Elizabeth Bthory, Hungarian form Bthory Erzsbet, (born August 7, 1560, Nyrbtor, Hungary-died 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 first, all appeared to have been well under Bathorys leadership. 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. Her mother was Baroness Anna Bthory, daughter of another voivode of Transylvania. 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. Then, discover the true story behind the real-life Bloody Mary. In 1575 she married Count Ferencz Ndasdy, a member of another powerful Hungarian family, and subsequently moved to Castle Cachtice, a wedding gift from the Ndasdy family. Elizabeth Bathory may have had a secret love child At the age of 11, Elizabeth's family betrothed her to 15-year-old Ferenc Nadasdy, the son of the then Palatine of Hungary. But as the story goes, Bathory didnt stop there. How was Elizabeth Bathory caught? It has been said that over hundred young women were among her victims. Descendant of both the Ecsed and Somly branches of the Bathory family. She was brought up in the rarefied atmosphere of 16th century elites - her every whim was satisfied, and people from all walks of life fawned over the beautiful aristocrat. The King of Hungary, King Matthias II, ordered Gyorgy Thurzo, Palatine of Hungary, to look into the rumors and accusations about Bathory. Her father was Baron George VI Bthory, brother of the voivode of Transylvania, Andrew Bonaventura Bthory. As was the custom, the young bride to be left her own home once the betrothal was official and the family of her fiance took over her education. Thurz collected evidence from some 300 witnesses who leveled a bevy of truly horrifying charges against the countess. Anna Bthory was the widow of the last descendant of the Dragfi family and George now seized the castles of the Dragfi. Bathory is reputed to have killed at least six hundred victims, earning her a Guinness World Record for most prolific female murderer. Bathory, a scion of a powerful Hungarian family and the product of inbreeding between Baron George Bathory and Baroness Anna Bathory, called the Csejte Castle home. [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 fourth was spared immediate execution; what happened to her afterward is unknown. Elizabeth Bthory, a Hungarian noblewoman and alleged serial killer from the 16th and 17th centuries, is certainly at the top of the. Elizabeth Bthory (or Erzsbet, to use the Hungarian spelling) was born into a Hungarian noble family on the 7th August, 1560. [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. The fact that her parents started this sadistic behavior instead of helping her. [20] By October 1610 they had collected 52 witness statements;[19] by 1611, that number had risen to over 300. After Ndasdys death in 1604, rumours of Bthorys cruelty began to surface. In fact, some modern Hungarian scholars say that it may have been motivated more by others power and greed than her supposed evil. The investigation into Bthory's crimes was sparked by complaints from a Lutheran minister, Istvn Magyari. Perhaps, historians say, the true story of Elizabeth Bathory looks more like this: The countess owned strategically important land that increased her familys already vast wealth. One witness stated that Bthory herself had listed 650 victims in her papers, though the number of victims varied in other testimonials and the countess' exact death toll remains unknown. Countess Dracula: The Life and Times of Elisabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess (Unknown Binding) by. Ndasdy was the son of Baron Tams Ndasdy de Ndasd et Fogarasfld and Orsolya Kanizsai. I was researching about it today and I found a family tree of her husband Ferenc Nadasdy. It was only when noble girls started disappearing and dying that he demanded Thurzo to look into it. 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. 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. 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. By that point, Bathory had reportedly killed multiple victims of noble birth, which concerned the authorities far more than the deaths of servants. Listen above to the History Uncovered podcast, episode 49: Bloody Mary, also available on, true story behind the real-life Bloody Mary. The Chilling Story Of Simon Monjack, The 'Disturbed' Husband Of Brittany Murphy, Michael Hutchence Was One Of The World's Biggest Rock Stars Then He Choked Himself To Death In A Sydney Hotel, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Corrections? Many of the witnesses who spoke against Bathory were beholden to Thurz, who oversaw the entire investigation. She sometimes even used scissors to slice open the skin between her victims fingers. Four of Bathory's servants three females and one male were then arrested, questioned, and subjected to torture. In the 15th century, Michael's brothers George and Ladislaus, who both died without issue, had sold their heritage to the then-head of the Somly branch, Nicolaus. 