The Blood Countess

The first thing to be aware of when delving into the life of crime and time of Erzsebet Bathory de Ecsed is that most of what we know was written nearly one hundred years after her death. Tales of vampirism, sadism, torture and murder of the waves so complicated, more and horribly broken for decades, that the original person countess has become almost hopelessly lost, swallowed by the monster created in the feverish, nightmarish minds of later writers. And yet, it is possible, for those brave enough to attempt it, to cleave a bloody push through the body and bones, and hungry beasts, and find the real truth about the woman who gave birth to the legend, to find a real person who has attained the title of "Countess Dracula."

Erzsebet Bathory has gone down in history as the most prolific female serial killer of all time. Records written in the time trial, however, and evidence collected, paints quite a different picture on it. One witness later writers, say that somewhere in thethe killed six girls in a period of ten years . It was actually charged with murder only eighty at the trial.

On 7 August 1560, Erzsebet was born one of the most powerful Hungarian family time, Bathory, on a family farm in Niyirbator in Hungary. She spent most of his childhood in Ecsed Castle, Ecsed the title that it will carry through life. She was engaged to Ferenc Nadasdy, a political game to set up her parents, and 8 May 1575 they were married in a small palace Varanno. It was a modest affair, there are only 4500 guests there. Immediately after the wedding, Erzsebet, along with her ​​new husband, retired in Nadasdy Castle where she was left alone for long periods, while Ferenc studied in Vienna.

as a wedding gift to his new bride, Ferenc her own home, Csejte (Čachtice) Castle, the great country houses and seventeen, and the surrounding villages, which is where most of its work force came from. Castle nestled in the Little Carpathians in Trencin, an area that is nearly three hundred years later, would be written extensively about the little-known author, Abraham Stoker in his 1897 novel, "Dracula ".

Ferenc's wife to leave again for a long time, in 1578 he was promoted to commander in chief of the Hungarian forces in their war against the invading Ottomans ever. While he was away, it was left to Erzsebet to run and look after the property and everything they make. This includes providing their tenants, even to the point of health care for them.

Erzsebet was highly educated and talented woman, fluent in reading and writing in four different languages​​. There is concrete evidence that she truly cares about her tenants. In one case we see it as an intermediary on behalf of a woman whose husband was captured by the Turks. In the second case, we see her work on behalf of another woman whose daughter had been savagely raped by Turkish soldiers and made ​​pregnant.

In 1585, Erzsebet gave birth to the first of six children, a girl, which she named Anna. After another daughter, Ursula, she gave birth to first son, Andrew. Unfortunately both Ursula and Andrew died at an early age. All of her surviving children have passed through the governess to bring up, just as it was, and as was customary at that time. In 1604, aged 47yrs, her husband, Ferenc died, succumbing to injuries he suffered in the heat of battle. They have been married for 29yrs. All the evidence shows that Erzsebet is deeply devoted and loving husband and that his death at such a young age, her devastated.

Some scientists have suggested that the boredom that Erzsebet began to abuse her servant girls, while others suggest that the death of Ferenc her unhinged. Personally, I believe this is a sadistic line was already there and now, with the passing of Ferenc, was finally released. Evidence suggests thatminor sadistic torture and beatings are already common place , butwere kept quiet under the strong influence of her husband . With him gone now, Erzsebet was cast adrift, lost her anchor, and the not so distant horizon, a devastating storm brewing.

Between the years 1602 and 1604, rumors began to spread about the murderous tantrums from the countess and they came to the attention of Lutheran minister, Istvan Magyar, who took them to the authorities in Vienna. Whether the authorities were reluctant to move against such a prominent and powerful family, who, at that time ruled Transylvania, or if they are not quite believe the rumors, it was many years later, in 1610 when they finally acted. Hungarian King Mathias, cousin named Erzsebet was, Count Gyorgy Thurzo, Hungarian Palatine to investigate the case. Thurzo, however, employed two notaries to collect evidence against Erzsebet, which began work in March 1610th

