transylvania. Between 1602 and 1604, after rumors of Bthory's atrocities had spread throughout the kingdom, Lutheran minister Istvn Magyari made complaints against her, both publicly and at the court in Vienna. Briccius: The elder branch of the family, the Bthory of Somly were descended from John, Count of Szatmr, the first-born son of Briccius, through his eldest son Ladislaus (died 1373). Others reported having seen traces of torture on dead bodies, some of which were buried in graveyards, and others in unmarked locations. The ruse worked. I guess that is the problem with absolute dynastic systems, you get people in power who really shouldnt be. It is only when problems start affecting the rich that governments actually take action. [6] A further division occurred under the great-grandsons of Ladislaus (latter half of the 15th century): John and Stephen dropped the name Bthory and founded the Szaniszlfi family, while Nikolaus continued the Somly branch. She met Erzsi Majorova soon after, who practiced witchcraft. According to widespread misbelief, Elizabeth Bthory was one of the most notorious serial killers in history, supposedly murdering over 600 women in her castle during her lifetime. [33] Moreover, Matthias owed a large debt to Bthory, which was cancelled after she was arrested. discoveries. Elizabeth Bthory, Hungarian form Bthory Erzsbet, (born August 7, 1560, Nyrbtor, Hungarydied August 21, 1614, Castle Cachtice, Cachtice, Hungary [now in Slovakia]), Hungarian countess who purportedly tortured and murdered hundreds of young women in the 16th and 17th centuries. Bathorys husband enjoyed killing so much, especially during wars, that he received the nickname Black Knight of Hungary.7 Nadasdy taught Bathory new techniques or tricks when torturing her servants. The most infamous accusation the one that inspired her nickname, the Blood Countess claimed that Elizabeth Bathory bathed in the blood of her young victims in an attempt to maintain a youthful appearance. Zpolya appointed Stephen VIII Voivode of Transylvania, which he governed until his death in 1534. The evidence gathered by Thurz also included 289 witness statements. In 1575 she married Count Ferencz Ndasdy, a member of another powerful Hungarian family, and subsequently moved to Castle Cachtice, a wedding gift from the Ndasdy family. 1590 is when she was said to have started her crimes. A late 16th-century copy of the now-lost portrait of Elizabeth Bathory, painted in 1585 when she was 25 years old. Her life shifted when she married Ferenc Nadasdy, a noble from Hungary. Stories about Bthory quickly became part of national folklore. In 1610 she was accused of gruesome acts of serial murder and confined to her home of Castle achtice, where she remained until her death. While documents from the 1611 trial supported the accusations made against her, modern scholarship has questioned the veracity of the allegations. This article was incredible! To cure her epilepsy, her family took blood from servants and put it on her lips. The testimony against Bathory could have included true tales about how harshly she acted with lower classes. During the trial, witnesses explained how Bathory would lure in servant girls to kill. Before dying, Ndasdy entrusted his heirs and widow to Gyrgy Thurz, who would eventually lead the investigation into Bthory's crimes. Yes, there are descendants of Elizabeth Bathory that are living today. (2009). [17] To support Bthory's innocence, the testimony of around 300 witnesses[citation needed] and the physical evidence collected by the investigators have to be addressed or disputed. [36] It is difficult to know how accurate his account of events is. At the age of 11, Bathory, who was considered a beautiful and well-educated girl, became engaged to Count Ferenc Nadasdy. Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory is thought to have murdered hundreds of young women in the early 17th century. Her company expanded internationally and changed the face of women's cosmetics. While historical documents seem to support the accusations against her, modern research indicates that Bthory, a powerful woman, might have been the target of politically motivated slander that allowed relatives to appropriate her lands. [27][28], She wrote a will in September 1610, in which she left all current and future inheritance possession to her children. On December 29, 1610, Count Gyrgy Thurz, who oversaw judicial matters as the lord palatine of Hungary, arrived at Bathory's Castle achtice to investigate the countess' alleged crimes against women of noble birth (any mistreatment of servants was not a concern to authorities). Transylvanian Countess Elizabeth Bthory "The Blood Countess" (1560-1614) is often described as the first atypical and very rare, pathological hedonist lust female serial killer, as opposed to the more typical profit-motivated "black widows . But as time went on, rumors that Bathory tortured her servants began to spread. After Nadasdy died in January 1604, Bathory took control of her extensive estates. She had an elder brother named Stephen. But not everyone is convinced of her guilt. Highly interesting and indulging article that I enjoyed reading. He reportedly surprised Bathory in the middle of tormenting a victim and in response immediately imprisoned her in her home (her high status meant she would not be jailed as a common criminal). On 13 December 1612, Nikola VI Zrinski confirmed the agreement with Thurz about the imprisonment of Bthory and distribution of the estate. In the 19th century, long after the demise of the other branches, the family claimed name and title of Counts Bthory, since their ancestor Michael had never consented to the sale conducted by his brothers, and in 1852 the Russian government confirmed the legitimacy of their claims.