I really liked your article! 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. Just go lie down." Have you taken a DNA test? [citation needed] He had been married to Bthory for 29 years. the surrounding dragon being the emblem of the Order of the Dragon. [3][6][7][bettersourceneeded] After Ndasdys death in 1604, rumours of Bthorys cruelty began to surface. [27][28], She wrote a will in September 1610, in which she left all current and future inheritance possession to her children. Countess Elizabeth Bathory was a member of the aristocracy in Hungary. Elizabeth Bathory, a Hungarian countess, was the daughter of Ann and George Bathory. 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. [21], Thurz debated further proceedings with Bthory's son Paul and two of her sons-in-law, Nikola VI Zrinski and Gyrgy Drugeth. By . After the harsh and fierce battle, Hungary was torn apart by the conflict between the rival royal claims. Thurzo heard screaming, which led him to find one of Bathorys torture chambers. [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. For other uses, see. What was Elizabeth Bthorys childhood like? Her family had many powerful relatives -- a cardinal, princes, and a cousin who was prime minister of Hungary are among these relatives. Her family controlled Transylvania, and her uncle, Stephen Bthory, was king of Poland. At the age of 13, before her first marriage, Bthory allegedly gave birth to a child. 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. Witnesses claimed that Bathorys favorite method of torture was using scissors to mutilate her victims bodies and faces. 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. 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. The testimony against Bathory could have included true tales about how harshly she acted with lower classes. The evidence gathered by Thurz also included 289 witness statements. According to the opinions of a majority of historians, legends such as her bathing in the blood of the young women were based on later rumors. I recognize that most people took little interest in their servants, but I feel like someone would have noticed the mass disappearance of young girls, regardless of their social standing. Bathing in pure girls blood is heard from a lot in movies but Ive never heard it happening in real life. I have never heard of this story, it was very interesting to read and learn about! About Erzsbet Bthory, "The Blood Countess". It was only when noble girls started disappearing and dying that he demanded Thurzo to look into it. [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. In this time period, if someone was harmed, or someone even stole a chicken, a letter of complaint was written. The historical evidence on Bthory fundamentally contradicts your source (s). Hambly. https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/elizabeth-bathory. She suffered from epilepsy as a child, possibly from familial inbreeding. All of Elizabeth's children were cared for by governesses, as Bthory herself had been. Elizabeth Bathory was born on the family estate of Nyirbator in eastern Hungary on the 7th of August 1560. 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. During this time, no laws protected servants or peasants from being tortured. Another woman, who'd supposedly used magic to aid Bathory, was also soon killed. She was initially buried in the crypt on her estate, but her body was likely moved afterward. 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. 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). 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 . She also supposedly kidnapped local girls in the area who would never have come to the castle of their own free will. Today, Elizabeth Bathory is infamously remembered as the Blood Countess who killed up to 650 girls and women in the Kingdom of Hungary. Uncanny parallels between the two. Their court proceedings began early in January 1611. Instant DIGITAL DOWNLOAD . She eventually was put on trial. Wertner, Moritz, "Urgeschlechter in Siebenbrgen. 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. Her family lands, dotted across today's Slovakia, were part of the 'Kingdom of Hungary' that was absorbed by the Habsburgs in 1536. Her family contributed to her sadism by torturing their servants and peasants.4 One story suggests that after Bathory witnessed a man being sewn into a horses stomach for theft, she laughed at the sight of it.5 Bathory saw her family members torture their servants for fun, and this turned her adolescent self into a full-blown killer. History has a way of turning powerful women into folklore. According to SyFy, this claim didnt even appear in print until after shed been dead for more than a century. Her company expanded internationally and changed the face of women's cosmetics. Some of Bathory's victims were covered with honey and left outside for insects to devour. Her mother was Baroness Anna Bthory, daughter of another voivode of Transylvania. In an attempt to maintain her vast network of servants and victims, she began luring peasant girls to her estate with the promise of work. She would soon be accused of not only torturing but killing hundreds of girls and women who entered her castle. 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]. However, Thurzo ordered her bricked into a windowless room in Cjsethe Castle. But not everyone is convinced of her guilt. 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. Elizabeth Bathory (1560-1614) was a countess who lived in Transylvania, then a part of the Kingdom of Hungary. 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. Just one grandparent can lead you to many The most famous relative was Istvan (ISHT-vahn) Bathory (1533-86). I wonder if she wouldve grown up to be different if all these people in her life wouldnt have helped her torment her servants. Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 49: Bloody Mary, also available on, true story behind the real-life Bloody Mary. 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. 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 ). ), Hodos was the ancestor of the Szokolvi family, see, Moritz Wertner, "Urgeschlechter in Siebenbrgen. She remained there until she died. I had never heard of this story/person prior to reading this article, how disturbing! Her brother was a judge royal of Hungary. Before dying, Ndasdy entrusted his heirs and widow to Gyrgy Thurz, who would eventually lead the investigation into Bthory's crimes. The evidence against Bathory has flaws: Of 289 witness accounts, more than 250 offered either hearsay or no information whatsoever. It is only when problems start affecting the rich that governments actually take action. Then, discover the true story behind the real-life Bloody Mary. [20] By October 1610 they had collected 52 witness statements;[19] by 1611, that number had risen to over 300. They were the king's witnesses, but they were executed. As her husband was a soldier who was often off fighting Ottoman Turks, the couple spent most of their marriage apart. Liz Torture Throw Pillow. Great job! The youngest son, Nicolaus III (d. 1506), bishop first of Syrmia and after 1474 of Vc, excelled as a renaissance scholar and served as counselor to King Matthias Corvinus. 