Elizabeth Bathory's Chilling Secret to Eternal Youth. Bathory herself was spared from execution due to her status as a noble. [15], Bthory was raised a Calvinist Protestant. I do wonder though, how coincidental is it that she found a husband that was practicing the same satanist things as her family? The evidence against Bathory has flaws: Of 289 witness accounts, more than 250 offered either hearsay or no information whatsoever. She went to sleep and was found dead the following morning. Bthory was born into prominent Protestant nobility in Hungary. 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. [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. Some witnesses named relatives who died while at the gynaeceum. While she lived unharmed by any authority for years, many young girls went missing or ended up dead. [citation needed]. 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). 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. During the trial, witnesses explained how Bathory would lure in servant girls to kill. 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. Thurzo heard screaming, which led him to find one of Bathorys torture chambers. 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. 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 the family estate of Nyirbator in eastern Hungary on the 7th of August 1560. [citation needed], Bthory's daughter, Anna Ndasdy, was born in 1585 and was later to become the wife of Nikola VI Zrinski. Her family controlled Transylvania, and her uncle, Stephen Bthory, was king of Poland. Ive never heard this story before but it reminded me of the move snow white and the huntsman. Elizabeth Bthory, by Gavin R.G. 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. Bathing in pure girls blood is heard from a lot in movies but Ive never heard it happening in real life. During colder parts of the year young women might be stripped naked and forced into deadly ice baths. 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. As a wealthy noblewoman, Bathory evaded the law until 1610, according to the History Channel. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Thurzo found a dead body of a girl and two other girls wounded. [5][bettersourceneeded] Ladislaus' younger brother George II is the ancestor of the Simolin family, later called Bthory of Simolin (see below). Countess Elizabeth Bathory was a member of the aristocracy in Hungary. And when Bathorys husband died in 1604, these views became much more widespread and dramatic. The first mention of Bathory's blood baths came 100 years after her death and thus seems to be an invention. As Gyrgy Thurz wrote, Elizabeth Bthory was locked in a bricked room, but according to other sources (written documents from the visit of priests, July 1614), she was able to move freely and unhindered in the castle, more akin to house arrest. [31] The location of her body today is unknown but believed to be buried deep in the church area of the castle. When the trial ended, Bathorys alleged accomplices one of whom had worked as a wet nurse for the countess children were convicted of witchcraft and burned at the stake. Even then, the punishment Bathory faced was nowhere near as cruel as what she did to these young girls. However, this depraved action isn't backed up by contemporaneous witness accounts (which otherwise didn't shy away from gore). On 13 December 1612, Nikola VI Zrinski confirmed the agreement with Thurz about the imprisonment of Bthory and distribution of the estate. The fact that her parents started this sadistic behavior instead of helping her. in order to explain Bthory's cruelty later in her life is that she was trained by her family to be cruel. The book was never revealed and Szilvssy never mentioned it in his testimony. 1560: Elizabeth Bathory is born into one of the oldest and wealthiest families in Transylvania. . Four of Bathory's servants three females and one male were then arrested, questioned, and subjected to torture. Any remains or signs of her or her body cannot be found today. Leave a message for others who see this profile. Thurzo investigated and accumulated hundreds of witnesses, and a few were willing to testify against Bathory. Elizabeth Bthory (born Ecsedi Bthory Erzsbet in Hungarian) came from the noble Protestant family Bthory, who owned land in the Kingdom of Hungary. https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/elizabeth-bathory. The Simolin family possessed large estates in Prussia and Courland and members served the Russian Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine as diplomats. But not everyone is convinced of her guilt. My jaw dropped the moment I read that she had more than 600 victims. Many modern Hungarian scholars believe that the accusations against Elizabeth Bathory were exaggerated. Bathory is reputed to have killed at least six hundred victims, earning her a Guinness World Record for most prolific female murderer. It is also interesting to note that the King of Hungary only took notice or sent someone to investigate the disappearances of young girls when it was young noble girls disappearing. B > Bathory | B > Bthory de Ecsed > Erzsbet (Bathory) Bthory de Ecsed, Categories: Slovakia, Notables | Csejte, Magyarorszg | Murderers | This Day In History August 07 | Hungarian Nobility | House of Bthory | Insane Aristocrats | This Day In History August 21 | Criminals | Serial Killers | Hungary, Notables | Notables, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. The exact circumstances of Elizabeth's final imprisonment are unknown. 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. 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 . It is more likely that the stories were made up by rival families. I also did not know that part of the reason for her sadism came from her upbringing and husband. However, Thurzo ordered her bricked into a windowless room in Cjsethe Castle. It is only when problems start affecting the rich that governments actually take action. They included no references to blood baths. But although this story is by far the most memorable, its also extremely unlikely to have been true. 2023 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. Her mother was Baroness Anna Bthory (15391570), daughter of Stephen Bthory of Somly, also voivode of Transylvania, who was of the Somly branch. On December 30, 1609, Bthory and her servants were arrested. And the fact that Bathory's servants were tortured makes their confessions unreliable. Great job! 