She stands out as a shocking lesson in just how dangerous a sadistic, demented powerful. Elizabeth bathory, the blood countess elizabeth bathory. In this site we will try to shed some light over who bathory was. Countess elizabeth bathory is a controversial historical figure from medieval times. Sep 03, 2014 did george thurzo frame elizabeth bathory.
But it is clear that she was uncommonly gifted at kidnapping, torturing, and killing young women. She was a sickly child, suffering from epilepsy for most of her life. Elizabeth bathory was a hungarian noblewoman who was believed to be born between 1560 and 1561 in the kingdom of hungary. From an early age, she witnessed her fathers officers torture the peasantry that lived near her familys estate. King matthias and discovers countess elizabeth bathory directing a torture session. The highest report of her murder toll stands at 650.
Bathory, elizabeth article about bathory, elizabeth by. Transylvanian countess elizabeth bathory the blood countess 15601614 is often described as the first atypical and very rare, pathological hedonist lust female serial killer, as opposed to the more typical profitmotivated black widows. Elizabeth bathory countess dracula history of royal women. Two women find themselves in a dark dungeon tormented by distant memories of the horrific legend of countess elizabeth bathory and looming feelings of. In slovakia, you follow in footsteps of countess elizabeth bathory, who murdered many young girls over 400 years ago. Erzsebet bathory, also known as elizabeth bathory, is one of the most infamous figures in history. Countess dracula is a 1971 british hammer horror film based on the legends surrounding the blood countess elizabeth bathory. Scarred as a psychotic bloody serial killer and countess dracula instead of the richest most powerful woman in a history ruled by men the lies about elizabeth bathory are finally revealed. An example is the notorious case of elizabeth bathory, the socalled hungarian blood countess, who seems to have inspired the. This hungarian countess, who flourished in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, tortured and killed anywhere between 50 and 650 young women for pure pleasure. She was born into a privileged family whose members included knights.
The bathory family is a noble family that stems from the much older family clan of hun gutkeled which held much power in broad areas of eastcentral europe. Many of the elements of her life and crimes have no doubt been exaggerated and warped over time to make her out to be some kind of. The countess dracula legend began to materialize around her name in the 18th century, more than a century after her death. Over time, the facts of bathorys life have mingled with myth. Ive been interested in the bathory legend for a while and read various other fiction and mostly nonfiction books on the subject, so ive been wanting to order this for a while. Countess of blood 2008 and the countess 2009 are both retellings of elizabeths story. Elizabeth bathory, hungarian countess who purportedly tortured and murdered hundreds of young women in the 16th and 17th centuries. Its known that she suffered seizures and fits of rage as a child. In the late 16th century, a serial killer ran loose in hungary.
During her lifetime she supposedly murdered and brutally tortured hundreds of young girls in a dungeon below cachtice castle. May 10, 2019 elizabeth bathory the blood countess she is one of the earliest serial killers in recorded history the original sadomasochistic femme fatal. After her husbands death, she and four collaborators were accused of torturing and killing hundreds of girls and young women, with one witness attributing to them over 600 victims, though the number for which she. She stands out as a shocking lesson in just how dangerous a sadistic, demented powerful woman can be. This serial killer was active in the following countries. Because elizabeth socially outranked her husband, she kept the surname bathory, which he added to his own. Elizabeth better known as the countess is the owner of the hotel cortez and a carrier of a mysterious blood virus. Til of countess elizabeth bathory, the most prolific female serial killer of all time. Elizabeth bathory is recorded in the guinness book of records as being the most prolific serial killer of all time.
Much like bathorys morbid love of bathing in blood, the shows ruthless woman uses the blood of her servants in an attempt to retain her youth and beauty. Bathory is based on the legends surrounding the life and deeds of countess elizabeth bathory known as the greatest murderess in the history of mankind. In this the second installment of metal history id like to talk of a women who has inspired countless metal songs elizabeth bathory, the hungarian countess who died locked in her palace, accused of torturing over 650 young girls and bathing in their blood. But just how true are all the stomachturning tales weve all. She is a character in hotel portrayed by lady gaga. Late in august of the year 1614 one of the countess s jailers wanted to get a good look at her, since she was still reputedly one of the most beautiful women in hungary. Hungarian countesses torturous escapades are exposed. Her crimes caused her to become a legendary and feared figure. She has been described as the most vicious female serial killer in all recorded history. Jul 10, 2008 bathory is based on the legends surrounding the life and deeds of countess elizabeth bathory known as the greatest murderess in the history of mankind. However, some believe the acts attributed to her were politically motivated slander that allowed relatives to appropriate her lands.
