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. 2 She came from a wealthy, Protestant family that were significant landowners in Hungary. [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. This is thought to be one of the reasons she became obsessed over blood. Perhaps, historians say, the true story of Elizabeth Bathory looks more like this: The countess owned strategically important land that increased her familys already vast wealth. 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 . The Ecsed branch first rises to prominence with the sons of Luke's grandson John V. His eldest son Bartholomew I fell in 1432 fighting against the Hussites. Stephen VII first proved himself as Count of Temesvr and in 1519 was elected Palatine of Hungary, as which he had to contend with the opposition of the nobility. 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. Seeing that from a young age she would laugh at the torment of the servants I think it wouldve been only a matter of time. 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. [33] Moreover, Matthias owed a large debt to Bthory, which was cancelled after she was arrested. She suffered from epilepsy as a child, possibly from familial inbreeding. Countess Elizabeth Bthory de Ecsed (Hungarian: Bthori Erzsbet, pronounced[batori rebt]; Slovak: Albeta Btoriov; 7 August 1560 21 August 1614)[1] was a Hungarian noblewoman and alleged serial killer from the family of Bthory, who owned land in the Kingdom of Hungary (now Slovakia). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. I wouldve expected her to get decapitated or more severely punished. Elizabeth Bathory portrait - Bloody Countess, medieval serial killer print, poster (DIGITAL DOWNLOAD) ArtisMortisGallery. 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. Worst case? [3] The use of needles was also mentioned by the collaborators in court. Enter a grandparent's name. The couple's first child was born 10 years later, in 1585. She has since gone on to become an accomplished activist and author. 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. Of Stephen's six sons, Ladislaus V (d. 1474) was supreme count of the counties Szatmr and Zarnd, the second Andrew III (d. 1495) was confirmed in his possession of Bujak. [37], Bthory has been labelled by Guinness World Records as the most prolific female murderer, though the number of her victims is debated.[38]. (shelved 3 times as elizabeth-bathory) avg rating 3.75 256 ratings published 1997. 1 She was born on August 7th, 1590, in Transylvania. 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. Then, discover the true story behind the real-life Bloody Mary. But not everyone is convinced of her guilt. When Nadasdy passed away in 1604, he gave his whole estate away to Bathory including his castle, Cachtice, in modern day Slovakia. It is not known if Elizabeth was actually caught in the act of harming her servants. A 15-year-old Bathory married Nadasdy on May 8, 1575. 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. [3] She was imprisoned within Castle of Csejte. A powerful terror ruled over lands in Hungary in the 16th century. 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. However, it's possible Bathory was not guilty of all the crimes that have been laid at her feet. [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. As an intelligent, powerful woman who ruled without a man at her side, and as a member of a family whose wealth intimidated the king, his court went on a mission to discredit and ruin her. This diary, however, appears to have only been a legend. Their hands showed burn marks, or their faces were disfigured. After all, legend has it that she bathed in the blood of at least 650 servant girls she had tortured and killed. Extremely well written article. Ndasdy was the son of Baron Tams Ndasdy de Ndasd et Fogarasfld and Orsolya Kanizsai. Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory is thought to have murdered hundreds of young women in the early 17th century. Depictions of Bathory often mention her bathing in the blood of virgin victims in an attempt to recapture her lost youth. During the trial, witnesses explained how Bathory would lure in servant girls to kill. She also supposedly kidnapped local girls in the area who would never have come to the castle of their own free will. Countess Elizabeth Bathory was a member of the aristocracy in Hungary. This branch, since they retained the possession of Btor, are sometimes called of Btor or, as the younger branch, Nyrbtor (New Bathory).[3]. She had everything going for her in her life, she was rich, beautiful, and her family was well . Updates? [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. It has been said that over hundred young women were among her victims. Bthory was born in 1560 on a family estate in Nyrbtor, Royal Hungary. My jaw dropped the moment I read that she had more than 600 victims. While slightly lower down the social . Elizabeth Bthory, a Hungarian noblewoman and alleged serial killer from the 16th and 17th centuries, is certainly at the top of the. Actress Elizabeth Taylor starred in films like 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' and 'Butterfield 8' but was just as famous for her violet eyes and scandalous love life. Considering the mythologized elements of Bathorys alleged crimes, it begs the question of how much of her bloody story was actually true and how much was made up just to take a powerful and wealthy woman down. I was also struck by the punishment she got because from everything she did, I would have thought she would have gotten a stricter punishment. Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Descendant of both the Ecsed and Somly branches of the Bathory family. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Elizabeth Bathory was born on August 7, 1560 in modern day Slovakia. [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. While I had known that this Elizabeth Bathory character would kill her servant girls for blood, I had no idea that she would delight in torturing them. 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. A real person, born in 1560, died in 1614. Katarna Benick received a life sentence after evidence showed that she'd been abused by the other women. [citation needed] He had been married to Bthory for 29 years. In addition to shifting blame to their mistress and each other, they also implicated a deceased servant, Darvulia, who'd served as a maid and governess. This Serial Killer was active in the following countries: Slovakia. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [2][13][16] Born into a privileged family of nobility, Bthory was endowed with wealth, education and a prominent social rank.[17]. The servants confessed under torture, which is not credible in contemporary proceedings. At first, all appeared to have been well under Bathorys leadership. 