High-quality Elizabeth Bathory pillows, tapestries, mugs, blankets, shower curtains, aprons, jigsaw. She was born in 1560 to Baron George Bathory and Baroness Anne Bathory ("Blood Countess," par. 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. In 1575 she married Count Ferencz Ndasdy and moved to Castle Csejte (now in Cachtice, Slovakia), a wedding gift from Ndasdys family. 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. I wonder if she wouldve grown up to be different if all these people in her life wouldnt have helped her torment her servants. Considering the mythologized elements of Bathorys alleged crimes, it begs the question of how much of her bloody story was actually true and how much was made up just to take a powerful and wealthy woman down. From 1585 to 1595, Bthory bore four children. Today, Elizabeth Bathory is infamously remembered as the "Blood Countess" who killed up to 650 girls and women in the Kingdom of Hungary. English: The original portrait of the Countess Elizabeth Bathory from 1585 is lost (spirited away in the 1990s). 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. This family was literally so powerful, they had multiple branches. Elizabeth Bathory was born on August 7th 1560 in Nyrbtor, Kingdom of Hungary, Habsburg . During her childhood, Bathory had a neurological disorder, and the environment around her only contributed to her sadistic ways. 155 Results. 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. At first, all appeared to have been well under Bathorys leadership. Bathory gave birth to five children. Some accounts of her life include her giving birth to an illegitimate child, fathered by another man, before her marriage. Witnesses claimed that Bathorys favorite method of torture was using scissors to mutilate her victims bodies and faces. Transylvania is also infamous for the reputation of . She celebrated 70 years on the throne in June 2022 with her Platinum Jubilee. I will start with the claims where the evidence is clearest: No, Bthory did not keep a list of her victims/"patients". The Somly branch, on the other hand, supported John Zpolya, whom the greater part of the Hungarian nobility had elected King. [4][32] Nagy argued that the proceedings against Bthory were largely politically motivated, possibly due to her extensive wealth and ownership of large areas of land in Hungary, which increased after the death of her husband. [8][9] Some scholars have suggested that she served as one of Bram Stoker's influences for writing the novel Dracula but the evidence to support this is slim. I think it wouldve been a little more beneficial to focus on a specific killing story of hers if there was evidence of one. In Hungarian the word btor means "brave". [4], The charges leveled against Bthory have been described by several historians as a witch-hunt. 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. The servants were put on trial in 1611, and three were executed. Elizabeth (Bathory) Bthory de Ecsed is Notable. The ruins of Csejte Castle, where Elizabeth Bathory supposedly committed unspeakable crimes. And the fact that Bathory's servants were tortured makes their confessions unreliable. [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. Elisabeth Sherman is a writer living in Jersey City, New Jersey. I guess that is the problem with absolute dynastic systems, you get people in power who really shouldnt be. There is no evidence that she actually committed the crimes she of which she was alleged. Tags: elizabeth bathory, fate, fate grand order, fgo, fate elizabeth bathory, fate elizabeth, fate liz. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. 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. Inside her castles, there were torture chambers. [citation needed], Ferenc Ndasdy died on 4 January 1604 at the age of 48. While slightly lower down the social . 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. Since the Dragfi estates were legally due to the crown, the Habsburgs forced George to yield the castles and withdrew to Csitsva in Zempln County. 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. She descended from multiple noble lineages and included the King of Poland and the prince of Transylvania among her relatives. 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. Her company expanded internationally and changed the face of women's cosmetics. Elizabeth Bathory was the Countess of Ecsed, born on August 7, 1560, in Hungary. It turns out that King Matthias II owed Bathorys late husband, and then her, a sizable debt. Her family betrothed Bathory to Count Ferencz Ndasdy when she was 11 or 12. Together with four of her servants, she was accused of . Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. No, Bthory was not a doctor/scientist/midwife. Both make for a compelling story even if only one of them is actually true. Most of her alleged assaults and murders took place after she was widowed in 1604. On December 29, 1610, Count Gyrgy Thurz, who oversaw judicial matters as the lord palatine of Hungary, arrived at Bathory's Castle achtice to investigate the countess' alleged crimes against women of noble birth (any mistreatment of servants was not a concern to authorities). At the time of Thurzs investigation, some accused her of being a vampire, while others claimed to have seen her have sex with the Devil. Want to Read. 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. [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. According to witnesses, Bathorys crimes took place between 1590 and 1610, with most of the vicious murders happening after her husbands death in 1604. 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. According to SyFy, this claim didnt even appear in print until after shed been dead for more than a century. Most of the witnesses testified that they had heard the accusations from others, but did not see it themselves. After Nadasdy died in January 1604, Bathory took control of her extensive estates. 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. Four of Bathory's servants three females and one male were then arrested, questioned, and subjected to torture. [3][6][7][bettersourceneeded] Bathory is reputed to have killed at least six hundred victims, earning her a Guinness World Record for most prolific female murderer. The Simolin family possessed large estates in Prussia and Courland and members served the Russian Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine as diplomats. In the years after Bathorys husband passed, whispers floated around about Bathorys actions, specifically her killing young girls. Their court proceedings began early in January 1611. 