discoveries. [26], On 25 January 1611, Thurz wrote a letter to King Matthias describing that they had captured and confined Bthory to her castle. Anna Bthory was the widow of the last descendant of the Dragfi family and George now seized the castles of the Dragfi. Bathing in pure girls blood is heard from a lot in movies but Ive never heard it happening in real life. 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. She sometimes even used scissors to slice open the skin between her victims fingers. Her trial was not fair by the standards of her time (torturing witnesses, etc.) If so, login to add it. While documents from the 1611 trial supported the accusations made against her, modern scholarship has questioned the veracity of the allegations. 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. 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 . Ferenc Ndasdy 's wife, and after his death, the wealth and properties were inherited by her. One of the servants provided a list in Bathorys handwriting of all 650 of her victims. [10], Another branch of the family are the Bthory of Simolin family, which was named after their estate Simony (or Simolin). While Elizabeths husband was away at war, she met a witch named Anna Darvulia. Elizabeth Bthory, by Gavin R.G. The testimony against Bathory could have included true tales about how harshly she acted with lower classes. [3], The younger branch of the family, the Bthory of Ecsed, were descended from Luke, the youngest son of Briccius. One of those children (Pl) had two children. 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. Her mother was Baroness Anna Bthory (15391570), daughter of Stephen Bthory of Somly, also voivode of Transylvania, who was of the Somly branch. It was a political arrangement within the circles of the aristocracy. 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. She remained there until she died. She would bite shoulders and breasts, as well as burning the flesh, including the genitals, of some victims. The Somly branch, on the other hand, supported John Zpolya, whom the greater part of the Hungarian nobility had elected King. Initially, Thurz made the declaration to Bthory's guests and villagers that he had caught her red-handed. After these executions Thurz continued to investigate the countess. Great job! Therefore, the idea of evil inside the family bond emerges in the Countess's massacres. The intimate nature of Bathory's attacks suggests a sexual motivation, though it's impossible to know with certainty what compelled her to act. However, it's unlikely Bathory was completely innocent. In 1602 a priest wrote a letter that discussed the excessive cruelty exhibited by Bathory and her husband towards their servants. Countess Elizabeth Bthory, (Erzsbet Bthori in Hungarian), was born in 1560 in Nyrbtor in Royal Hungary. [34] The story came into question in 1817 when the witness accounts (which had surfaced in 1765) were published for the first time. Another indication that I am an irrelevant old fart! But as the story goes, Bathory didnt stop there. They descended from George II, the younger son of John I, through the George's grandson Michael. [15] The child, said to have been fathered by a peasant boy, was supposedly given away to a local woman who was trusted by the Bthory family. After all, legend has it that she bathed in the blood of at least 650 servant girls she had tortured and killed. Another servant, Erzsi Majorova, initially escaped capture, but was burned alive after being apprehended. Gabriel Bthory, the younger brother of Stephen XII, was the last male member of the Ecsed line. Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, 2018, s.v. Bathory took the advice, which turned out be a mistake for her. 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. Elizabeth Carmichael promised to revolutionize the automotive industry with a fuel-efficient car called the Dale, but the vehicle was never manufactured. 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. Enter a grandparent's name. Ladislaus, Count of Szabolcs, married Anna Meggyesi and received Somly as dowry. I wonder if she wouldve grown up to be different if all these people in her life wouldnt have helped her torment her servants. [5][6][7] Other writers, such as Michael Farin in 1989 have said that the accusations against Bthory were supported by testimony from more than 300 individuals, some of whom described physical evidence and the presence of mutilated dead, dying and imprisoned girls found at the time of her arrest. Bthory was born into prominent Protestant nobility in Hungary. After Ndasdys death in 1604, rumours of Bthorys cruelty began to surface. 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. [16] The threat of attack was significant, for the village of Csejte had previously been plundered by the Ottomans while Srvr, located near the border that divided Royal Hungary and Ottoman-occupied Hungary, was in even greater danger. 