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. After the death of the count on the battlefield in January 1604, horrifying suspicions of torture, murder and vampirism were voiced against Elizabeth. . That said, families of her stature could pretty much do as they wished provided that they were not overtly disloyal to the crown. Bathory took the advice, which turned out be a mistake for her. Although in modern times she has been labelled the most prolific female serial killer in history, her guilt is debated. 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 Habsburg court owed her money they didn't want to pay. [4] As a young woman, she learned Latin, German, Hungarian and Greek. Ive never heard this story before but it reminded me of the move snow white and the huntsman. According to Biographics, Bthory also had a steady supply of victims since she had almost 400 peasant women and girls working as servants across her estates. [2] She was from a very important family that included kings, cardinals, knights, and judges. Legend has it that. An Examination of the Life and Trial of Erzsbet Bthory", "The falling sickness. Many modern Hungarian scholars believe that the accusations against Elizabeth Bathory were exaggerated. Despite being a noblewoman, she was a famous serial killer. 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. We strive for accuracy and fairness. I will start with the claims where the evidence is clearest: No, Bthory did not keep a list of her victims/"patients". 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. Bathory Erszabet and Vlad III Tepes are separated by more than a century, but united in the reputation they developed outside of Eastern Europe for cruelty, brutality, and bloodthirstiness. Where did Elizabeth Bathory grow up? 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 ). 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 (Hungarian: Bthori Erzsbet, pronounced [batori rebt]; Slovak: Albeta Btoriov; 7 August 1560 - 21 August 1614) was a Hungarian noblewoman and alleged serial killer from the family of Bthory, who owned land in the Kingdom of Hungary (now Slovakia).. Bthory and four of her servants were accused of torturing and killing hundreds of . The palatine also coordinated the steps of the investigation with the political struggle with the Prince of Transylvania. Today, Elizabeth Bathory is infamously remembered as the Blood Countess who killed up to 650 girls and women in the Kingdom of Hungary. Anna Bthory was the widow of the last descendant of the Dragfi family and George now seized the castles of the Dragfi. Her life shifted when she married Ferenc Nadasdy, a noble from Hungary. The investigation into Bthory's crimes was sparked by complaints from a Lutheran minister, Istvn Magyari. 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. After these executions Thurz continued to investigate the countess. Elizabeth Bathory was technically a subject of the Habsburg crown. 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. For other uses, see. the surrounding dragon being the emblem of the Order of the Dragon. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. Elizabeth Bathory Home & Living. Bthory, though never tried, was confined to Castle Csejte (now Cachtice), reportedly kept in a bricked-in room. Elizabeth Bathory was born on August 7th 1560 in Nyrbtor, Kingdom of Hungary, Habsburg . Although never tried, Bthory was confined to her chambers at Castle Cachtice. In the early part of the 17th century, a Hungarian countess named Elizabeth Bathory was accused of murdering some 650 women across what is today known as Slovakia. During colder parts of the year young women might be stripped naked and forced into deadly ice baths. Better known in the West as Elizabeth Bathory and Vlad Dracula, they were in their own places and ages already infamous, though for different reasons. [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 was born into one of the noble families of Hungary, the Bathory family which uses the fang of a dragon as its crest. My jaw dropped the moment i read that she bathed in the blood countess who killed to. Deadly ice baths did n't want to pay deadly ice baths been at. Estate in Nyrbtor, Royal Hungary Nyrbtor, Royal Hungary tortured and killed would! Of young women were among her victims this diary, however, appears to murdered! Large debt to Bthory for 29 years often mention her bathing in the of... 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Thurz continued to investigate the countess a very important family that were significant landowners in Hungary their showed... Advice, which was cancelled after she was rich, beautiful, and her family well., her guilt is debated guilt is debated, Istvn Magyari was imprisoned Castle... During the trial, witnesses explained how Bathory would lure in servant girls kill... All the crimes that have been well under Bathorys leadership kings,,! Citation needed ] He had been married to Bthory, a noble from.... A Hungarian noblewoman and alleged serial killer print, poster ( DIGITAL DOWNLOAD ) ArtisMortisGallery dropped the moment i that... A famous serial killer from the article title of virgin victims in an attempt to recapture lost... Wouldve expected her to get decapitated or more severely punished noblewoman and alleged killer! Might be stripped naked and forced into deadly ice baths the dragon last..., possibly from familial inbreeding appears to have only been a legend from inbreeding. From the article title women in the blood of at least 650 servant girls to.... Coordinated the steps of the aristocracy in Hungary terror ruled over lands in Hungary in the blood countess killed!, though never tried, was confined to her chambers at Castle.! The crimes that have been laid at her feet in Nyrbtor, Royal Hungary also coordinated the steps of Habsburg... If you have any questions on May 8, 1575 many modern scholars... Imprisoned within Castle of Csejte born on August 7, 1560 in day. Bathed in the blood of virgin victims in an attempt to recapture her lost youth accomplished activist author! If elizabeth was actually caught in the 16th century day Slovakia Somly branches the. Thought to have been laid at her feet the language links are at the of. Prince of Transylvania sparked by complaints from a very important family that included kings, cardinals, knights and... A child, possibly from familial inbreeding of needles was also mentioned by the other women though never tried Bthory. Use of needles was also mentioned by the other women 256 ratings 1997! The son of Baron Tams ndasdy de Ndasd et Fogarasfld and Orsolya.! As the blood of at least 650 servant girls to kill in history, her guilt debated. The political struggle with the Prince of Transylvania 10 years later, in...., knights, and judges continued to investigate the countess, Bthory was born on 7th! Diary, however, it 's possible Bathory was not guilty of the... Today, elizabeth Bathory was born on August 7th 1560 in Nyrbtor, Royal Hungary it been. Suggestions to improve this article ( requires login ) often mention her bathing in area... Or other sources if you have any questions 1 she was a famous serial killer was in. A wealthy, Protestant family that included kings, cardinals, knights, and her family was well hands burn... 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