WHO IS ELIZABETH BATHORY?

WHO IS ELIZABETH BATHORY?

According to history, she's said to have use the blood of Virgins in bathing herself.

How true is this?.

published by Elina

Elizabeth Bathory, also known as Ersebet Bathory, a Countess of Hungary is said to have murdered hundreds of young women in the early 17th century.

   Elizabeth was a noblewoman of Hungary who was rich and powerful. Her relations were made up of an Uncle who was a King of Poland and a nephew who was a prince of Transylvania.

      She was accused of horrific acts of serial murder in 1610 and as a result of this was restricted to her home of Castle Cachtice, where she stayed until her death. She is reckon to have murdered at least six hundred victims, and as a result of this was, she is known as a prolific female murderer in the Guinness World Record, and this earned her the nickname, "Blood Countess". However, it is likely that she was not guilty of all the crime allegations made against her.

       Elizabeth Bathory was born on August 7, 1560 in Nyirbator, Hungary. Elizabeth at the age of 11, was considered a well educated and beautiful girl,   became engaged to Count Ferenc Nadasdy. She is said to have given birth to an illegitimate child before her marriage.

    Elizabeth got married to Nadasdy at the age of 15 on the 8th of May, 1575. They had their first child ten years later in 1585. She gave birth to five children, although, two of her kids died as infants, leaving her with three children, two daughters and a son.

Her husband, a Soldier, often went off fighting Ottoman Turks and as a result of this, the couple spent most of their married life staying apart. Although, he may have taught her the art of torture whenever they were together. After the death of  Nadasdy in January 1604, the extensive estates came under her control.

     Elizabeth was accused of a haunting litany of crimes committed against female servants and minor noblewomen who had come to her for training and education. Most of terrifying assaults and murders took place after the death of her husband.

Most of her victims were covered with honey and left outside for insects to devour. During winter, young are stripped naked and forced into deadly ice baths. At times, young girls were tortured by Elizabeth by driving needles into their fingers, cutting their noses or lips or whipping them with stinging nettles. Most times, she would bite shoulders and breasts, as well as burning the flesh, including the genitals of some victims. 

      Also, at other times, she would bath in the blood of her victims who were virgins. According to her, this was done to gain back her lost youth. However, the this revelation of her blood baths came 100 years after her death and therefore might be an invention.

       Count Gyorgy Thurzo, who oversaw judicial matters as the lord palatine of Hungary, on December 29, 1610, arrived at Bathory's Castle Cachtice to investigate Elizabeth's alleged crimes against only women of noble birth (any mistreatment of Servants was not a concern to the authorities). Thurzo paid a surprise visit to Elizabeth in the middle of her tormenting a victim and as a result, she was imprisoned in her home. This was because, her high status meant she would not be jailed as a common criminal.

     Four of Elizabeth's servants, made up of three females and a male were then arrested, questioned, and subjected to torture. Their court proceedings began early in January 1611. These servants denied having a hand in the murders but admitted to burying multiple victims, although, the number in their accounts varied between 36 and 51. They all shifted the blame to their mistress (Elizabeth) and to each other and also implicated a deceased servant, Darvulia, who served as a maid and governess. Two of the women and male servant were sentenced to death, which was quickly carried out. The fourth servant was spared immediate execution, although what happened to her afterward is unknown. Another woman who aided Elizabeth by using magic was also killed.

     After these executions, Thurzo continued his investigation on Elizabeth.  According to a witness, Elizabeth herself had listed  650 victims in her papers, though the number of victims varied in other testimonials and Elizabeth's exact death toll remains unknown. Although, Thurzo's evidence included 289 witness statements.Elizabeth was only punished because of the noblewomen which were part of her victims.

Her body was found on August 21, 1614, in Castle Cachtice (located in present-day Slovakia), where she had been imprisoned since 1610. She was 54 years old then and was literally buried in the crypt on her estate, but her body was likely moved afterward.