The two branches of the family positioned themselves on the opposing sides of the conflict. Countess Elizabeth Bthory de Ecsed ( Hungarian: Bthory Erzsbet, pronounced [batori rebt]; Slovak: Albeta Btoriov ; 7 August 1560 - 21 August 1614) [1] was a Hungarian noblewoman from the family of Bthory, who owned land in the Kingdom of Hungary (now Hungary, Slovakia and Romania ). Wikimedia CommonsThe ruins of Csejte Castle, where Elizabeth Bathory supposedly committed unspeakable crimes. Make 2023 the year to let that wonderful you-ness shine. People grew more suspicious after she killed one noble girl. Her family controlled Transylvania, and her uncle, Stephen Bthory, was king of Poland. She did this by saying she would give them a higher salary.11 The testimonies included how she killed the girls by mutilating their bodies, starving them, freezing them, and torturing them. And some say she would later use that power to commit heinous acts. A 15-year-old Bathory married Nadasdy on May 8, 1575. This is thought to be one of the reasons she became obsessed over blood. 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. Both make for a compelling story even if only one of them is actually true. It took 35 years and 650 girls for the King of Hungary to take action. Ladislaus, Count of Szabolcs, married Anna Meggyesi and received Somly as dowry. Bathory is reputed to have killed at least six hundred victims, earning her a Guinness World Record for most prolific female murderer. Although it is commonly believed that Bthory was caught in the act of torture, she was having dinner. In 1602 a priest wrote a letter that discussed the excessive cruelty exhibited by Bathory and her husband towards their servants. Some say that Countess Elizabeth Bthory, considered by many to be the world's worst female serial killer, was the true inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. We strive for accuracy and fairness. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It is only when problems start affecting the rich that governments actually take action. After these executions Thurz continued to investigate the countess. Bathory gave birth to five children. [33] Moreover, Matthias owed a large debt to Bthory, which was cancelled after she was arrested. [citation needed], Several authors, such as Lszl Nagy and Dr. Irma Szdeczky-Kardoss, have argued that Elizabeth Bthory was a victim of a conspiracy. I do wonder though, how coincidental is it that she found a husband that was practicing the same satanist things as her family? She told her guard that her hands were cold, and the next day the guard found her dead.20 She was buried somewhere around her castle, Cachtice. It seems most likely that the claim of Thurz's discovering Bthory covered in blood has been the embellishment of fictionalized accounts. [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. Thurzo investigated and accumulated hundreds of witnesses, and a few were willing to testify against Bathory. Elizabeth Bathory's Chilling Secret to Eternal Youth. 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. You can see in the photo that II. Simon Kezai, Lzl Veszprmy, Frank Schaer (ed. Elizabeth was born in 1560 to George and Anna Bathory, a baron and baroness. History has a way of turning powerful women into folklore. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. The historical evidence on Bthory fundamentally contradicts your source (s). [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. [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. Her parents were both Bthory, her father was Baron George VI Bthory of the Ecsed branch of the Bthory family and her mother was Baroness Anna Bthory. She was born in 1560 to Baron George Bathory and Baroness Anne Bathory ("Blood Countess," par. She spent her childhood at Ecsed 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. Four of Bathory's servants three females and one male were then arrested, questioned, and subjected to torture. [18] This does not contribute to the notion of a Catholic/Habsburg plot against the Protestant Bthory, although religious tension is still a possible source of conflict, as Bthory was raised Calvinist, not Lutheran. After the harsh and fierce battle, Hungary was torn apart by the conflict between the rival royal claims. Elizabeth Bthory (or Erzsbet, to use the Hungarian spelling) was born into a Hungarian noble family on the 7th August, 1560. After taking a lover at age 13 and giving birth to a secret love child, Elizabeth was married shortly before turning 15 to a nobleman named Ferenc Nadasdy. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! [4], The charges leveled against Bthory have been described by several historians as a witch-hunt. Printable . She also supposedly kidnapped local girls in the area who would never have come to the castle of their own free will. 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! 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. How did they find each other? American serial killer Israel Keyes is thought to have murdered at least 11 people before his 2012 arrest. One witness stated that Bthory herself had listed 650 victims in her papers, though the number of victims varied in other testimonials and the countess' exact death toll remains unknown. Bthory was a powerful woman, made more so by her control of Ndasdys holdings after his death. Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 49: Bloody Mary, also available on, true story behind the real-life Bloody Mary. After learning about Elizabeth Bathory, the infamous Blood Countess, read about Britains most notorious female serial killer, Myra Hindley. [2] Her family ruled Transylvania as an independent region within the Hungarian kingdom. One of those children (Pl) had two children. While Elizabeths husband was away at war, she met a witch named Anna Darvulia. [2] She was from a very important family that included kings, cardinals, knights, and judges. I will start with the claims where the evidence is clearest: No, Bthory did not keep a list of her victims/"patients". [9] The marriage resulted in combined land ownership in both Transylvania and the Kingdom of Hungary. Highly interesting and indulging article that I enjoyed reading. Her actions resulted in a nickname of the "Blood Countess" and may have been a source of inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. [citation needed], Bthory's daughter, Anna Ndasdy, was born in 1585 and was later to become the wife of Nikola VI Zrinski. One girl even came running out of the castle with a knife still in her foot.14 The king showed no compassion or care for the peasants or servants being killed. The Early Life of Elizabeth Bathory. Bthory was born into prominent Protestant nobility in Hungary. Thurz collected evidence from some 300 witnesses who leveled a bevy of truly horrifying charges against the countess. [citation needed] He had been married to Bthory for 29 years. 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. Instant DIGITAL DOWNLOAD . 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. The Myth of the "Blood Countess" Elizabeth Bathory. Secret societies, paranormal elements, and twist and turns galore. As was the custom, the young bride to be left her own home once the betrothal was official and the family of her fiance took over her education. [3][6][7][bettersourceneeded] This family was literally so powerful, they had multiple branches. (shelved 3 times as elizabeth-bathory) avg rating 3.75 256 ratings published 1997. Most of the witnesses testified that they had heard the accusations from others, but did not see it themselves. She met Erzsi Majorova soon after, who practiced witchcraft. Elizabeth Bthory, a Hungarian noblewoman and alleged serial killer from the 16th and 17th centuries, is certainly at the top of the. Hungarian royal family prominent in Central Europe from the 13th to 17th centuries, This article is about the Hungarian noble family. [27][28], She wrote a will in September 1610, in which she left all current and future inheritance possession to her children. 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. [30] She was buried in the church of Csejte on 25 November 1614,[30] but according to some sources due to the villagers' uproar over having the Countess buried in their cemetery, her body was moved to her birth home at Ecsed, where it was interred at the Bthory family crypt. 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. Thurzo heard screaming, which led him to find one of Bathorys torture chambers. According to Thurz's letter to his wife, his unannounced visit found one dead girl and another living "prey" girl in the castle,[19] but there is no evidence that they asked her what had happened to her. At the age of 13, before her first marriage, Bthory allegedly gave birth to a child. [4], The case of Elizabeth Bthory inspired numerous stories during the 18th and 19th centuries. Bthory was the great-great-granddaughter of Barbara Aleksandrwna and Bolesaw IV of Warsaw, and Mikalojus Radvila the Old; the 3rd great-granddaughter of Bolesaw Januszowic; the 4th great-granddaughter of Vladimir Olgerdovich; and the 5th great-granddaughter of Algirdas. 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.
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