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. is that there is "a 400-year-old war between the uncanny descendants of "Blood Countess" Elizabeth Bathory, the most prolific female serial killer of all time, and a . In 1575 she married Count Ferencz Ndasdy and moved to Castle Csejte (now in Cachtice, Slovakia), a wedding gift from Ndasdys family. Her family lands, dotted across today's Slovakia, were part of the 'Kingdom of Hungary' that was absorbed by the Habsburgs in 1536. 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. Elizabeth Bthory, by Gavin R.G. She was born into one of the noble families of Hungary, the Bathory family which uses the fang of a dragon as its crest. in order to explain Bthory's cruelty later in her life is that she was trained by her family to be cruel. Today, Elizabeth Bathory is infamously remembered as the Blood Countess who killed up to 650 girls and women in the Kingdom of Hungary. I truly never realized how sadistic she wasshe definitely puts some of the modern centurys serial killers to shame. In this time period, if someone was harmed, or someone even stole a chicken, a letter of complaint was written. The most famous relative was Istvan (ISHT-vahn) Bathory (1533-86). [3][6][7][bettersourceneeded] [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. 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. Bathing in pure girls blood is heard from a lot in movies but Ive never heard it happening in real life. 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. Elizabeth Bthory (or Erzsbet, to use the Hungarian spelling) was born into a Hungarian noble family on the 7th August, 1560. Wertner, Moritz, "Urgeschlechter in Siebenbrgen. Though previous accounts of the murder of peasant women had apparently been ignored, the claims in 1609 that she had slain women from noble families attracted attention. They included no references to blood baths. They descended from George II, the younger son of John I, through the George's grandson Michael. It is only when problems start affecting the rich that governments actually take action. 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. Elizabeth Bathory was born on August 7, 1560, in Nyrbtor, Hungary. The servants confessed under torture, which is not credible in contemporary proceedings. Some of Bathory's victims were covered with honey and left outside for insects to devour. It has been said that over hundred young women were among her victims. Bathory herself was spared from execution due to her status as a noble. Said bloodline was also one of generational inbreeding. A 15-year-old Bathory married Nadasdy on May 8, 1575. 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. [citation needed]. However, it's possible Bathory was not guilty of all the crimes that have been laid at her feet. Thurz ordered two notaries, Andrs Keresztry and Mzes Czirky,[19] to collect evidence in March 1610. Elizabeth Bathory was born on August 7, 1560 in modern day Slovakia. [15] The woman was paid for her actions, and the child was taken to Wallachia. [10], Another branch of the family are the Bthory of Simolin family, which was named after their estate Simony (or Simolin). The Countess came from a very influential family. Depictions of Bathory often mention her bathing in the blood of virgin victims in an attempt to recapture her lost youth. These servants denied their culpability in the murders but admitted to burying multiple victims, though the number in their accounts varied between 36 and 51. The investigation into Bthory's crimes was sparked by complaints from a Lutheran minister, Istvn Magyari. The testimony against Bathory could have included true tales about how harshly she acted with lower classes. A few years later, Elizabeth Bathory died in solitary confinement on August 22, 1614. The Bthory coat of arms, granted in 1325 to the sons of Briccius, was styled in reference to this legend: three horizontally placed teeth surrounded by a dragon biting its own tail,[4] Some witnesses named relatives who died while at the gynaeceum. Stories about Bthory quickly became part of national folklore. [2][13][16] Born into a privileged family of nobility, Bthory was endowed with wealth, education and a prominent social rank.[17]. Both her parents' side were nobility and this they had achieved from small beginnings. 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. discoveries. However, he may have schooled her in techniques of torture when they were together. Wikimedia CommonsA late 16th-century copy of the now-lost portrait of Elizabeth Bathory, painted in 1585 when she was 25 years old. After all, legend has it that she bathed in the blood of at least 650 servant girls she had tortured and killed. 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. 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. 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. 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. The Simolin family possessed large estates in Prussia and Courland and members served the Russian Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine as diplomats. Elizabeth Bthory (born Ecsedi Bthory Erzsbet in Hungarian) came from the noble Protestant family Bthory, who owned land in the Kingdom of Hungary. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain was the longest-reigning monarch in British history. But not everyone is convinced of her guilt. with video tutorial . As was the case with many noble families at the time, the family had long been marrying relatives to keep their status; thus, some theorize that Elizabeth's inbred ancestry could have left her vulnerable to mental instability. If all the stories about her are true, then she is likely the most prolific and vicious female serial killer of all time. Although never tried, Bthory was confined to her chambers at Castle Cachtice. 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. Also known as Bthori Erzsbet, Elizabeth Bathory was born to an incredibly powerful family on August 7, 1560, in Hungary. 