With kathleen denecke, adah hagen, tilke hill, diane lyons. Blood countess elizabeth bathory and her reign of terror. The passing of the centuries has left us with an incomplete picture of the true nature of her crimes. On this day in 1609 or 1610 sources are not conclusive, count gyorgy thurzo makes an investigative visit to csejthe castle in hungary on orders from king matthias and discovers countess elizabeth bathory directing a torture session of young girls. The killer preyed on virgins, massacring upwards of 650 young girls. Elizabeth bathory 15601614 was a countess who lived in transylvania, then a part of the kingdom of hungary. Late in august of the year 1614 one of the countesss jailers wanted to get a good look at her, since she was still reputedly one of the most beautiful women in hungary. Elizabeth bathory, the blood countess history howstuffworks. Nov 06, 2014 some say that countess elizabeth bathory, considered by many to be the worlds worst female serial killer, was the true inspiration for bram stokers dracula. Elizabeth bathory simple english wikipedia, the free. Elizabeth bathory the blood countess she is one of the earliest serial killers in recorded history the original sadomasochistic femme fatal. Born in 1904, elizabeth johnson is a 112yearold creature as glamorous as she is deadly, who sustains herself with a healthy diet of sex and blood. The real story of countess elizabeth bathory the th floor. Dec 27, 2017 much like bathorys morbid love of bathing in blood, the shows ruthless woman uses the blood of her servants in an attempt to retain her youth and beauty.
Elizabeth bathory is famed as the blood countess, an eastern european aristocrat who tortured and murdered over six hundred girls. Aug 08, 2016 many looked to countess elizabeth bathory when attempting to explain the disappearances. I am currently researching an alternate theory that i believe will be much closer to the truth of, who i believe, has been a much maligned woman of power and beauty. Scary facts about elizabeth bathory, historys most murderous. This here is the factual tale of elizabeth bathory, as gleaned from books and the web. She is one of the earliest serial killers in recorded history the original sadomasochistic femme fatal. She kills with her very fashionable, and very sharp, chain mail glove. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family, and life. The countess, elizabeth bathory, was born in transylvania in 1560.
She received it as a wedding gift from her husband, hungarian war hero ferenc nadasdy. Elizabeth bathory, also known as the blood countess is a 16th century hungarian aristocrat ranked in none other than the guinness book of records as the most murderous murderess of all time. Bathory, elizabeth 15601614 pop culture e lizabeth bathory, a slovakian countess who was said to have tortured and murdered numerous young women, became known as one of the true vampires in history. The infamous lady, countess erzsebetelizabethbathory is reviled as the worlds worst female serial killer, countess bathory is said to have bathed in the blood of the 650 servant girls she tortured and murdered. The story of the blood countess elizabeth bathory has gone onto become the stuff of legend, and is often suspected as being one of the influences for bram stokers dracula, such is her dark and twisted infamy. This was countess elizabeth bathory, a noblewoman who used the blood of virgins to ensure her eternal life and beauty. Bathory has been labeled by guinness world records as the most prolific female murderer, though the precise number of her victims is debated. Elizabeth bathory or erzsebet bathory was a feared hungarian countess who became infamous as a torturer and a vicious serial murderer. Jun 23, 2017 elizabeth bathory was finally tried for her crimes in 1610, when the count palatine of hungary, count thurzo collected hundreds of witness reports. The young couple lived in the nadasdy castles in hungary at sarvar and csetje now in slovakia, but ferenc was an ambitious soldier and was often away.
Bathory is also the central figure in andrei codrescus novel the blood countess, which explores the eternal allure of bathorys bloody reign. Elizabeth bathory biography facts, childhood, family. The dark history of the blood countess elizabeth bathory. Hungarian countesses torturous escapades are exposed history. One of their studio albums, cruelty and the beast, released in 1998, was based on the sick legacy of the blood countess. Her family ruled transylvania as an independent region within the hungarian kingdom. Dec 20, 2017 the myth of the blood countess elizabeth bathory. Secondly, king matthias and the imperial family owed substantial amounts of money to the countess, which they had trouble paying due to the lack of cash flow in their coffers, and this may have provided motive to have her eliminated. Thanks to her active years 15851609, its hard to know for certain just how many she killed. The blood countess the legend of elizabeth bathory. Her first step was to try to counter the charges thurzo was forging against her. She was from a very important family that included kings, cardinals, knights, and judges.
