One of the servants provided a list in Bathorys handwriting of all 650 of her victims. The Csejte church and the castle of Csejte do not bear any markings of her possible grave. She remained there until she died. Another woman, who'd supposedly used magic to aid Bathory, was also soon killed. As her husband was a soldier who was often off fighting Ottoman Turks, the couple spent most of their marriage apart. From that time, he never fully recovered, and in 1603 became permanently disabled. She went to sleep and was found dead the following morning. 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. He was allegedly as into dark stuff as his wife, cruelly torturing Ottoman captives and sticking pieces of paper between his servants' toes and setting them on fire. MINIATURE framed painting art. There were many suspected forms of torture carried out by Bthory. This legend appeared in print for the first time in 1729, in the Jesuit scholar Lszl Turczi's Tragica Historia, the first written account of the Bthory case. [3][6][7][bettersourceneeded] Elizabeth Bthory (or Erzsbet, to use the Hungarian spelling) was born into a Hungarian noble family on the 7th August, 1560. It is interesting to read how her childhood and husband shaped her into the serial killer that she became. Elizabeth Bthory, or Bthory Erzsbet in her native Hungarian, was born in Nyrbtor on August 7, 1560. They were the king's witnesses, but they were executed. And the fact that Bathory's servants were tortured makes their confessions unreliable. How did they find each other? 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. Her relatives included the governor of Transylvania, The king of Poland, and the prince of Transylvania. 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. 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. My jaw dropped the moment I read that she had more than 600 victims. [18] In 1610, Matthias II assigned Gyrgy Thurz, the Palatine of Hungary, to investigate. (2009). [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. But as the story goes, Bathory didnt stop there. Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 49: Bloody Mary, also available on, true story behind the real-life Bloody Mary. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. [8] Szdeczky-Kardoss argues that the physical evidence was exaggerated and Thurz misrepresented dead and wounded patients as victims of Bthory, as disgracing her would greatly benefit his political state ambitions. In fact, this prominent family controlled Transylvania. 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 . 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. ), Hodos was the ancestor of the Szokolvi family, see, Moritz Wertner, "Urgeschlechter in Siebenbrgen. During this time, no laws protected servants or peasants from being tortured. [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. Where did Elizabeth Bathory grow up? She was raised at the family castle in Ecsd. George strengthened his alliance to Stephen by marrying his sister Anna, uniting the branches. Bthory of Simolin [ edit] But although this story is by far the most memorable, its also extremely unlikely to have been true. Bathory sometimes tortured girls by driving needles into their fingers, cutting their noses or lips or whipping them with stinging nettles. It pains my mind just to think of it! [23] Ilona J and Dorottya Szentes had their fingers torn out with a pair of red-hot pincers and were then burned alive. I never new much about Elizabeth Bathory other than her obsession with Virgin blood and the occult, but boy did some of these accounts just turn my stomach. Bthory was a powerful woman, made more so by her control of Ndasdys holdings after his death. She celebrated 70 years on the throne in June 2022 with her Platinum Jubilee. While Nadasdy taught her how to torture, yet another person in her life would teach her how to kill. Bathory herself was spared from execution due to her status as a noble. Uncanny parallels between the two. Ndasdy was the son of Baron Tams Ndasdy de Ndasd et Fogarasfld and Orsolya Kanizsai. Elisabeth Sherman is a writer living in Jersey City, New Jersey. If all the stories about her are true, then she is likely the most prolific and vicious female serial killer of all time. 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. By . As she was not convicted of a crime, Bathory's holdings passed to family members instead of being seized. Bathory is reputed to have killed at least six hundred victims, earning her a Guinness World Record for most prolific female murderer. In fact, some modern Hungarian scholars say that it may have been motivated more by others power and greed than her supposed evil. I also did not know that part of the reason for her sadism came from her upbringing and husband. [3] She was well- educated, beautiful and wealthy. Rate this book. I guess that is the problem with absolute dynastic systems, you get people in power who really shouldnt be. [citation needed], Bthory's daughter, Anna Ndasdy, was born in 1585 and was later to become the wife of Nikola VI Zrinski. Anna was born roughly in the year 1585, and Katalin approximately 1594. [31] The location of her body today is unknown but believed to be buried deep in the church area of the castle. Craft, Kimberly, "Infamous Lady: The True Story of Countess Erzsbet Bthory." And when Bathorys husband died in 1604, these views became much more widespread and dramatic. You can see in the photo that II. 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. She had several siblings. [citation needed], On 8 May 1575, Bthory and Ndasdy were married at the palace of Vranov nad Topou (Varann in Hungarian). 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. Elizabeth Bathory, a Hungarian countess, was the daughter of Ann and George Bathory. 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 ). When Nadasdy passed away in 1604, he gave his whole estate away to Bathory including his castle, Cachtice, in modern day Slovakia. Between 1602 and 1604, after rumors of Bthory's atrocities had spread throughout the kingdom, Lutheran minister Istvn Magyari made complaints against her, both publicly and at the court in Vienna. 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! Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory is thought to have murdered hundreds of young women in the early 17th century. Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to graduate from medical school in the United States. 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. However, this depraved action isn't backed up by contemporaneous witness accounts (which otherwise didn't shy away from gore). 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. Some witnesses named relatives who died while at the gynaeceum. An Examination of the Life and Trial of Erzsbet Bthory", "The falling sickness. Four of Bathory's servants three females and one male were then arrested, questioned, and subjected to torture. Today, Elizabeth Bathory is infamously remembered as the "Blood Countess" who killed up to 650 girls and women in the Kingdom of Hungary. Bathory gave birth to five children. Elizabeth (Bathory) Bthory de Ecsed is Notable. She was born in 1560 to Baron George Bathory and Baroness Anne Bathory ("Blood Countess," par. Elizabeth Warren is a Democrat from Massachusetts who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012 and ran for her party's presidential nomination in 2020. 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 . Descendant of both the Ecsed and Somly branches of the Bathory family. [3] The use of needles was also mentioned by the collaborators in court. Luke possessed wide estates in Szatmr and was granted by King Charles Robert the lordship of Ecsed, where he built the castle called Hsg (loyalty). Those horrific acts of violence and the sometimes-supernatural legends that surround the crimes help define Elizabeth Bathorys terrifying legacy today. [9], In 1578, three years into their marriage, Ndasdy became the chief commander of Hungarian troops, leading them to war against the Ottomans. Wikimedia CommonsThe ruins of Csejte Castle, where Elizabeth Bathory supposedly committed unspeakable crimes. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. 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. This diary, however, appears to have only been a legend. 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. 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