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. The third son, Stephen V (d. 1493) excelled as a military commander and was made Voivode of Transylvania, the first of a long line of Bthory rulers of that country. The book was never revealed and Szilvssy never mentioned it in his testimony. At the age of 13, before her first marriage, Bthory allegedly gave birth to a child. Thurz ordered two notaries, Andrs Keresztry and Mzes Czirky,[19] to collect evidence in March 1610. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. Of Stephen's six sons, Ladislaus V (d. 1474) was supreme count of the counties Szatmr and Zarnd, the second Andrew III (d. 1495) was confirmed in his possession of Bujak. 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. There were many suspected forms of torture carried out by Bthory. MINIATURE framed painting art. [25], The highest number of victims cited during the trial of Bthory's accomplices was 650, but this number comes from the claim by a servant girl named Susannah that Jakab Szilvssy, Bthory's court official, had seen the figure in one of Bthory's private books. Yes, there are descendants of Elizabeth Bathory that are living today. She was born on a family estate in Nyrbtor, Hungary, and spent her childhood at Ecsed Castle. Matthias was not inclined to pay that debt, which historians say may have fueled his move to incriminate the countess in multiple crimes and deny her the opportunity to defend herself in court. the surrounding dragon being the emblem of the Order of the Dragon. There is no document to prove that anyone in the area complained about the Countess. [citation needed]. [15] Evidence of this pregnancy came up long after Elizabeth's death, through rumors spread by peasants; therefore, the validity of the rumor is often disputed. In the way that governments and authorities dont act if something happens to the poor or unprivileged. But although this story is by far the most memorable, its also extremely unlikely to have been true. Zpolya appointed Stephen VIII Voivode of Transylvania, which he governed until his death in 1534. After this, Briccius and his descendants named themselves Bthory, i.e. Instead, she was diagnosed as criminally insane.17. For other uses, see. 1560: Elizabeth Bathory is born into one of the oldest and wealthiest families in Transylvania. 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. She would bite shoulders and breasts, as well as burning the flesh, including the genitals, of some victims. The citizens of Hungary did not even speak Bathorys name for hundreds of years.18 Conspiracy theories argue that Bathory was actually innocent. [citation needed] He had been married to Bthory for 29 years. 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). She had several siblings. [10] Legends describing her vampiric tendencies, such as the tale that she bathed in the blood of virgins to retain her youth, were generally recorded years after her death and are considered unreliable. 2 She came from a wealthy, Protestant family that were significant landowners in Hungary. On 13 December 1612, Nikola VI Zrinski confirmed the agreement with Thurz about the imprisonment of Bthory and distribution of the estate. It is not known if Elizabeth was actually caught in the act of harming her servants. Another indication that I am an irrelevant old fart! 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. She has since gone on to become an accomplished activist and author. This branch, since they retained the possession of Btor, are sometimes called of Btor or, as the younger branch, Nyrbtor (New Bathory).[3]. In the 1550s, when Ferdinand briefly gained control of Transylvania in 1551, he installed Stephen's nephew Bonaventura as his lieutenant to govern the country. In 1573,[9] Bthory was engaged to Count Ferenc Ndasdy, a member of the Nadasdy family. Elizabeth was born August of 1560 to a powerful branch of the royal family in Hungary. [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. Wikimedia CommonsA late 16th-century copy of the now-lost portrait of Elizabeth Bathory, painted in 1585 when she was 25 years old. Elizabeth was raised on Ecsed, an estate in Transylvania. Highly interesting and indulging article that I enjoyed reading. The testimony against Bathory could have included true tales about how harshly she acted with lower classes. 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. According to the contemporary reports and the stories told long after, Elizabeth Bathory tortured girls and young women in unspeakable ways. She was forty-three at the time of Ferencz's death and known to be terrified of growing old and losing her beauty. [23] Ilona J and Dorottya Szentes had their fingers torn out with a pair of red-hot pincers and were then burned alive. Where did Elizabeth Bathory grow up? Another woman, who'd supposedly used magic to aid Bathory, was also soon killed. I had never heard of this story/person prior to reading this article, how disturbing! 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. "of Btor".[4]. While she lived unharmed by any authority for years, many young girls went missing or ended up dead. The accusations of murder were based on rumors. Some of Bathory's victims were covered with honey and left outside for insects to devour. 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. And some say she would later use that power to commit heinous acts. Bthory was a powerful woman, made more so by her control of Ndasdys holdings after his death. 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. He had also received the castle Bujak from King Albert of Habsburg. [19] Her family, which ruled Transylvania, sought to avoid the loss of Bthory's property which was at risk of being seized by the crown following a public scandal. A powerful terror ruled over lands in Hungary in the 16th century. Her mother was Baroness Anna Bthory, daughter of another voivode of Transylvania. Afterwards, his body was burned on the same pyre as J and Szentes. This witch inspired most of Bathorys brutal and sadistic killings. 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. Any remains or signs of her or her body cannot be found today. 1590 is when she was said to have started her crimes. Nobility had elected King up dead Baron George Bathory and Baroness Anne Bathory ( quot. Hungary did not see it themselves was evidence of one was actually in... 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