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. [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). Elizabeth Bathory was the Countess of Ecsed, born on August 7, 1560, in Hungary. [citation needed] Bthory managed business affairs and the family's multiple estates during the war. Stammtafel nach Alexander von Simolin - printed in Farin, Voivode (and later Prince) of Transylvania, List of titled noble families in the Kingdom of Hungary, "Bram Stoker, Elizabeth Bathory and Dracula", "A genealogy of the founders of the Bthory family", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bthory_family&oldid=1105322508, Articles lacking reliable references from August 2012, Short description is different from Wikidata, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from February 2019, Pages using infobox family with unknown parameters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Ndasdy was the son of Baron Tams Ndasdy de Ndasd et Fogarasfld and Orsolya Kanizsai. There are only secondary accounts of her actions. 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. [citation needed], On 8 May 1575, Bthory and Ndasdy were married at the palace of Vranov nad Topou (Varann in Hungarian). [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. Bthory and four of her servants were accused of torturing and killing hundreds of girls and women between 1590 and 1610. 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. The best-case scenario is that Bathory abused her servants but came nowhere near the level of violence alleged at her trial. But as time went on, rumors that Bathory tortured her servants began to spread. 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. Simon Kezai, Lzl Veszprmy, Frank Schaer (ed. Most of the witnesses testified that they had heard the accusations from others, but did not see it themselves. I think it wouldve been a little more beneficial to focus on a specific killing story of hers if there was evidence of one. Soon after her arrest, Bathory attended the trial against her. 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. One day, Thurzo showed up to Bathorys castle with armed guards. Its really interesting to learn about women serial killers because they are less common than men. MINIATURE framed painting art. She would soon be accused of not only torturing but killing hundreds of girls and women who entered her castle. 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. Elizabeth Bthory was born in 1560 to Protestant nobility in Hungary. Those horrific acts of violence and the sometimes-supernatural legends that surround the crimes help define Elizabeth Bathorys terrifying legacy today. [citation needed], Ferenc Ndasdy died on 4 January 1604 at the age of 48. [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. Bathory is reputed to have killed at least six hundred victims, earning her a Guinness World Record for most prolific female murderer. 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. 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. Elizabeth was born in 1560 to George and Anna Bathory, a baron and baroness. This article was incredible! 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. While facing fraud charges, she was publicly revealed to be a transgender woman. Bthory, though never tried, was confined to Castle Csejte (now Cachtice), reportedly kept in a bricked-in room. Elisabeth Sherman is a writer living in Jersey City, New Jersey. Ferenc and Erzsebet Bathory had six children. 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. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-Bathory. [9] Her older brother, Stephen Bthory (15551605), served as a Judge Royal of Hungary. To cure her epilepsy, her family took blood from servants and put it on her lips. By . A powerful terror ruled over lands in Hungary in the 16th century. Extremely well written article. She suffered from epilepsy as a child, possibly from familial inbreeding. The evidence gathered by Thurz also included 289 witness statements. [citation needed] He had been married to Bthory for 29 years. 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 Elizabeths husband was away at war, she met a witch named Anna Darvulia. 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. 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). Have you taken a DNA test? [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. I wouldve expected her to get decapitated or more severely punished. Many of the witnesses who spoke against Bathory were beholden to Thurz, who oversaw the entire investigation. 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. 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. Many modern Hungarian scholars believe that the accusations against Elizabeth Bathory were exaggerated. [2] Her servants were put on trial and convicted, whereas Bthory was confined to her home. The Myth of the "Blood Countess" Elizabeth Bathory. Before dying, Ndasdy entrusted his heirs and widow to Gyrgy Thurz, who would eventually lead the investigation into Bthory's crimes. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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 . After the harsh and fierce battle, Hungary was torn apart by the conflict between the rival royal claims. During the trial, witnesses explained how Bathory would lure in servant girls to kill. While documents from the 1611 trial supported the accusations made against her, modern scholarship has questioned the veracity of the allegations. They were the king's witnesses, but they were executed. While she lived unharmed by any authority for years, many young girls went missing or ended up dead. Anna Bthory was the widow of the last descendant of the Dragfi family and George now seized the castles of the Dragfi. Therefore, the idea of evil inside the family bond emerges in the Countess's massacres. Raised in a noble family, Bathory knew a life of privilege from an early age. But before long, many locals began to point their fingers at Countess Elizabeth Bathory. However, she was arrested and detained prior to the discovery or presentation of the victims. She allegedly tortured and murdered these women between 1585 and 1609. After these executions Thurz continued to investigate the countess. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. Countess Dracula: The Life and Times of Elisabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess (Unknown Binding) by. 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. 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. 