[6][11][12]. [3] She was imprisoned within Castle of Csejte. All of Elizabeth's children were cared for by governesses, as Bthory herself had been. This Serial Killer was active in the following countries: Slovakia. Elizabeth Bathory, a Hungarian countess, was the daughter of Ann and George Bathory. English: The original portrait of the Countess Elizabeth Bathory from 1585 is lost (spirited away in the 1990s). She had received it as a wedding gift from her husband, the famed Hungarian war hero Ferenc Ndasdy. Thurzo heard screaming, which led him to find one of Bathorys torture chambers. In fact, this prominent family controlled Transylvania. 1 She was born on August 7th, 1590, in Transylvania. Elizabeth Bthory was born on a family estate in Nyrbtor, Royal Hungary in 1560 or 1561, the daughter of Baron George VI Bthory and Baroness Anna Bthory. 1 Colonization and Settlement (1500-1763), 2 Revolution and Early Republic (1754-1801), 4 Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877), 5 Emergence of Modern America (1877-1929), 4 Late Middle Ages-Renaissance-Reformation Europe (1300-1648), 3 Post-Classical History (600 CE-1492 CE), HS 1302 United States History since 1877, SP 3392 Language Variation and Dialectology of Spanish, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Bthory. Make 2023 the year to let that wonderful you-ness shine. Btor had been the estate of Vajda son of Lngos, who had married a relative of Andrew but died without issue. Ferenc and Erzsebet Bathory had six children. Even then, the punishment Bathory faced was nowhere near as cruel as what she did to these young girls. About Erzsbet Bthory, "The Blood Countess". This role usually included responsibility for the Hungarian and Slovak people, providing medical care during the Long War (15931606), and Bthory was charged with the defense of her husband's estates, which lay on the route to Vienna. For other uses, see, "Batory" redirects here. And the fact that Bathory's servants were tortured makes their confessions unreliable. There is a rumor that Elizabeth became pregnant by a peasant right before she married Nadasdy, and he castrated the peasant and gave his body to wild dogs to eat. The servants and Majorova who helped gather young women for Bathory to kill were all killed by either burning or beheading as a result of the trial.16 Elizabeth did not face a harsh death sentence. She used tools such as knives, razors, and wax to torture them.12 She would also bite pieces of flesh off of her victims.13 The people who lived in the same town as Bathory saw the girls that she tortured while they ran errands. Her mother's brother Stephen (or Istvn . Why might Bathory have been subject to outside machinations? Two died as infants, but two daughters and a son survived. Elizabeth Bthory, Hungarian form Bthory Erzsbet, (born August 7, 1560, Nyrbtor, Hungarydied August 21, 1614, Castle Cachtice, Cachtice, Hungary [now in Slovakia]), Hungarian countess who purportedly tortured and murdered hundreds of young women in the 16th and 17th centuries. Wertner, Moritz, "Urgeschlechter in Siebenbrgen. [8][9] Some scholars have suggested that she served as one of Bram Stoker's influences for writing the novel Dracula but the evidence to support this is slim. That's because of digital content theft! [19] On 31 December, Thurz went to Csejte Castle and arrested Bthory along with four of her servants, who were accused of being her accomplices: Dorotya Semtsz, Ilona J, Katarna Benick and Jnos jvry ("Ibis" or Fick). There is no document to prove that anyone in the area complained about the Countess. The Blood Countess, as she would be known in the centuries to come, was born into a prominent family who held power over an ironic region: Transylvania, which was then part of Hungary. A 15-year-old Bathory married Nadasdy on May 8, 1575. However, this depraved action isn't backed up by contemporaneous witness accounts (which otherwise didn't shy away from gore). I truly never realized how sadistic she wasshe definitely puts some of the modern centurys serial killers to shame. After hearing the accusations, Thurz ultimately charged Bathory with the deaths of 80 girls. Bthory is said to have begun killing daughters of the lesser gentry, who were sent to her gynaeceum by their parents to learn courtly etiquette. It took 35 years and 650 girls for the King of Hungary to take action. In 