But even before the gathering of evidence, deliberated Thurzo more trouble he found himself in. finished the trial and inevitable execution would cause a scandal and a shame to bring on one of the most powerful family in eastern Europe. On the other hand, was not acting out of the question Erzsebet not only allegedly murdered peasant girls, but girls lesser nobility. There was panic and hair brained idea that the spirit of the countess to the monastery, but the murder of noblewomen require some sort of punishment and justice. In the end, along with Erzsebet son, Paul, and two sons-in-law decided to arrest the Countess under strict, house arrest for the rest of your natural life. This corresponds to King Mathias, who was heavily in debt Bathory family was without funds to honor him. In exchange for keeping the whole affair, low key, the debt is written off. In 1611, after a trial in which Erzsebet not charged or convicted for the murder of the unfortunate girl, she was walled up in her apartment, fed daily through a narrow opening until his death on August 21, 1614, some three years later. She was 54yrs old.

the actual arrest of the Countess is legendary, with the heroic Earl Thurzo Csejte storming the castle with a few loyal people. Later writers say that the hall they find a young woman, battered and drained half of her blood. On reaching the countess' apartments, they found a drunken lady half of human blood. It was smeared across her lips and she holds the cup still has some of the crimson liquid. At your feet lies the dead body of another girl in the dungeon, they find many other girls in various stages of dying, some still harnessed in a variety of hellish torture machines countess's own design. Reality, of course, there was nothing so dramatic.

Although at first, Mathias ordered the death penalty, Thurzo was successful in talking the king out of it citing the damage it would do for the nobility. Scientists, however, is highly debated since his motive.

countess was put under immediate house arrest, a trial for her supporters called on January 7, 1611, presiding judge of the Supreme Royal, Theodosius Syrmiensis de Szulo along with twenty other judges. Erzsebet herself did not attend the trial in person. The defendants in the courtroom were Janos Ujvari, known locally as Ficko or Ibis, Dorottya Szentes, also referred to as Dorka, Ilona Jo, and Kathy Benicka. Ficko, Dorka and Ilona Jo was found guilty and executed immediately. Dorka and Ilona Jo were tossed on the fire burning alive after first having their nails ripped away. Ficko, considered less guilty than women, were beheaded, and the first exports in flames thereafter. It was found that only acted out of fear of Katherine Countess and others, and so was sentenced to life in prison.

alleged crimes

Between 1610 and trial in 1611, notaries collected testimonies from some three hundred witnesses. Among the actual trial records, (translated version that I actually read) were the testimonies of the four defendants plus those nobles, peasants and priests. Other testimonies were those of workers and staff from Sarvar Castle, where some of the crimes occurred. According to these testimonies, Erzsebet's initial targets are adolescent girls from rural background, lured into his service promise of well paid jobs, housing and health care. But there was no amount of health care that would help these unfortunate victims. Later, she turned evil attention to the less noble, girls who were sent to the Erzsebet gynaecium, kind of finishing school for young ladies, their parents are part of her court. She also said that the kidnap victims.

Most of torture and crimes that are listed in court records are based on hearsay. There was, however, struggled to consistently listed as noted below.

Sexual abuse.
Severe beatings over a long period of time that led to eventual death.
Starvation.
Freezing to death.
Surgery for victims, more often than not lead to fatalities.
Biting flesh of the face and other body parts.
Burning and other mutilations of the hands, face and genitals.

Erzsebet Bathory, as well as psychotic tyrants of the past, was a product of his time. She is no stranger to brutality. There is a record of a case Erzsebet childhood when she witnessed her father's brand of justice on the wicked servant. The man was taken to the castle courtyard in Ecsed and stripped naked. His horse was later slaughtered in front of him and his chest opened. Then a man, bound hand and foot, was placed inside a horse with only his head exposed while the animal was sewn back up again. The man was left to a slow and painful death.

other records indicate that a young servant girl found a penny and instead of declaring it, it keeps. When the countess was informed, had a maid brought her a private room and there, took a penny from it. The Countess then placed the money in a fire in it glowed red hot, then it is pulled out with a pair of pliers and made ​​a maid hold it until she passed out with pain.