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. The Ecsed branch commonly sided with the Habsburgs: Stephen VII, who had escaped the battle, fled with Louis' widow to Pozsony (now Bratislava), where he organized the election of Ferdinand of Austria as King of Hungary. Elizabeth was born August of 1560 to a powerful branch of the royal family in Hungary. Later, the interest of the Zpolyas were represented at the Habsburg court by the Voivode's son Stephen IX, who would go on to become Prince of Transylvania and King of Poland. One of the servants provided a list in Bathorys handwriting of all 650 of her victims. [15], Bthory was raised a Calvinist Protestant. A 15-year-old Bathory married Nadasdy on May 8, 1575. In Hungarian the word btor means "brave". Leave a message for others who see this profile. Istvan Magyari, a Lutheran minister, filed a complaint about Bathory. During her childhood, Bathory had a neurological disorder, and the environment around her only contributed to her sadistic ways. The intimate nature of Bathory's attacks suggests a sexual motivation, though it's impossible to know with certainty what compelled her to act. I do wonder though, how coincidental is it that she found a husband that was practicing the same satanist things as her family? The palatine also coordinated the steps of the investigation with the political struggle with the Prince of Transylvania. Btor had been the estate of Vajda son of Lngos, who had married a relative of Andrew but died without issue. As a child, Bthory had multiple seizures that may have been caused by epilepsy. Likewise, some historians say that witnesses probably provided the incriminating yet contradictory testimonies under duress and that the king called for the death penalty before Bathorys family could intervene on her behalf. However, she was bricked up and isolated in a room at Csejte Castle, where she remained under house arrest for four years until her death in 1614, according to History Today. 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. On August 7th, 1560, Elizabeth Bthory de Esced ( Bthory Erzsbet in Hungarian) was born to a very powerful Hungarian family. 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. 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. [1], In 1279, King Ladislaus IV rewarded Andrew's brother Hodos[2] I think it wouldve been a little more beneficial to focus on a specific killing story of hers if there was evidence of one. Elizabeth Smart spent nine months in captivity after being abducted from her home at age 14 in 2002. 2023 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. The investigation into Bthory's crimes was sparked by complaints from a Lutheran minister, Istvn Magyari. She was born into a powerful and very well connected Transylvanian family. According to the contemporary reports and the stories told long after, Elizabeth Bathory tortured girls and young women in unspeakable ways. I will start with the claims where the evidence is clearest: No, Bthory did not keep a list of her victims/"patients". American serial killer Israel Keyes is thought to have murdered at least 11 people before his 2012 arrest. She was born into one of the noble families of Hungary, the Bathory family which uses the fang of a dragon as its crest. Elizabeth Bthory (or Erzsbet, to use the Hungarian spelling) was born into a Hungarian noble family on the 7th August, 1560. 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. Where did Elizabeth Bathory grow up? 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. Descendants of Elizabeth Bathory the Blood Queen being hunted by descendants of her supposed victims. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. Even then, the punishment Bathory faced was nowhere near as cruel as what she did to these young girls. 1590 is when she was said to have started her crimes. 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. The servants, accused of aiding her in torture and murder, were put on trial in 1611; three were executed. discoveries. She was forty-three at the time of Ferencz's death and known to be terrified of growing old and losing her beauty. 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. You can see in the photo that II. Bthory was born into prominent Protestant nobility in Hungary. According to witnesses, Bathorys crimes took place between 1590 and 1610, with most of the vicious murders happening after her husbands death in 1604. 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 . https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-Bathory. The servants and Majorova who helped gather young women for Bathory to kill were all killed by either burning or beheading as a result of the trial.16 Elizabeth did not face a harsh death sentence. 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 . ], A proposal made by some sources[who?] [31] The location of her body today is unknown but believed to be buried deep in the church area of the castle. When Nadasdy passed away in 1604, he gave his whole estate away to Bathory including his castle, Cachtice, in modern day Slovakia. The Bathory Nadasdy family agreed to cancel Matthias's debts- and Matthias decided that Elizabeth Bathory would disappear behind the walls of her castle. [4] As a young woman, she learned Latin, German, Hungarian and Greek. It has been said that over hundred young women were among her victims. A powerful terror ruled over lands in Hungary in the 16th century. Wikipedia, 2019, s.v. Elisabeth Sherman is a writer living in Jersey City, New Jersey. Afterwards, his body was burned on the same pyre as J and Szentes. [4][6][24] Two trials were held in the wake of Bthory's arrest: the first was held on 2 January 1611, and the second on 7 January 1611. George and Anna Bthory produced the most infamous member of the family, Elizabeth, a widow Countess who was eventually tried and found guilty of murdering hundreds of young peasant girls over the course of twenty years, making her the most prolific serial killer in history. In 1575 she married Count Ferencz Ndasdy and moved to Castle Csejte (now in Cachtice, Slovakia), a wedding gift from Ndasdys family. 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. No, Bthory was not a doctor/scientist/midwife. 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