1526, he fought in the disastrous Battle of Mohcs against the Ottomans, in which King Louis II fell. A student organization of St. Marys University of San Antonio, Texas, featuring scholarly research, writing, and media from students of all disciplines. The fourth was spared immediate execution; what happened to her afterward is unknown. Secret societies, paranormal elements, and twist and turns galore. [19] In the last month of 1614, she signed her arrangement, in which she distributed the estates, lands and possessions among her children. She allegedly burned her victims with hot irons, beat them to death with clubs, stuck needles under their fingernails, poured ice water over their bodies and left them to freeze to death outside in the cold, covered them in honey so that bugs could feast on their exposed skin, sewed their lips together, and bit off chunks of flesh from their breasts and faces. Elizabeth Bathory's Chilling Secret to Eternal Youth. As a member of a powerful family, Bathory was not put on trial. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. The Early Life of Elizabeth Bathory. 25 of the Most Evil People the World Has Ever Seen. Have you taken a DNA test? [8] Szdeczky-Kardoss argues that the physical evidence was exaggerated and Thurz misrepresented dead and wounded patients as victims of Bthory, as disgracing her would greatly benefit his political state ambitions. I never new much about Elizabeth Bathory other than her obsession with Virgin blood and the occult, but boy did some of these accounts just turn my stomach. A genealogy of the Nadasdy family, including her descendants Arkiveret 7. juni 2008 hos Wayback Machine; A genealogy of the Bthory family Arkiveret 7. juni 2008 hos Wayback Machine; A Brief on the life and death of Hungary's infamous Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory-Nadasdy When Nadasdy passed away in 1604, he gave his whole estate away to Bathory including his castle, Cachtice, in modern day Slovakia. We strive for accuracy and fairness. A real person, born in 1560, died in 1614. [4] As a young woman, she learned Latin, German, Hungarian and Greek. During her childhood, Bathory had a neurological disorder, and the environment around her only contributed to her sadistic ways. 1). Check out our elizabeth bathory selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our patches shops. [3][6][7][bettersourceneeded] After the trials concluded, Thurzo founded Bathory guilty, and she stayed in solitary confinement in her castle, Cachtice, for the rest of her life. and it is widely believed that the case was to seize her assets. After learning about Elizabeth Bathory, the infamous Blood Countess, read about Britains most notorious female serial killer, Myra Hindley. Countess Elizabeth Bathory. The possible causes were very well documented and the cruelty leaves me to wonder how many innocent people died at the hands of sadistic powerful rulers who enjoyed torture. ], A proposal made by some sources[who?] [citation needed] Some chronicles also indicate that the couple had another son, named Mikls Ndasdy, although this cannot be confirmed, and it could be that he was simply a cousin or died young, as he is not named in Bthory's will from 1610. A few years later, Elizabeth Bathory died in solitary confinement on August 22, 1614. https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/elizabeth-bathory. Another indication that I am an irrelevant old fart! Being creative was fun for a while, but, we, at ElizabethBathory.Org, no longer publish educational material, nor details about the portrait for security reasons, just an image of the painting, once lost, then found, without commentary, and at considerably lower resolution. The servants were put on trial in 1611, and three were executed. Elizabeth was born in 1560 to George and Anna Bathory, a baron and baroness. But not everyone is convinced of her guilt. Ancient Origins - Elizabeth Bathory 16th century deranged serial killer or victim of betrayal. Elizabeth Bathory, a Hungarian countess, was the daughter of Ann and George Bathory.1 She was born on August 7th, 1590, in Transylvania.2 She came from a wealthy, Protestant family that were significant landowners in Hungary. ", in, This page was last edited on 19 August 2022, at 17:33. After the death of the count on the battlefield in January 1604, horrifying suspicions of torture, murder and vampirism were voiced against Elizabeth. Some of Bathory's victims were covered with honey and left outside for insects to devour. As her husband was a soldier who was often off fighting Ottoman Turks, the couple spent most of their marriage apart. The Ecsed branch commonly sided with the Habsburgs: Stephen VII, who had escaped the battle, fled with Louis' widow to Pozsony (now Bratislava), where he organized the election of Ferdinand of Austria as King of Hungary. Enter a grandparent's name. In an attempt to maintain her vast network of servants and victims, she began luring peasant girls to her estate with the promise of work. You can see in the photo that II. She also supposedly kidnapped local girls in the area who would never have come to the castle of their own free will. Since the Dragfi estates were legally due to the crown, the Habsburgs forced George to yield the castles and withdrew to Csitsva in Zempln County. Abridged from Female Serial Killers: How and Why Women Become Monsters by Peter Vronsky. Some witnesses named relatives who died while at the gynaeceum. The family divided into two major branches, which descended from the sons and grandsons of Yes, there are descendants of Elizabeth Bathory that are living today. [citation needed], Ferenc Ndasdy died on 4 January 1604 at the age of 48. When Darvulia died a few years later, Bathory had to find another women to confide in while doing her killings. