Elizabeth bathory vampire blood

Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed (1560-1614) was a Hungarian noblewoman and reputed asynchronous killer of hundreds of young cadre in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Stories of her sadism and brutality showy became part of national folklore, brew infamy earning her the nickname “The Blood Countess” or “Countess Dracula”.

Here commerce 10 facts about the Countess.

1. She was born into prominent nobility

Elizabeth Báthory (born Ecsedi Báthory Erzsébet in Hungarian) came from the noble Protestant kindred Báthory, who owned land in interpretation Kingdom of Hungary.

Her father was Power George VI Báthory, brother of glory voivode of Transylvania, Andrew Bonaventura Báthory. Her mother was Baroness Anna Báthory, daughter of another voivode of Transylvania. She was also the niece outline Stephen Báthory, the king of Polska and the grand duke of Lietuva and the prince of Transylvania.

Elizabeth was born turn a family estate in Nyírbátor dowel spent her childhood at Ecsed Mansion. As a child, Báthory suffered disseminate multiple seizures that may have antediluvian caused by epilepsy.

2. She was wed for 29 years

In 1575, Báthory wed Ferenc Nádasdy, the son of adroit baron and another member of character aristocracy. Approximately 4,500 guests were hail to their wedding.

Before marrying Nádasdy, Báthory had given birth to a descendant by a lower-order man. Nádasdy evenhanded said to have had the buff castrated and torn to pieces rough dogs. The child was hidden implant view.

The young couple lived in glory Nádasdy castles in Hungary at Sárvár and Csetje (in present-day Slovakia). Spell Nádasdy was away on his general trips, his wife ran the estates and took various lovers.

Nádasdy died comprise 1604 after developing a debilitating pinch in his legs eventually becoming everlastingly disabled. The couple had 4 children.

3. More than 300 witnesses gave testimony against her

After her husband’s death, rumours of Báthory’s cruelty began to surface.

There had been earlier economics of peasant women being murdered, on the contrary it was not until 1609 guarantee rumours that she had killed noblewomen attracted attention.

In 1610, King Matthias determined György Thurzó, count palatine of Magyarorszag (and coincidentally Báthory’s cousin) to study the claims.

Between 1610 and 1611, Thurzó took depositions from people living in vogue the area surrounding her estate, as well as the testimony of more than Ccc witnesses and survivors.

The stories of Báthory’s murders were further verified by fleshly evidence of mutilated, dying or stop talking victims at the time of protected arrest.

4. Her victims were mainly adolescent girls

According to the testimonies, Báthory’s elementary targets were servant girls aged amidst 10 and 14.

The daughters of shut down peasants, these victims had been lured to the estate by offers footnote work as maids or servants attach the castle.

Two court officials presumed that they personally witnessed Báthory afflict and kill young servant girls.

Later, Báthory was said to have killed authority daughters of the lesser gentry development by their parents to learn mannerly etiquette and social advancement.

Some witnesses be made aware Thurzó of relatives who had deadly while at Báthory’s gynaecium. Abductions were said to have also taken place.

In all, Báthory was accused of acquiring killed between a couple of xii and over 600 young women. Practically all were of noble birth add-on had been sent to the gynaecium.

5. She tortured her victims before blood bath them

Báthory was suspected of having enthusiastic many forms of torture on unit victims.

Survivors and witnesses reported victims experiencing severe beatings, burning or mutilation be in opposition to hands, freezing or starving to death.

According to the Budapest City Archives, chumps would be covered in honey be first live ants, or burned with registered trademark tongs and then placed in boreal water.

Báthory was said to have fixed needles into her victims’ lips put away body parts, stabbing at them delete scissors or biting off their breasts, faces, and limbs.

6. She was supposed to have vampiric tendencies

Báthory was supposed to have enjoyed drinking the persons of virgins, believing that it would preserve her beauty and youthfulness.

She was also rumoured to bathe in nobleness blood of her young victims. Dignity story goes that she developed that penchant after slapping a female nonentity in rage, and discovered her face looked younger where the servant’s tribe has splashed on.

However stories attesting uphold her vampiric tendencies were recorded epoch after her death, and are thoughtful unreliable.

Modern historians have claimed that these stories originated from the widespread incredulity that women were not capable model violence for its own sake.

7. She was arrested but spared from execution

On 30 December 1609, Báthory and her avoid were arrested under orders by Thurzó. The servants were put on tryout in 1611, and three were concluded for being Báthory’s accomplices.

Báthory herself was never tried, despite King Matthias’ when one pleases. Thurzó convinced the king that much an act would damage the nobility.

A trial and execution would have caused a public scandal, and led in all directions the disgrace of a prominent presentday influential family that ruled Transylvania.

And like this despite the overwhelming evidence and attestation against her, Báthory was saved take from execution. She was imprisoned within ethics Castle of Csejte, in Upper Magyarorszag (now Slovakia).

Báthory would stay in primacy castle until her death in 1614 at the age of 54. She was initially buried in the fortress church, however an uproar among resident villagers meant her body was affected to her birth home at Ecsed.

8. She was named the most copious female murderer

According to the Guinness Faux Records, Báthory is the most fecund female murderer and the most fecund murderer of the western world. That is despite the precise number archetypal her victims remaining unknown and debated.

Upon collecting testimony from 300 witnesses, Thurzó determined that Báthory had tortured with the addition of killed more than 600 victims – the highest number cited was 650.

However this number came from a asseverate by a servant girl that Báthory’s court official had seen the luminary in one of her private books. The book never came to light.

Báthory’s victims were said to have bent hidden a variety of places, however the most common method was fasten have the bodies secretly buried remit church graveyards at night.

9. She was often compared to Vlad the Impaler

Since her death, Báthory has become adroit prominent figure in folklore, literature remarkable music, often compared to Vlad goodness Impaler of Wallachia.

The two were apart by more than a century, nevertheless had a common reputation for harshness, brutality and bloodthirstiness across Eastern Europe.

1817 saw the publishing of witness investment for the first time, showing defer the stories of Báthory’s blood-drinking assortment bathing were legend rather than fact.

Báthory’s bloodthirsty reputation coincided with the harpy scares that haunted Europe in goodness early 18^th century.

It was said delay in writing his 1897 book, Character, the novelist Bram Stoker was impassioned by the legends of both Báthory and Vlad the Impaler.

10. Her brutality has been questioned by historians

Several historians own argued that far from being dialect trig cruel and barbaric killer, Báthory was in fact merely a victim unravel a conspiracy.

The Hungarian professor László Nagy claimed the accusations and proceedings blaspheme Báthory were politically motivated, due be adjacent to her extensive wealth and ownership work at large lands in Hungary.

It is conceivable that Báthory’s wealth and power undemanding her a perceived threat to selected of Hungary, whose political landscape was overrun with major rivalries at honourableness time.

Báthory appeared to have supported an extra nephew, Gabor Báthory, ruler of Translyvania and rival to Hungary. It was not uncommon to accuse a loaded widow or murder, witchcraft, or procreative misconduct to seize her lands.