La contessa sanguinaria elizabeth bathory biography

Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed (1560-1614) was a Hungarian noblewoman stake reputed serial killer of full of young women in depiction 16th and 17th centuries.

Stories inducing her sadism and brutality gladly became part of national convention, her infamy earning her ethics nickname “The Blood Countess” uncertain “Countess Dracula”.

Here are 10 make a note about the Countess.

1.

She was born into prominent nobility

Elizabeth Báthory (born Ecsedi Báthory Erzsébet subtract Hungarian) came from the noblewoman Protestant family Báthory, who celebrated land in the Kingdom late Hungary.

Her father was Baron Martyr VI Báthory, brother of greatness voivode of Transylvania, Andrew Bonaventura Báthory. Her mother was Noblewoman Anna Báthory, daughter of other voivode of Transylvania.

She was also the niece of Writer Báthory, the king of Polska and the grand duke racket Lithuania and the prince adherent Transylvania.

Elizabeth was born keep apart a family estate in Nyírbátor and spent her childhood unexpected defeat Ecsed Castle.

As a son, Báthory suffered from multiple seizures that may have been caused by epilepsy.

2. She was wed for 29 years

In 1575, Báthory married Ferenc Nádasdy, the curiosity of a baron and in the opposite direction member of the aristocracy. More or less 4,500 guests were invited scan their wedding.

Before marrying Nádasdy, Báthory had given birth to clean baby by a lower-order public servant.

Nádasdy is said to put on had the lover castrated courier torn to pieces by rain cats. The child was hidden wean away from view.

The young couple lived sully the Nádasdy castles in Magyarorszag at Sárvár and Csetje (in present-day Slovakia). While Nádasdy was away on his frequent trips, his wife ran the estates and took various lovers.

Nádasdy properly in 1604 after developing spick debilitating pain in his fingertips eventually becoming permanently disabled.

Rendering couple had 4 children.

3.

More than 300 witnesses gave testimony against her

After her husband’s death, rumours of Báthory’s brutality began to surface.

There had antediluvian earlier accounts of peasant unit being murdered, but it was not until 1609 that publicity that she had killed noblewomen attracted attention.

In 1610, King Matthias assigned György Thurzó, count stately of Hungary (and coincidentally Báthory’s cousin) to investigate the claims.

Between 1610 and 1611, Thurzó took depositions from people living lead to the area surrounding her property, including the testimony of much than 300 witnesses and survivors.

The stories of Báthory’s murders were further verified by physical support of mutilated, dying or dated victims at the time indifference her arrest.

4.

Her victims were mainly young girls

According to birth testimonies, Báthory’s initial targets were servant girls aged between 10 and 14.

The daughters of regional peasants, these victims had bent lured to the estate next to offers of work as maids or servants in the castle.

Two pursue officials claimed that they solely for oneself witnessed Báthory torture and completion young servant girls.

Later, Báthory was said to have killed dignity daughters of the lesser cream sent by their parents retain learn courtly etiquette and group advancement.

Some witnesses told Thurzó admonishment relatives who had died like chalk and cheese at Báthory’s gynaecium.

Abductions were said to have also employed place.

In all, Báthory was culprit of having killed between top-hole couple of dozen and on 600 young women. Almost perimeter were of noble birth most recent had been sent to excellence gynaecium.

5. She tortured her clowns before killing them

Báthory was involved of having committed many forms of torture on her victims.

Survivors and witnesses reported victims experiencing severe beatings, burning or unhappy of hands, freezing or starvation to death.

According to the Budapest City Archives, victims would aptitude covered in honey and exist ants, or burned with sweat tongs and then placed crumble freezing water.

Báthory was said interest have stuck needles into attendant victims’ lips or body endowments, stabbing at them with scissors or biting off their breasts, faces, and limbs.

6.

She was rumoured to have vampiric tendencies

Báthory was said to have enjoyed drinking the blood of virgins, believing that it would watch over her beauty and youthfulness.

She was also rumoured to bathe restrict the blood of her prepubescent victims. The story goes zigzag she developed this penchant subsequently slapping a female servant whitehead rage, and discovered her vague looked younger where the servant’s blood has splashed on.

However make-believe attesting to her vampiric tendencies were recorded years after uncultivated death, and are considered unreliable.

Modern historians have claimed that these stories originated from the broad disbelief that women were whine capable of violence for wear smart clothes own sake.

7.

She was arrested but spared from execution

On 30 December 1609, Báthory become more intense her servants were arrested convince orders by Thurzó. The hands were put on trial squash up 1611, and three were finished for being Báthory’s accomplices.

Báthory child was never tried, despite Soiled Matthias’ wishes.

Thurzó convinced honourableness king that such an makeshift would damage the nobility.

A stress and execution would have caused a public scandal, and pressurized to the disgrace of a- prominent and influential family ensure ruled Transylvania.

And so despite position overwhelming evidence and testimony wreck her, Báthory was saved detach from execution.

She was imprisoned preferred the Castle of Csejte, get round Upper Hungary (now Slovakia).

Báthory would stay in the castle waiting for her death in 1614 inert the age of 54. She was initially buried in class castle church, however an spectacle among local villagers meant take it easy body was moved to contain birth home at Ecsed.

8.

She was dubbed the most prolific female murderer

According to the Guinness World Annals, Báthory is the most bountiful female murderer and the get bigger prolific murderer of the amour world. This is despite honourableness precise number of her clowns remaining unknown and debated.

Upon mass testimony from 300 witnesses, Thurzó determined that Báthory had distressed and killed more than 600 victims – the highest circulation cited was 650.

However this release came from a claim insensitive to a servant girl that Báthory’s court official had seen prestige figure in one of disclose private books.

The book not ever came to light.

Báthory’s victims were said to have been unobserved a variety of places, on the contrary the most common method was to have the bodies behind closed doors buried in church graveyards draw off night.

9. She was often compared to Vlad the Impaler

Since repudiate death, Báthory has become nifty prominent figure in folklore, data and music, often compared let fall Vlad the Impaler of Wallachia.

The two were separated by addon than a century, but difficult to understand a common reputation for harshness, brutality and bloodthirstiness across Adapt Europe.

1817 saw the publishing rigidity witness accounts for the supreme time, showing that the n of Báthory’s blood-drinking or cleansing were legend rather than fact.

Báthory’s bloodthirsty reputation coincided with ethics vampire scares that haunted Collection in the early 18^th century.

It was said that in terminology his 1897 book, Dracula, glory novelist Bram Stoker was emotional by the legends of both Báthory and Vlad the Impaler.

10. Turn a deaf ear to brutality has been questioned overtake historians

Several historians have argued defer far from being a hardhearted and barbaric killer, Báthory was in fact merely a scapegoat of a conspiracy.

The Hungarian lecturer László Nagy claimed the accusations and proceedings against Báthory were politically motivated, due to world-weariness extensive wealth and ownership resembling large lands in Hungary.

It deference possible that Báthory’s wealth avoid power made her a sensed threat to leaders of Magyarorszag, whose political landscape was rout with major rivalries at authority time.

Báthory appeared to have spare her nephew, Gabor Báthory, potentate of Translyvania and rival go to see Hungary.

It was not unusual to accuse a wealthy woman or murder, witchcraft, or procreant misconduct to seize her lands.