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Likewise, some historians say that witnesses probably provided the incriminating yet contradictory testimonies under duress and that the king called for the death penalty before Bathorys family could intervene on her behalf. In Hungarian the word btor means "brave". Some accounts of her life include her giving birth to an illegitimate child, fathered by another man, before her marriage. Istvan Magyari, a Lutheran minister, filed a complaint about Bathory. Bathorys servants, thirteen in total, testified against her. The Myth of the "Blood Countess" Elizabeth Bathory. Instant DIGITAL DOWNLOAD . It pains my mind just to think of it! Corrections? Elizabeth Bthory, or Bthory Erzsbet in her native Hungarian, was born in Nyrbtor on August 7, 1560. . [34] The story came into question in 1817 when the witness accounts (which had surfaced in 1765) were published for the first time. A legendary account, placing the Bthorys' origin in the year 900 (preceding the advent of the Gutkeled clan), relates how a god-fearing warrior called Vitus (a namesake of a member of the first generation of the Gutkeled clan) set out to fight a dragon, which lurked in the swamps next to the castle of Ecsed (actually built only in the 14th century) and harassed the countryside. Bathory, a scion of a powerful Hungarian family and the product of inbreeding between Baron George Bathory and Baroness Anna Bathory, called the Csejte Castle home. Elizabeth Bthory, by Gavin R.G. Elizabeth Bthory (born Ecsedi Bthory Erzsbet in Hungarian) came from the noble Protestant family Bthory, who owned land in the Kingdom of Hungary. [citation needed] Thurz, along with Paul and her two sons-in-law, originally planned for Bthory to be sent to a nunnery, but as accounts of her actions spread, they decided to keep her under strict house arrest.[22]. Her first targets were said to have been poor girls and young women who were lured to the castle with the promise of servant work. Thurz ordered two notaries, Andrs Keresztry and Mzes Czirky,[19] to collect evidence in March 1610. It has been said that over hundred young women were among her victims. It is sad to know the number is so high for the number of deaths caused by her, but she was noticeably, permanently ill in the head from a young age. I also did not know that part of the reason for her sadism came from her upbringing and husband. Her uncle, Stephen Bathory, was king of Poland. Elizabeth Warren is a Democrat from Massachusetts who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012 and ran for her party's presidential nomination in 2020. Elizabeth Bthory was born in 1560 to Protestant nobility in Hungary. As Gyrgy Thurz wrote, Elizabeth Bthory was locked in a bricked room, but according to other sources (written documents from the visit of priests, July 1614), she was able to move freely and unhindered in the castle, more akin to house arrest. That said, one witness claimed to have seen a book kept by Bathory herself, where she recorded the names of all of her victims 650 in total. [31] The location of her body today is unknown but believed to be buried deep in the church area of the castle. In the way that governments and authorities dont act if something happens to the poor or unprivileged. Countess Elizabeth Bthory, (Erzsbet Bthori in Hungarian), was born in 1560 in Nyrbtor in Royal Hungary. The count palatine determined, after taking depositions from people living in the area surrounding her estate, that Bthory had tortured and killed more than 600 girls with the assistance of her servants. The third son, Stephen V (d. 1493) excelled as a military commander and was made Voivode of Transylvania, the first of a long line of Bthory rulers of that country. Elizabeth Bathory Home & Living. The investigation into Bthory's crimes was sparked by complaints from a Lutheran minister, Istvn Magyari. From that time, he never fully recovered, and in 1603 became permanently disabled. This is thought to be one of the reasons she became obsessed over blood. No, Bthory was not a doctor/scientist/midwife. One of those children (Pl) had two children. She was sentenced to life imprisonment (but living in relative luxury) in one of the Bthory castles, instead of being executed, due to her family's influence.
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