Although it is commonly believed that Bthory was caught in the act of torture, she was having dinner. Imprisonment allowed family members to take control of the powerful widow's possessions (her sons-in-law knew beforehand that her arrest was coming). It was a political arrangement within the circles of the aristocracy. However, she was arrested and detained prior to the discovery or presentation of the victims. She descended from multiple noble lineages and included the King of Poland and the prince of Transylvania among her relatives. 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. George and Anna were both Bathorys by birth; he a member of the Ecsed branch of the family and of the Somlyo. 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. [citation needed] Thurz, along with Paul and her two sons-in-law, originally planned for Bthory to be sent to a nunnery, but as accounts of her actions spread, they decided to keep her under strict house arrest.[22]. 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. Many modern Hungarian scholars believe that the accusations against Elizabeth Bathory were exaggerated. The historical evidence on Bthory fundamentally contradicts your source (s). 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 . 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 . I was researching about it today and I found a family tree of her husband Ferenc Nadasdy. [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. Witnesses claimed that Bathorys favorite method of torture was using scissors to mutilate her victims bodies and faces. But not everyone is convinced of her guilt. 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. Elizabeth Bthory, or Bthory Erzsbet in her native Hungarian, was born in Nyrbtor on August 7, 1560. 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 suffered from epilepsy as a child, possibly from familial inbreeding. 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. The Simolin family possessed large estates in Prussia and Courland and members served the Russian Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine as diplomats. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. That said, one witness claimed to have seen a book kept by Bathory herself, where she recorded the names of all of her victims 650 in total. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. She also supposedly kidnapped local girls in the area who would never have come to the castle of their own free will. She was born into one of the noble families of Hungary, the Bathory family which uses the fang of a dragon as its crest. [33] Moreover, Matthias owed a large debt to Bthory, which was cancelled after she was arrested. 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. However, this is a fairly contemporary copy of that original, probably painted in the late 16th century. Elizabeth Bthory was a Hungarian countess who purportedly tortured and murdered more than 600 young women in the 16th17th century. 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. Wikimedia CommonsThe ruins of Csejte Castle, where Elizabeth Bathory supposedly committed unspeakable crimes. The Bthory family belonged to the Gutkeled, a clan of Hungarian nobles, which traced its descent to the Swabian brothers Gut and Kelad, who immigrated into Hungary from the castle Stof (probably Staufen im Breisgau or Hohenstaufen in Wrttemberg) during the reign of King Peter (reigned 10381046), who himself was partly of Venetian descent. Although it is commonly believed that Bthory was caught in the act of torture, she was having dinner. 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. By that point, Bathory had reportedly killed multiple victims of noble birth, which concerned the authorities far more than the deaths of servants. Anna Bthory was the widow of the last descendant of the Dragfi family and George now seized the castles of the Dragfi. 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). 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. 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. Zpolya appointed Stephen VIII Voivode of Transylvania, which he governed until his death in 1534. Two of the women and the male servant were sentenced to death, which was quickly carried out. In 1526, he fought in the disastrous Battle of Mohcs against the Ottomans, in which King Louis II fell. Her family lands, dotted across today's Slovakia, were part of the 'Kingdom of Hungary' that was absorbed by the Habsburgs in 1536. Uncanny parallels between the two. Just go lie down." A 15-year-old Bathory married Nadasdy on May 8, 1575. Elizabeth Bthory, by Gavin R.G. For other uses, see, "Batory" redirects here. They included no references to blood baths. 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 most infamous accusation the one that inspired her nickname, the Blood Countess claimed that Elizabeth Bathory bathed in the blood of her young victims in an attempt to maintain a youthful appearance. He had also received the castle Bujak from King Albert of Habsburg. [4], The case of Elizabeth Bthory inspired numerous stories during the 18th and 19th centuries. [3][6][7][bettersourceneeded] The Somly branch, on the other hand, supported John Zpolya, whom the greater part of the Hungarian nobility had elected King. Her family controlled Transylvania, and her uncle, Stephen Bthory, was king of Poland. While slightly lower down the social . Printable . 155 Results. 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. 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). Although in modern times she has been labelled the most prolific female serial killer in . [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. In 1575 she married Count Ferencz Ndasdy and moved to Castle Csejte (now in Cachtice, Slovakia), a wedding gift from Ndasdys family. . Bathory is reputed to have killed at least six hundred victims, earning her a Guinness World Record for most prolific female murderer. Today, Elizabeth Bathory is infamously remembered as the "Blood Countess" who killed up to 650 girls and women in the Kingdom of Hungary. 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. Meet Elizabeth Bathory, The Blood Countess Who May Have Been Historys Most Prolific Female Serial Killer. 1590 is when she was said to have started her crimes. Make 2023 the year to let that wonderful you-ness shine. What struck me the most was how they had seen a girl run out of her castle with a knife still in her foot but did nothing because she was a peasant and only did something once she killed a noble girl. [2] Her servants were put on trial and convicted, whereas Bthory was confined to her home. This too may have been politically motivated, as the death penalty meant that the king could seize her land. . I also did not know that part of the reason for her sadism came from her upbringing and husband. Elizabeth received a strong education, and she became fluent in several languages.3 Although she seemed to be a regular noble woman, there was a dark truth behind her family and her. 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. 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 in 1560 to Baron George VI Bathory and Baroness Anna Bathory in Nyirbator, Hungary. Today, Elizabeth Bathory is infamously remembered as the Blood Countess who killed up to 650 girls and women in the Kingdom of Hungary. She went to sleep and was found dead the following morning. The King of Hungary, King Matthias II, ordered Gyorgy Thurzo, Palatine of Hungary, to look into the rumors and accusations about Bathory. King Louis II fell prince of Transylvania among her relatives ( s ) would have... 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