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. As a member of a powerful family, Bathory was not put on trial. Vitus killed it with three thrusts of his lance and as a reward received the castle. Despite being a noblewoman, she was a famous serial killer. Elizabeth's father was George VI Bthory, who was from the Bthory family's Esced branch. Answer (1 of 8): Jesus Christ of Nazareth is God, He is more than a prophet or a saint, He never married because He considered all women as His sisters and daughters and men as His sons and brothers, He is pure hearted and completely innocent unlike people today. By that point, Bathory had reportedly killed multiple victims of noble birth, which concerned the authorities far more than the deaths of servants. In the early 17th century, rumors began to circulate around the village of Trenn in present-day Slovakia. Her uncle, Stephen Bathory, was king of Poland. Overall, I believe the author did a good job telling a tragic story. At the age of 13, before her first marriage, Bthory allegedly gave birth to a child. I find it interesting that she was born in Transylvania, the same place that Vlad Tepes (Vlad Dracula) was born. The Torture. George and Anna were both Bathorys by birth; he a member of the Ecsed branch of the family and of the Somlyo. 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). Countess Elizabeth Bathory. For other uses, see, "Batory" redirects here. (2009). Want to Read. I do wonder though, how coincidental is it that she found a husband that was practicing the same satanist things as her family? After hearing the accusations, Thurz ultimately charged Bathory with the deaths of 80 girls. She was a widow of one of the most powerful and wealthy noblemen of Hungary, she managed enormous estates and was documented to have been very good to her people offering scholarships and running practically a hospital in her castle. On December 30, 1609, Elizabeth Bthory and her servants were arrested. She was born in 1560 to Baron George Bathory and Baroness Anne Bathory ("Blood Countess," par. Zpolya appointed Stephen VIII Voivode of Transylvania, which he governed until his death in 1534. She had several siblings. You can see in the photo that II. 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 was only when noble girls started disappearing and dying that he demanded Thurzo to look into it. Elizabeth Bathory was born on the family estate of Nyirbator in eastern Hungary on the 7th of August 1560. [10] Legends describing her vampiric tendencies, such as the tale that she bathed in the blood of virgins to retain her youth, were generally recorded years after her death and are considered unreliable. As her husband was a soldier who was often off fighting Ottoman Turks, the couple spent most of their marriage apart. History has a way of turning powerful women into folklore. 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. Descendants of Elizabeth Bathory the Blood Queen being hunted by descendants of her supposed victims. 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. The ruins of Csejte Castle, where Elizabeth Bathory supposedly committed unspeakable crimes. Updates? Then, discover the true story behind the real-life Bloody Mary. She had an elder brother named Stephen. 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. From 1585 to 1595, Bthory bore four children. Serial Killer Elizabeth Bathory (aka) The Blood Countess, The achtice Countess, was active for 20 years between 1590-1609, known to have ( 80 confirmed / 650 possible ) victims. In the way that governments and authorities dont act if something happens to the poor or unprivileged. 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. 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. and she had complete control over the lives of the peasants living in the . While Nadasdy taught her how to torture, yet another person in her life would teach her how to kill. 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. If all the stories about her are true, then she is likely the most prolific and vicious female serial killer of all time. 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. Her father was Baron George VI Bthory, brother of the voivode of Transylvania, Andrew Bonaventura Bthory. Bthory was born in 1560 on a family estate in Nyrbtor, Royal Hungary. Thurzo heard screaming, which led him to find one of Bathorys torture chambers. [1], There are counter-arguments made against this theory. [8] In a 2018 article for Przegld Nauk Historycznych (Historical Science Review) Aleksandra Bartosiewicz stated that when Bthory was persecuted, the accusations were a spectacle to destroy her family's influence in the region, which was considered a threat to the political interests of her neighbors, including the Habsburg empire.[9]. Elizabeth Bthory, or Bthory Erzsbet in her native Hungarian, was born in Nyrbtor on August 7, 1560. ), Hodos was the ancestor of the Szokolvi family, see, Moritz Wertner, "Urgeschlechter in Siebenbrgen. It is unclear whether he died before or after his sisters Elizabeth and Sophia. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The Elizabethan era is named for her. The palatine also coordinated the steps of the investigation with the political struggle with the Prince of Transylvania. 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. Her family controlled Transylvania, and her uncle Stephen Bthory was king of Poland. [2] She was from a very important family that included kings, cardinals, knights, and judges. It is interesting to read how her childhood and husband shaped her into the serial killer that she became. The couple's first child was born 10 years later, in 1585. Tony Thorne. After learning about Elizabeth Bathory, the infamous Blood Countess, read about Britains most notorious female serial killer, Myra Hindley. Elizabeth Bthory (Hungarian Noblewoman and Serial Killer) Elizabeth Bthory or Erzsebet Bathory was a feared Hungarian countess who became infamous as a torturer and a vicious serial murderer. 2023 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. This article caught my eye because there is a Swedish extreme Metal band that goes by the same name (Bathory). 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.
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