Descendants of Elizabeth Bathory the Blood Queen being hunted by descendants of her supposed victims. Some witnesses named relatives who died while at the gynaeceum. Inside her castles, there were torture chambers. No one living in Bthory's century alleged she was a vampire or a witch. She eventually was put on trial. Craft, Kimberly, "Infamous Lady: The True Story of Countess Erzsbet Bthory." [12] Nicknames and literary epithets attributed to her include The Blood Countess and Countess Dracula. [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). After Ndasdys death in 1604, rumours of Bthorys cruelty began to surface. [4] As a young woman, she learned Latin, German, Hungarian and Greek. She descended from multiple noble lineages and included the King of Poland and the prince of Transylvania among her relatives. For years, citizens were frightened of Elizabeth Bathory. Thurz collected evidence from some 300 witnesses who leveled a bevy of truly horrifying charges against the countess. During this time, no laws protected servants or peasants from being tortured. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [10], Another branch of the family are the Bthory of Simolin family, which was named after their estate Simony (or Simolin). History has a way of turning powerful women into folklore. Elizabeth I was a long-ruling queen of England, governing with relative stability and prosperity for 44 years. Elizabeth Bthory (or Erzsbet, to use the Hungarian spelling) was born into a Hungarian noble family on the 7th August, 1560. She supposedly used the instrument to cut off their hands, noses, and genitals. WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-Bathory. They descended from George II, the younger son of John I, through the George's grandson Michael. She was 25 when the original portrait -- the only known image of her -- was painted. Said bloodline was also one of generational inbreeding. 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. 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. [2] Her family ruled Transylvania as an independent region within the Hungarian kingdom. She was forty-three at the time of Ferencz's death and known to be terrified of growing old and losing her beauty. [26], On 25 January 1611, Thurz wrote a letter to King Matthias describing that they had captured and confined Bthory to her castle. The Countess came from a very influential family. I find it interesting that she was born in Transylvania, the same place that Vlad Tepes (Vlad Dracula) was born. But Bathorys case may not have been as cut and dry as it seemed. Elizabeth Bthory., College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences. Instant DIGITAL DOWNLOAD . Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, 2018, s.v. I think it wouldve been a little more beneficial to focus on a specific killing story of hers if there was evidence of one. 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. Wikimedia CommonsThe ruins of Csejte Castle, where Elizabeth Bathory supposedly committed unspeakable crimes. with video tutorial . Have you taken a DNA test? She had received it as a wedding gift from her husband, the famed Hungarian war hero Ferenc Ndasdy. While facing fraud charges, she was publicly revealed to be a transgender woman. [13] At the time, symptoms relating to epilepsy were diagnosed as falling sickness and treatments included rubbing blood of a non-sufferer on the lips of an epileptic or giving the epileptic a mix of a non-sufferer's blood and piece of skull as their episode ended. 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. Elizabeth Bathory (1560-1614) was a countess who lived in Transylvania, then a part of the Kingdom of Hungary. I really liked your article! Great job! But as time went on, rumors that Bathory tortured her servants began to spread. English: The original portrait of the Countess Elizabeth Bathory from 1585 is lost (spirited away in the 1990s). Highly interesting and indulging article that I enjoyed reading. [36] It is difficult to know how accurate his account of events is. Countess Elizabeth Bthory, (Erzsbet Bthori in Hungarian), was born in 1560 in Nyrbtor in Royal Hungary. . [citation needed]. This diary, however, appears to have only been a legend. And Bathory's support of her nephew Prince Gbor Bthory of Transylvania, who was in conflict with the ruling Habsburgs, potentially placed her in danger. [citation needed] Bthory managed business affairs and the family's multiple estates during the war. The evidence gathered by Thurz also included 289 witness statements. 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. Anna Bthory was the widow of the last descendant of the Dragfi family and George now seized the castles of the Dragfi. 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. 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. Zpolya appointed Stephen VIII Voivode of Transylvania, which he governed until his death in 1534. 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. 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. Gyrgy Ndasdy is also supposedly the name of one of the deceased Ndasdy infants, but this cannot be confirmed. Thurzo investigated and accumulated hundreds of witnesses, and a few were willing to testify against Bathory. Transylvania is also infamous for the reputation of . Bathory gave birth to five children. 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. Elizabeth (Bathory) Bthory de Ecsed is Notable. 2023 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. The exact circumstances of Elizabeth's final imprisonment are unknown. [27][28], She wrote a will in September 1610, in which she left all current and future inheritance possession to her children. In this time period, if someone was harmed, or someone even stole a chicken, a letter of complaint was written. Hungarian royal family prominent in Central Europe from the 13th to 17th centuries, This article is about the Hungarian noble family. Bthory and four of her servants were accused of torturing and killing hundreds of girls and women between 1590 and 1610. [3] Some insist she inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897),[11] although Stoker's notes on the novel provided no direct evidence to support this hypothesis. Her mother's brother Stephen (or Istvn . By 1578, Ndasdy had become the chief commander of the Hungarian army and embarked on a military campaign against the Ottoman Empire, leaving his wife in charge of his vast estates and the governing of the local populace. After hearing the accusations, Thurz ultimately charged Bathory with the deaths of 80 girls. "of Btor".[4]. Elizabeth Bthory, Hungarian form Bthory Erzsbet, (born August 7, 1560, Nyrbtor, Hungary-died 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. It is only when problems start affecting the rich that governments actually take action. [3][6][7][bettersourceneeded] [23] Ilona J and Dorottya Szentes had their fingers torn out with a pair of red-hot pincers and were then burned alive. In the early modern period, the family brought forth several Princes of Transylvania and one King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (Stephen Bthory). The fact that her parents started this sadistic behavior instead of helping her. [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. 