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. The family divided into two major branches, which descended from the sons and grandsons of Before dying, Ndasdy entrusted his heirs and widow to Gyrgy Thurz, who would eventually lead the investigation into Bthory's crimes. Where did Elizabeth Bathory grow up? However, this is a fairly contemporary copy of that original, probably painted in the late 16th century. Their hands showed burn marks, or their faces were disfigured. She tried to cover it up by saying the girl committed suicide. A few years later, Elizabeth Bathory died in solitary confinement on August 22, 1614. [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. Then, discover the true story behind the real-life Bloody Mary. That said, families of her stature could pretty much do as they wished provided that they were not overtly disloyal to the crown. Despite being a noblewoman, she was a famous serial killer. While documents from the 1611 trial supported the accusations made against her, modern scholarship has questioned the veracity of the allegations. Her mother's father had been the Voivod (or Prince) of Transylvania, as had her father's brother - in fact, her parents came from two branches of the Bthory family. I wouldve expected her to get decapitated or more severely punished. [34] The story came into question in 1817 when the witness accounts (which had surfaced in 1765) were published for the first time. Her family had many powerful relatives -- a cardinal, princes, and a cousin who was prime minister of Hungary are among these relatives. 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. The intimate nature of Bathory's attacks suggests a sexual motivation, though it's impossible to know with certainty what compelled her to act. Together with four of her servants, she was accused of . [2][13][16] Born into a privileged family of nobility, Bthory was endowed with wealth, education and a prominent social rank.[17]. She also supposedly kidnapped local girls in the area who would never have come to the castle of their own free will. She descended from multiple noble lineages and included the King of Poland and the prince of Transylvania among her relatives. (2009). The servants, accused of aiding her in torture and murder, were put on trial in 1611; three were executed. Updates? Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 49: Bloody Mary, also available on, true story behind the real-life Bloody Mary. In Hungarian the word btor means "brave". 2008 - 2022 INTERESTING.COM, INC. MINIATURE framed painting art. Countess Elizabeth Bathory. This is the turning point where Bathory began killing sporadically, and it eventually led to her arrest.10. Erzsebet Bathory, known more commonly in the Western world by the anglicised name Elizabeth, was born August 7th, 1560, the daughter of Baron George Bathory and Baroness Anna Bathory. 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. Although it is commonly believed that Bthory was caught in the act of torture, she was having dinner. Bathory, a scion of a powerful Hungarian family and the product of inbreeding between Baron George Bathory and Baroness Anna Bathory, called the Csejte Castle home. This article was incredible! 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. I really liked the introduction of this article because it made me wonder what she did and ask why should she have gotten a stricter punishment, and boy did I find out. She would soon be accused of not only torturing but killing hundreds of girls and women who entered her castle. Countess Dracula: The Life and Times of Elisabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess (Unknown Binding) by. She allegedly tortured and murdered these women between 1585 and 1609. I find it interesting that she was born in Transylvania, the same place that Vlad Tepes (Vlad Dracula) was born. That evidence included numerous bodies and dead and dying girls found when the castle was entered by Thurz. I will start with the claims where the evidence is clearest: No, Bthory did not keep a list of her victims/"patients". I was researching about it today and I found a family tree of her husband Ferenc Nadasdy. 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. 1 Colonization and Settlement (1500-1763), 2 Revolution and Early Republic (1754-1801), 4 Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877), 5 Emergence of Modern America (1877-1929), 4 Late Middle Ages-Renaissance-Reformation Europe (1300-1648), 3 Post-Classical History (600 CE-1492 CE), HS 1302 United States History since 1877, SP 3392 Language Variation and Dialectology of Spanish, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Bthory. Descendant of both the Ecsed and Somly branches of the Bathory family. Most of her alleged assaults and murders took place after she was widowed in 1604. It turns out that King Matthias II owed Bathorys late husband, and then her, a sizable debt. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. Bthory, though never tried, was confined to Castle Csejte (now Cachtice), reportedly kept in a bricked-in room. 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. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. 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. (726) $5.00. Soon after her arrest, Bathory attended the trial against her. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. 25 of the Most Evil People the World Has Ever Seen. After all, legend has it that she bathed in the blood of at least 650 servant girls she had tortured and killed. I guess that is the problem with absolute dynastic systems, you get people in power who really shouldnt be. The possible causes were very well documented and the cruelty leaves me to wonder how many innocent people died at the hands of sadistic powerful rulers who enjoyed torture. [citation needed] The castle had been bought by his mother in 1569 and given to Ndasdy, who transferred it to Elizabeth during their nuptials, together with the Csejte country house and seventeen adjacent villages. Bathory sometimes tortured girls by driving needles into their fingers, cutting their noses or lips or whipping them with stinging nettles. [15] The woman was paid for her actions, and the child was taken to Wallachia. [9] The marriage resulted in combined land ownership in both Transylvania and the Kingdom of Hungary. As a child, Bthory had multiple seizures that may have been caused by epilepsy. Inside her castles, there were torture chambers. Anna Bthory was the widow of the last descendant of the Dragfi family and George now seized the castles of the Dragfi. 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! 1 She was born on August 7th, 1590, in Transylvania. The Myth of the "Blood Countess" Elizabeth Bathory. 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. One girl even came running out of the castle with a knife still in her foot.14 The king showed no compassion or care for the peasants or servants being killed. However, it's unlikely Bathory was completely innocent. This too may have been politically motivated, as the death penalty meant that the king could seize her land. Her father was Baron George VI Bthory, brother of the voivode of Transylvania, Andrew Bonaventura Bthory. Although the exact nature of the illness which led to his death is unknown, it seems to have started in 1601, and initially caused debilitating pain in his legs. 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.
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