The true story of elizabeth bathory the blood countess. Nov 29, 2017 countess elizabeth bathory of hungary is perhaps the most prolific female serial killer of all time. Elizabeth bathory 16th century deranged serial killer or. However, some believe the acts attributed to her were politically motivated slander that allowed relatives to. However, we actually know little about both her and her alleged crimes, and the general trend in modern history has been to conclude that her guilt may well have been overplayed, and that she was, perhaps, the victim of rival nobles who wished to. The most infamous accusation the one that inspired her infamous nickname, the blood countess, as well as the rumors that she was a vampire alleged that elizabeth bathory bathed in the blood of her young victims in an attempt to maintain a youthful appearance. She is said to have suffered from fits and outbursts of rage possibly even epilepsy. Elizabeth bathory, the woman who came to be known as the blood countess, was born into hungarian nobility in 1560. There is no hard evidence about the whole murder case. Elizabeth bathory the blood countess female famous serial. Elizabeth ran the estates, took various lovers and bore her husband four children. A treatment back then was to rub the blood of a nonsufferer of the ailment onto the lips of a sufferer in order to help. The film was produced by alexander paal and directed by peter sasdy, both hungarian emigres working in england.
However, we actually know little about both her and her alleged crimes, and the general trend in modern history has been to conclude that her guilt may well have been overplayed, and that she was, perhaps, the victim of rival nobles who wished to take her. Bathory, scion of a powerful hungarian family and the product of inbreeding between baron george bathory and baroness anna bathory, called the castle home. For a long time, she was protected by her high social status. Elizabeth bathory biography facts, childhood, family life. Jan, 2018 an example is the notorious case of elizabeth bathory, the socalled hungarian blood countess, who seems to have inspired the conceptualized music authored by the british extrememetal band cradle of filth. She was a strong and aggressive woman by many accounts after all. Contrary to popular belief, elizabeth bathory was a modern renaissance woman who ultimately fell victim to mens aspirations for power and wealth.
Nov 11, 2018 portrait of elizabeth bathory, the blood countess. Erzsebet bathory was born august 7, 1560 at the ecsed family estate in nyirbator nagyecsed, hungary. That is unsurprising as the events surrounding the case took place 400 years ago, but i believe craft ought to have been less. Countess elizabeth bathory august 7, 1560 august 21, 1614 was a countess from the renowned bathory family. Many of the elements of her life and crimes have no doubt been exaggerated and warped over time to make her out to be some kind of vampire boogieman, and we are left to wonder about how true the bizarre tales are and what caused her to go down that macabre route.
Bathory and four collaborators were accused of torturing and killing hundreds of young women between 1590 and 1610. Serial killer elizabeth bathory aka the blood countess, the cachtice countess, was active for 20 years between 15901609, known to have 80 confirmed 650 possible victims. Bathory was born in 1560, the daughter of george and anna bathory. Elizabeth was found guilty of killing 80 girls, the judge at her trial said that the lady.
Bathory was born in 1560 to a wellestablished family. Possibly the most prolific female serial killer in history, a primary inspiration for dracula, one of the most reviled women in history, and, i argue, innocent. Bathory was already infamous in the area for her torture and murder of. Peeking through the small aperture in her walledup cell, he saw her lying face down on the floor. She is possibly the most prolific female serial killer in history. She was accused of torturing her victims, eating them, and bathing in. Elizabeth was found guilty of killing 80 girls, the judge at her trial said that the lady has committed terrible crimes against the female blood. These places were places like poland, hungary, slovakia, and romania. A refreshing fictional account of the life of countess bathory. Even after the legends have been lifted her crimes still seem unimaginable. Til of countess elizabeth bathory, the most prolific female. Based off of the evidence, there is a case to be made one which i believe to be true that elisabeth bathory is innocent.
Fanatics claim she was one of the first vampires, and refer to her as the blood countess. Oct 06, 20 scarred as a psychotic bloody serial killer and countess dracula instead of the richest most powerful woman in a history ruled by men the lies about elizabeth bathory are finally revealed. The most murderous woman in the history of the world, according to the guinness book of world records. Dec 20, 2019 hungarian countesses torturous escapades are exposed. A complete genealogy of all descendants elizabeth bathory 17th20th century novotny, pavel director 2014. Elizabeth bathory and her gruesome, torturous crimes are now the stuff of legend. The countess prepared for her fall elizabeth bathory knew she was in trouble in the latter half of 1610 when she heard of the investigations into her affairs. She tortured and killed over 650 people, believing the blood of young girls would maintain her youth. Others claim elizabeth bathory was the most brutal female serial killer in history killing over six hundred innocent women. Some say that countess elizabeth bathory, considered by many to be the worlds worst female serial killer, was the true inspiration for bram. Elizabeth bathory died a few years after her arrest, while still confined in her castle. The legend of elizabeth bathory through a dark looking glass.
An enlightening exploration into the disturbing crimes of the hungarian countess elizabeth bathory. She is reputed to have tortured and murdered young women in her charge during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. How and why women become monsters by peter vronsky. After all, legend has it that she bathed in the blood of at least 650 servant girls she had tortured and killed. According to the guinness book of records, hungarian countess elizabeth bathory was the most murderous woman in history.
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