That said, families of her stature could pretty much do as they wished provided that they were not overtly disloyal to the crown. The historical evidence on Bthory fundamentally contradicts your source (s). Secret societies, paranormal elements, and twist and turns galore. While I have no doubt she might have reached the sadistic level she was, I believe her upbringing where her parents tortured and mutilated their servants, combined with the sadistic nature of her husband helped her reach that level much quicker. But Bathorys case may not have been as cut and dry as it seemed. The grateful people honoured him with the names Bthory, meaning "good hero", and animus magnanimus. She would soon be accused of not only torturing but killing hundreds of girls and women who entered her castle. This article was incredible! Even then, the punishment Bathory faced was nowhere near as cruel as what she did to these young girls. In fact, this prominent family controlled Transylvania. 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. According to witnesses, Bathorys crimes took place between 1590 and 1610, with most of the vicious murders happening after her husbands death in 1604. A great example of what a bad upbringing can do and the potential of a bad upbringing to not only bring harm to the person involved but the society as well. Great job! Her mother was Baroness Anna Bthory (15391570), daughter of Stephen Bthory of Somly, also voivode of Transylvania, who was of the Somly branch. She would bite shoulders and breasts, as well as burning the flesh, including the genitals, of some victims. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Leave a message for others who see this profile. Raised in a noble family, Bathory knew a life of privilege from an early age. In the years after Bathorys husband passed, whispers floated around about Bathorys actions, specifically her killing young girls. Impressed by Stephen, George VI Bthory, of the Ecsed branch, was persuaded to change his allegiance from the Habsburgs to Zpolya, for which the Habsburg king deprived him of his castle Bujak. [23] Ilona J and Dorottya Szentes had their fingers torn out with a pair of red-hot pincers and were then burned alive. and it is widely believed that the case was to seize her assets. The Myth of the "Blood Countess" Elizabeth Bathory. Highly interesting and indulging article that I enjoyed reading. Another woman, who'd supposedly used magic to aid Bathory, was also soon killed. [4] As a young woman, she learned Latin, German, Hungarian and Greek. Elizabeth Bthory., College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences. Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 49: Bloody Mary, also available on, true story behind the real-life Bloody Mary. Bathing in pure girls blood is heard from a lot in movies but Ive never heard it happening in real life. I wonder if she wouldve grown up to be different if all these people in her life wouldnt have helped her torment her servants. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Her father was Baron George VI Bthory, brother of the voivode of Transylvania, Andrew Bonaventura Bthory. Also known as Bthori Erzsbet, Elizabeth Bathory was born to an incredibly powerful family on August 7, 1560, in Hungary. She was brought up in the rarefied atmosphere of 16th century elites - her every whim was satisfied, and people from all walks of life fawned over the beautiful aristocrat. The second son, Stephen III rose to become Palatine of Hungary and in 1444 fell in the Battle of Varna as flag-bearer of Wadysaw, King of Poland and Hungary. [citation needed] The castle had been bought by his mother in 1569 and given to Ndasdy, who transferred it to Elizabeth during their nuptials, together with the Csejte country house and seventeen adjacent villages. The testimony against Bathory could have included true tales about how harshly she acted with lower classes. By that point, Bathory had reportedly killed multiple victims of noble birth, which concerned the authorities far more than the deaths of servants. Bathory took the advice, which turned out be a mistake for her. One day, Thurzo showed up to Bathorys castle with armed guards. Liz Torture Throw Pillow. Have you taken a DNA test? There were several instances where Bthory intervened on behalf of destitute women, including a woman whose husband was captured by the Ottomans and a woman whose daughter was raped and impregnated. There is no document to prove that anyone in the area complained about the Countess. The Early Life of Elizabeth Bathory. 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! She was raised at the family castle in Ecsd. 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? Instead, she was isolated perhaps walled up in Castle achtice, where she remained until her death in 1614. Erzsebet Bathory, known more commonly in the Western world by the anglicised name Elizabeth, was born August 7th, 1560, the daughter of Baron George Bathory and Baroness Anna Bathory. I guess that is the problem with absolute dynastic systems, you get people in power who really shouldnt be. 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. Tony Thorne. [26], On 25 January 1611, Thurz wrote a letter to King Matthias describing that they had captured and confined Bthory to her castle. Two of the women and the male servant were sentenced to death, which was quickly carried out. In 1526, he fought in the disastrous Battle of Mohcs against the Ottomans, in which King Louis II fell. [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. 