It is unclear whether he died before or after his sisters Elizabeth and Sophia. 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. The Torture. That evidence included numerous bodies and dead and dying girls found when the castle was entered by Thurz. On December 30, 1609, Elizabeth Bthory and her servants were arrested. Liz Torture Throw Pillow. She remained there until she died. The most common motif of these works was that of the countess bathing in her virgin victims' blood to retain beauty or youth. In the early modern period, the family brought forth several Princes of Transylvania and one King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (Stephen Bthory). After hearing the accusations, Thurz ultimately charged Bathory with the deaths of 80 girls. Sadistic pleasure is considered a far more plausible motive for Bthory's crimes. The grateful people honoured him with the names Bthory, meaning "good hero", and animus magnanimus. [10], Another branch of the family are the Bthory of Simolin family, which was named after their estate Simony (or Simolin). Elizabeth Bthory., College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences. 2023 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. 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 . ), Hodos was the ancestor of the Szokolvi family, see, Moritz Wertner, "Urgeschlechter in Siebenbrgen. The investigation into Bthory's crimes was sparked by complaints from a Lutheran minister, Istvn Magyari. "of Btor".[4]. [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. The two branches of the family positioned themselves on the opposing sides of the conflict. (shelved 3 times as elizabeth-bathory) avg rating 3.75 256 ratings published 1997. Extremely well written article. 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! 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. Ive never heard this story before but it reminded me of the move snow white and the huntsman. From 1585 to 1595, Bthory bore four children. She used tools such as knives, razors, and wax to torture them.12 She would also bite pieces of flesh off of her victims.13 The people who lived in the same town as Bathory saw the girls that she tortured while they ran errands. The Simolin family possessed large estates in Prussia and Courland and members served the Russian Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine as diplomats. Bthory was born into prominent Protestant nobility in Hungary. Bathorys servants, thirteen in total, testified against her. As was the case with many noble families at the time, the family had long been marrying relatives to keep their status; thus, some theorize that Elizabeth's inbred ancestry could have left her vulnerable to mental instability. She had everything going for her in her life, she was rich, beautiful, and her family was well . Her company expanded internationally and changed the face of women's cosmetics. Elizabeth Bathory was born on August 7, 1560, in Nyrbtor, Hungary. 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. Her mother's brother was Stephen Bathory who was a Hungarian nobleman and later became the king of Poland. 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. This too may have been politically motivated, as the death penalty meant that the king could seize her land. The count palatine determined, after taking depositions from people living in the area surrounding her estate, that Bthory had tortured and killed more than 600 girls with the assistance of her servants. I find it interesting that she was born in Transylvania, the same place that Vlad Tepes (Vlad Dracula) was born. She spent her childhood at Ecsed Castle. [9], Ndasdy's wedding gift to Bthory was his household, Castle of Csejte,[9] situated in the Little Carpathians near Vg-Ujhely and Trencsn (present-day Nov Mesto nad Vhom and Trenn, Slovakia). 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. [26], On 25 January 1611, Thurz wrote a letter to King Matthias describing that they had captured and confined Bthory to her castle. 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. During this time, no laws protected servants or peasants from being tortured. 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. It pains my mind just to think of it! After these executions Thurz continued to investigate the countess. Bthory was a powerful woman, made more so by her control of Ndasdys holdings after his death. [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. The Bthory family (Polish: Batory) was a Hungarian noble family of the Gutkeled clan. At first, all appeared to have been well under Bathorys leadership. She was raised at the family castle in Ecsd. The Bthory coat of arms, granted in 1325 to the sons of Briccius, was styled in reference to this legend: three horizontally placed teeth surrounded by a dragon biting its own tail,[4] Her family had many powerful relatives -- a cardinal, princes, and a cousin who was prime minister of Hungary are among these relatives. . But Bathorys case may not have been as cut and dry as it seemed. and she had complete control over the lives of the peasants living in the . [9] The marriage resulted in combined land ownership in both Transylvania and the Kingdom of Hungary. Her mother was Baroness Anna Bthory, daughter of another voivode of Transylvania. The palatine also coordinated the steps of the investigation with the political struggle with the Prince of Transylvania. She was raised at the family castle in Ecsd, 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). There is no evidence that she actually committed the crimes she of which she was alleged. [2][13][16] Born into a privileged family of nobility, Bthory was endowed with wealth, education and a prominent social rank.