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. I was researching about it today and I found a family tree of her husband Ferenc Nadasdy. 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. The Somly branch, on the other hand, supported John Zpolya, whom the greater part of the Hungarian nobility had elected King. ", in. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! The fourth was spared immediate execution; what happened to her afterward is unknown. 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 Secret societies, paranormal elements, and twist and turns galore. 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. She sometimes even used scissors to slice open the skin between her victims fingers. The palatine also coordinated the steps of the investigation with the political struggle with the Prince of Transylvania. Worst case? Elizabeth Bathory Home & Living. Overall, I believe the author did a good job telling a tragic story. The evidence against Bathory has flaws: Of 289 witness accounts, more than 250 offered either hearsay or no information whatsoever. The intimate nature of Bathory's attacks suggests a sexual motivation, though it's impossible to know with certainty what compelled her to act. Elizabeth Bthory (died 1614), daughter of George VI and through her mother niece of the Polish King Stephen Bthory. [18] In 1610, Matthias II assigned Gyrgy Thurz, the Palatine of Hungary, to investigate. Thurzo heard screaming, which led him to find one of Bathorys torture chambers. While she lived unharmed by any authority for years, many young girls went missing or ended up dead. Therefore, the idea of evil inside the family bond emerges in the Countess's massacres. 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. It turns out that King Matthias II owed Bathorys late husband, and then her, a sizable debt. Bthory was born into prominent Protestant nobility in Hungary. 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 . Another servant, Erzsi Majorova, initially escaped capture, but was burned alive after being apprehended. Although in modern times she has been labelled the most prolific female serial killer in . When Nadasdy passed away in 1604, he gave his whole estate away to Bathory including his castle, Cachtice, in modern day Slovakia. Even then, the punishment Bathory faced was nowhere near as cruel as what she did to these young girls. Soon after her arrest, Bathory attended the trial against her. [20] By October 1610 they had collected 52 witness statements;[19] by 1611, that number had risen to over 300. Bathory was accused of a haunting litany of crimes against both female servants and minor noblewomen who'd come to her for training and education. 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. . [37], Bthory has been labelled by Guinness World Records as the most prolific female murderer, though the number of her victims is debated.[38]. This is thought to be one of the reasons she became obsessed over blood. Peasant girls looking for servant work in the Csejte Castle were disappearing, and no one knew why. in order to explain Bthory's cruelty later in her life is that she was trained by her family to be cruel. The most famous relative was Istvan (ISHT-vahn) Bathory (1533-86). 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. 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. To cure her epilepsy, her family took blood from servants and put it on her lips. 25 of the Most Evil People the World Has Ever Seen. The book was never revealed and Szilvssy never mentioned it in his testimony. This family was literally so powerful, they had multiple branches. 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. 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. For other uses, see. 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. [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. 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. 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. No, Bthory was not a doctor/scientist/midwife. As a wealthy noblewoman, Bathory evaded the law until 1610, according to the History Channel. According to the contemporary reports and the stories told long after, Elizabeth Bathory tortured girls and young women in unspeakable ways. 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. The Chilling Story Of Simon Monjack, The 'Disturbed' Husband Of Brittany Murphy, Michael Hutchence Was One Of The World's Biggest Rock Stars Then He Choked Himself To Death In A Sydney Hotel, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. However, Thurzo ordered her bricked into a windowless room in Cjsethe Castle. By that point, Bathory had reportedly killed multiple victims of noble birth, which concerned the authorities far more than the deaths of servants. Just go lie down." The most common motif of these works was that of the countess bathing in her virgin victims' blood to retain beauty or youth. 1). 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. After the harsh and fierce battle, Hungary was torn apart by the conflict between the rival royal claims. [14][original research? She had an elder brother named Stephen. The first mention of Bathory's blood baths came 100 years after her death and thus seems to be an invention. its 1560 not 1590. Sadistic pleasure is considered a far more plausible motive for Bthory's crimes. [clarification needed] She was detained in the castle of Csejte for the remainder of her life, where she died at the age of 54. Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to graduate from medical school in the United States. Transylvania is also infamous for the reputation of . One day, Thurzo showed up to Bathorys castle with armed guards. She met Erzsi Majorova soon after, who practiced witchcraft. She had everything going for her in her life, she was rich, beautiful, and her family was well . [citation needed], On 8 May 1575, Bthory and Ndasdy were married at the palace of Vranov nad Topou (Varann in Hungarian). If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. Great job! In fact, some modern Hungarian scholars say that it may have been motivated more by others power and greed than her supposed evil. At the age of 13, before her first marriage, Bthory allegedly gave birth to a child. 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 . Elizabeth Bathory was born in 1560 to Baron George VI Bathory and Baroness Anna Bathory in Nyirbator, Hungary. In fact, this prominent family controlled Transylvania. There are only secondary accounts of her actions. Bathing in pure girls blood is heard from a lot in movies but Ive never heard it happening in real life.
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