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. The grateful people honoured him with the names Bthory, meaning "good hero", and animus magnanimus. Why might Bathory have been subject to outside machinations? 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. 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. [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. They were the king's witnesses, but they were executed. Bathory was born in Nyrbtor, Hungary, on August 7, 1560. However, she was arrested and detained prior to the discovery or presentation of the victims. There were several instances where Bthory intervened on behalf of destitute women, including a woman whose husband was captured by the Ottomans and a woman whose daughter was raped and impregnated. [citation needed], Several authors, such as Lszl Nagy and Dr. Irma Szdeczky-Kardoss, have argued that Elizabeth Bthory was a victim of a conspiracy. I really liked your article! Bthory was born into prominent Protestant nobility in Hungary. Elizabeth was not the mother of the youngsters she murdered, yet ''she was related by blood or marriage to nearly all the victims named in the testimonies'' (Thorne 31). If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. Two died as infants, but two daughters and a son survived. However, this is a fairly contemporary copy of that original, probably painted in the late 16th century. Her relatives included the governor of Transylvania, The king of Poland, and the prince of Transylvania. Depictions of Bathory often mention her bathing in the blood of virgin victims in an attempt to recapture her lost youth. That's because of digital content theft! [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. 155 Results. 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). There is no evidence that she actually committed the crimes she of which she was alleged. Rate this book. Lancer's True Name is Elizabeth Bthory (, "Erzsbet Bthory"), the virginal fourteen year old aspect that had yet to become the monster Carmilla like her older aspect. [15], Bthory was raised a Calvinist Protestant. [citation needed] He had been married to Bthory for 29 years. While facing fraud charges, she was publicly revealed to be a transgender woman. She spent her childhood at Ecsed Castle. Wikimedia CommonsMany modern Hungarian scholars believe that the accusations against Elizabeth Bathory were exaggerated. Her father was Baron George VI Bthory of the Ecsed branch of the family, brother of Andrew Bonaventura Bthory, who had been voivode of Transylvania. This page has been accessed 12,844 times. Her company expanded internationally and changed the face of women's cosmetics. The evidence against Bathory has flaws: Of 289 witness accounts, more than 250 offered either hearsay or no information whatsoever. 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. Liz Torture Throw Pillow. I find it interesting that she was born in Transylvania, the same place that Vlad Tepes (Vlad Dracula) was born. [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. 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. On December 30, 1609, Elizabeth Bthory and her servants were arrested. There is no evidence that she actually committed the crimes she of which she was alleged. Bathory is reputed to have killed at least six hundred victims, earning her a Guinness World Record for most prolific female murderer. George and Anna were both Bathorys by birth; he a member of the Ecsed branch of the family and of the Somlyo. But before long, many locals began to point their fingers at Countess Elizabeth Bathory. 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. The ruins of Csejte Castle, where Elizabeth Bathory supposedly committed unspeakable crimes. How did they find each other? (2009). In the 19th century, long after the demise of the other branches, the family claimed name and title of Counts Bthory, since their ancestor Michael had never consented to the sale conducted by his brothers, and in 1852 the Russian government confirmed the legitimacy of their claims.[6][11][12]. The countess is also known as one of the bloodiest women in . Countess Elizabeth Bathory was a member of the aristocracy in Hungary. One day, Thurzo showed up to Bathorys castle with armed guards. Actress Elizabeth Taylor starred in films like 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' and 'Butterfield 8' but was just as famous for her violet eyes and scandalous love life. 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. For other uses, see, "Batory" redirects here. I was also struck by the punishment she got because from everything she did, I would have thought she would have gotten a stricter punishment. Gyrgy Ndasdy is also supposedly the name of one of the deceased Ndasdy infants, but this cannot be confirmed. 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. Together with four of her servants, she was accused of . 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elizabeth bathory living descendants