[17]. The Bathory Nadasdy family agreed to cancel Matthias's debts- and Matthias decided that Elizabeth Bathory would disappear behind the walls of her castle. Anna Bthory was the widow of the last descendant of the Dragfi family and George now seized the castles of the Dragfi. Great job! After all, legend has it that she bathed in the blood of at least 650 servant girls she had tortured and killed. She told her guard that her hands were cold, and the next day the guard found her dead.20 She was buried somewhere around her castle, Cachtice. Bathorys husband enjoyed killing so much, especially during wars, that he received the nickname Black Knight of Hungary.7 Nadasdy taught Bathory new techniques or tricks when torturing her servants. Hungarian royal family prominent in Central Europe from the 13th to 17th centuries, This article is about the Hungarian noble family. As a wealthy noblewoman, Bathory evaded the law until 1610, according to the History Channel. ], A proposal made by some sources[who?] How was Elizabeth Bathory caught? 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. At times, Bathorys husband went away at war, but when he was at home, he shaped Bathory in how she killed.6 Nadasdy enjoyed torturing peasants and servants in brutal ways. She was forty-three at the time of Ferencz's death and known to be terrified of growing old and losing her beauty. I think it wouldve been a little more beneficial to focus on a specific killing story of hers if there was evidence of one. 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. its 1560 not 1590. If all the stories about her are true, then she is likely the most prolific and vicious female serial killer of all time. This is thought to be one of the reasons she became obsessed over blood. Rate this book. Bathory is reputed to have killed at least six hundred victims, earning her a Guinness World Record for most prolific female murderer. This family was literally so powerful, they had multiple branches. Bathory gave birth to five children. She was a widow of one of the most powerful and wealthy noblemen of Hungary, she managed enormous estates and was documented to have been very good to her people offering scholarships and running practically a hospital in her castle. The servants, accused of aiding her in torture and murder, were put on trial in 1611; three were executed. To cure her epilepsy, her family took blood from servants and put it on her lips. Stephen VII first proved himself as Count of Temesvr and in 1519 was elected Palatine of Hungary, as which he had to contend with the opposition of the nobility. The citizens of Hungary did not even speak Bathorys name for hundreds of years.18 Conspiracy theories argue that Bathory was actually innocent. 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. [23] Ilona J and Dorottya Szentes had their fingers torn out with a pair of red-hot pincers and were then burned alive. Anna was born roughly in the year 1585, and Katalin approximately 1594. The theory is consistent with Hungarian history at that time, which included religious and political conflicts, especially relating to the wars with the Ottoman Empire, the spread of Protestantism and the extension of Habsburg power over Hungary. After this, Briccius and his descendants named themselves Bthory, i.e. The exact circumstances of Elizabeth's final imprisonment are unknown. [citation needed]. Make 2023 the year to let that wonderful you-ness shine. He reportedly surprised Bathory in the middle of tormenting a victim and in response immediately imprisoned her in her home (her high status meant she would not be jailed as a common criminal). Peasant girls looking for servant work in the Csejte Castle were disappearing, and no one knew why. At the age of 11, Bathory, who was considered a beautiful and well-educated girl, became engaged to Count Ferenc Nadasdy. 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. George strengthened his alliance to Stephen by marrying his sister Anna, uniting the branches. Simon Kezai, Lzl Veszprmy, Frank Schaer (ed. We strive for accuracy and fairness. She also supposedly kidnapped local girls in the area who would never have come to the castle of their own free will. So, Hungarian King Matthias II sent his highest-ranking representative, Gyrgy Thurz, to investigate the complaints against her. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. The evidence gathered by Thurz also included 289 witness statements. While Nadasdy taught her how to torture, yet another person in her life would teach her how to kill. Others reported having seen traces of torture on dead bodies, some of which were buried in graveyards, and others in unmarked locations. According to the contemporary reports and the stories told long after, Elizabeth Bathory tortured girls and young women in unspeakable ways. Elizabeth Bthory (Hungarian Noblewoman and Serial Killer) Elizabeth Bthory or Erzsebet Bathory was a feared Hungarian countess who became infamous as a torturer and a vicious serial murderer. Uncanny parallels between the two. In the early part of the 17th century, a Hungarian countess named Elizabeth Bathory was accused of murdering some 650 women across what is today known as Slovakia. After the harsh and fierce battle, Hungary was torn apart by the conflict between the rival royal claims. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-Bathory. Check out our elizabeth bathory selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our patches shops. She went to sleep and was found dead the following morning. Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 49: Bloody Mary, also available on, true story behind the real-life Bloody Mary. Bthory was born in 1560 on a family estate in Nyrbtor, Royal Hungary. 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.