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. Both make for a compelling story even if only one of them is actually true. In a way, things that happened back then are still happening now. I find it interesting that she was born in Transylvania, the same place that Vlad Tepes (Vlad Dracula) was born. Elizabeth's father was George VI Bthory, who was from the Bthory family's Esced branch. Elizabeth Bathory, a Hungarian countess, was the daughter of Ann and George Bathory. It seems most likely that the claim of Thurz's discovering Bthory covered in blood has been the embellishment of fictionalized accounts. She was born in 1560 to Baron George Bathory and Baroness Anne Bathory ("Blood Countess," par. Worst case? Her father was George VI Bathory, the voivode of Transylvania, the senior government official in this region, approximating to eastern Romania today, but which was then, like Hungary, a constituent part of the broad territories of the Habsburg . What was Elizabeth Bthorys childhood like? It took 35 years and 650 girls for the King of Hungary to take action. [36] It is difficult to know how accurate his account of events is. In Hungarian the word btor means "brave". [9], In 1578, three years into their marriage, Ndasdy became the chief commander of Hungarian troops, leading them to war against the Ottomans. By mid -1596, we know that Erzsbet Bthory had three living children: daughters Anna, Orsolya (Orsika), and Katalin (Kata), and that Erzsbet was pregnant with son Andrs. Ive never heard this story before but it reminded me of the move snow white and the huntsman. Another indication that I am an irrelevant old fart! I will start with the claims where the evidence is clearest: No, Bthory did not keep a list of her victims/"patients". The evidence against Bathory has flaws: Of 289 witness accounts, more than 250 offered either hearsay or no information whatsoever. 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). [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. [37], Bthory has been labelled by Guinness World Records as the most prolific female murderer, though the number of her victims is debated.[38]. [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. ", in. In the early 17th century, rumors began to circulate around the village of Trenn in present-day Slovakia. Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 49: Bloody Mary, also available on iTunes and Spotify. Istvan Magyari, a Lutheran minister, filed a complaint about Bathory. According to the contemporary reports and the stories told long after, Elizabeth Bathory tortured girls and young women in unspeakable ways. Elizabeth pleaded her innocence to Thurzo, though he did not believe her, and he eventually arrested her.15 Bathory was only put on house arrest, because they did not want to cause a scene to the public, but rumors were already going around about what she did. 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. Legend has it that. Despite being a noblewoman, she was a famous serial killer. [33] Moreover, Matthias owed a large debt to Bthory, which was cancelled after she was arrested. Countess Dracula: The Life and Times of Elisabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess (Unknown Binding) by. Others reported having seen traces of torture on dead bodies, some of which were buried in graveyards, and others in unmarked locations. [3][6][7][bettersourceneeded] Although never tried, Bthory was confined to her chambers at Castle Cachtice. During this time, no laws protected servants or peasants from being tortured. ), Hodos was the ancestor of the Szokolvi family, see, Moritz Wertner, "Urgeschlechter in Siebenbrgen. The Bthory family belonged to the Gutkeled, a clan of Hungarian nobles, which traced its descent to the Swabian brothers Gut and Kelad, who immigrated into Hungary from the castle Stof (probably Staufen im Breisgau or Hohenstaufen in Wrttemberg) during the reign of King Peter (reigned 10381046), who himself was partly of Venetian descent. I do wonder though, how coincidental is it that she found a husband that was practicing the same satanist things as her family? In 1575 she married Count Ferencz Ndasdy and moved to Castle Csejte (now in Cachtice, Slovakia), a wedding gift from Ndasdys family. 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. Wikipedia, 2019, s.v. She was raised at the family castle in Ecsd, Hungary. Elizabeth Bathory was born on the family estate of Nyirbator in eastern Hungary on the 7th of August 1560. 1590 is when she was said to have started her crimes. 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. At the age of 13, before her first marriage, Bthory allegedly gave birth to a child. with video tutorial . After hearing the accusations, Thurz ultimately charged Bathory with the deaths of 80 girls. When the trial ended, Bathorys alleged accomplices one of whom had worked as a wet nurse for the countess children were convicted of witchcraft and burned at the stake. 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. 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]. While slightly lower down the social . She suffered from epilepsy as a child, possibly from familial inbreeding. In the 15th century, Michael's brothers George and Ladislaus, who both died without issue, had sold their heritage to the then-head of the Somly branch, Nicolaus. [21], Thurz debated further proceedings with Bthory's son Paul and two of her sons-in-law, Nikola VI Zrinski and Gyrgy Drugeth. 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 first, all appeared to have been well under Bathorys leadership. For years, citizens were frightened of Elizabeth Bathory. The family rose to significant influence in Central Europe during the Late Middle Ages, holding high military, administrative and ecclesiastical positions in the Kingdom of Hungary. 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 Bthory (died 1614), daughter of George VI and through her mother niece of the Polish King Stephen Bthory. It turns out that King Matthias II owed Bathorys late husband, and then her, a sizable debt. Elizabeth Bthory, by Gavin R.G. She was forty-three at the time of Ferencz's death and known to be terrified of growing old and losing her beauty. Stories about Bthory quickly became part of national folklore. On August 7th, 1560, Elizabeth Bthory de Esced ( Bthory Erzsbet in Hungarian) was born to a very powerful Hungarian 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. A real person, born in 1560, died in 1614. 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. Ladislaus, Count of Szabolcs, married Anna Meggyesi and received Somly as dowry. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. Their court proceedings began early in January 1611. 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. She remained there until she died. 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