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 suffered from epilepsy as a child, possibly from familial inbreeding. Through her mother, Elizabeth was the niece of the Hungarian noble Stephen Bthory (15331586), the King of Poland, the Grand Duke of Lithuania of the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth, and Prince of Transylvania. Bathory took the advice, which turned out be a mistake for her. [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. She descended from multiple noble lineages and included the King of Poland and the prince of Transylvania among her relatives. Her cousin, Gyrgy Thurz, count palatine of Hungary, was ordered by Matthias, then king of Hungary, to investigate. Bathory was born in Nyrbtor, Hungary, on August 7, 1560. Witnesses claimed that Bathorys favorite method of torture was using scissors to mutilate her victims bodies and faces. Have you taken a DNA test? . The Simolin family possessed large estates in Prussia and Courland and members served the Russian Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine as diplomats. Her uncle, Stephen Bathory, was king of Poland. Highly interesting and indulging article that I enjoyed reading. As she was not convicted of a crime, Bathory's holdings passed to family members instead of being seized. If all the stories about her are true, then she is likely the most prolific and vicious female serial killer of all time. [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. Her family had many powerful relatives -- a cardinal, princes, and a cousin who was prime minister of Hungary are among these relatives. When the trial ended, Bathorys alleged accomplices one of whom had worked as a wet nurse for the countess children were convicted of witchcraft and burned at the stake. After Nadasdy died in January 1604, Bathory took control of her extensive estates. 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. [23] Ilona J and Dorottya Szentes had their fingers torn out with a pair of red-hot pincers and were then burned alive. 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. She has since gone on to become an accomplished activist and author. This too may have been politically motivated, as the death penalty meant that the king could seize her land. Darvulia supposedly implanted in Bathorys mind that if she killed young virgins and bathed in their blood, she could maintain her youth.9 Bathory confided in Darvulia and took interest in learning more about witchcraft and Satanism. Elizabeth is 24 degrees from Margaret Atwood, 26 degrees from Jim Carrey, 25 degrees from Elsie Knott, 27 degrees from Gordon Lightfoot, 30 degrees from Alton Parker, 29 degrees from Beatrice Tillman, 27 degrees from Jenny Trout, 23 degrees from Justin Trudeau, 27 degrees from Edwin Boyd, 24 degrees from Barbara Hanley, 33 degrees from Fanny Rosenfeld and 27 degrees from Cathryn Hondros on our single family tree. About Erzsbet Bthory, "The Blood Countess". There she died in 1614 at age 54. [citation needed] Bthory managed business affairs and the family's multiple estates during the war. Leave a message for others who see this profile. On 13 December 1612, Nikola VI Zrinski confirmed the agreement with Thurz about the imprisonment of Bthory and distribution of the estate. [36] It is difficult to know how accurate his account of events is. [19] On 31 December, Thurz went to Csejte Castle and arrested Bthory along with four of her servants, who were accused of being her accomplices: Dorotya Semtsz, Ilona J, Katarna Benick and Jnos jvry ("Ibis" or Fick). The exact circumstances of Elizabeth's final imprisonment are unknown. Elizabeth Bthory was a Hungarian countess who purportedly tortured and murdered more than 600 young women in the 16th17th century. When Darvulia died a few years later, Bathory had to find another women to confide in while doing her killings. [45] And the fact that Bathory's servants were tortured makes their confessions unreliable. On December 30, 1609, Elizabeth Bthory and her servants were arrested. According to the contemporary reports and the stories told long after, Elizabeth Bathory tortured girls and young women in unspeakable ways. This family was literally so powerful, they had multiple branches. The grateful people honoured him with the names Bthory, meaning "good hero", and animus magnanimus. Two of the women and the male servant were sentenced to death, which was quickly carried out. Imprisonment allowed family members to take control of the powerful widow's possessions (her sons-in-law knew beforehand that her arrest was coming). Some witnesses named relatives who died while at the gynaeceum. 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. 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