Still other records said the Countess of psychotic rage. After one of those tempers it to poker or riding crop to the girls and beat them without stopping until she was near collapse from exhaustion. However, since she was a sadist, Erzsebet has not stopped beating there. She was one of her cohorts to carry on until she was rested enough to be able to continue.

Another witness accounts indicate that joint penalty Countess of female officers occurred during the freezing cold and terribly harsh winters of the Carpathians. Here she would be stripped naked in the castle courtyards and stop the tax-cold water. She would then watch while her supporters poured cold water over their heads. In a region where winter temperatures can drop to minus thirty it was brutal and painful way to die.

Initially, the countess will bury the dead in churchyards at night and it was these activities that first started to upset communities and start rumors. Many times, the church authorities complained about the monarchy, but the complaints went largely unnoticed. Erzsebet, after which he went unchallenged for so long, become complacent. She would sacrifice her body dumped in nearby villages and forests. There were even cases when their bodies stuffed under beds and floorboards, after they were removed only when the stench of their complaints was voiced. According to witnesses, Erzsebet killed randomly at locations throughout Hungary, not only on Csejte but in Sarvar, Sopronkerestzur, Bratislava (which was then in Pozony Pressburg) and Vienna. She was also accused of crimes between these locations too.

a shadowy figure named Anna Darvulia said that initially affected countess in her sadistic ways, but she died long before the trial opened. It will never be possible to determine the number of unfortunate girls who lost their lives for the brutal and sadistic countess. Later writers put the number at between 400 and 650, but it greatly conflicts with the original court records, testimony given four defendants. During his period of service to the countess, Fick and Szentes put the figure at between 36 and 37 years. the other two defendants put the number much higher, at 50 plus. Sarvar staff estimates put greater still between 100 to 200 One witness at the trial said a diary, written by the countess herself, which is listed the number of girls to 600 plus. Of course, this alleged diary was never produced. It is from this that the later writers on the basis of their assessment and that has become permanently woven into the legends that have become the "Blood Countess ".

Many modern day writers, including Laszlo Nagy, said that the countess was the victim of politically motivated conspiracy. The theory certainly fits Hungarian history at that time. As in the rest of the European continent, and Britain too, there have been many religious conflicts. Erzsebet was Protestant Transylvanian aristocrat, in contrast with the religious solution, the Catholic Habsburgs time. With the beginning of the 17th century, stories of vampires began to emerge from the far reaches of Eastern Europe, the country is still relatively unknown in the West. Many writers and poets were inspired to write about them, and inevitably, the ancient story of "Bloody Lady of Čachtice" would become intertwined within them. It is here that the legends of her blood for drinking and bathing will come into play, and haunts the imagination for ever more.

In 1729, the legend of the Countess bathing in the blood appeared for the first time in the writings of the Jesuit monk, Laszlo Turóczi Tragic in his Historia. It was the first written account of Bathory story outside a court hearing transcript. earlier writings of the Marquis de Sade influenced feelings for the Countess and the belief that she committed the crimes out of sheer, sadistic pleasure catches. 1875 saw the publication, for the first time, actual testimony from the trial which has been repeated back to the 1765th These accounts suggest that bathing in the blood countess in an effort to retain her youth and good looks were nothing more than a legend. However, some accounts do not indicate that the countess actually shower in the blood of its victims and pulled from the body during biting frenzies. These legends, however, continued to insist, sometimes denounce women's vanity and yet another version of the story were designed to amaze and amuse.

My personal view of Erzsebet Bathory is the sadistic and mentally twisted individual who drew great pleasure from torturing, beating and murder of a young woman in his charge. At the time in history in which life was cheap and inconsequential, her crime was so outrageous that they even attracted the attention of hardened common people and the government alike. As in all tragedies of this kind, our thoughts should always be facing the victims and their families whose blood has spawned one of the bloodiest in the world of legends. Let rest forever in the bosom of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Randall Stone