The Real Story Of Elizabeth Báthory

Elizabeth Báthory was a noblewoman, countess, and reputed serial murderer who was a member of the Báthorys, a noble family. She was from Hungary. It was on August 7th, 1560 that she was born. Elizabeth spent her childhood at Ecsed Castle, which is located in the north-eastern region of Hungary. There, she received an exceptional education from a large number of knowledgeable teachers. She was able to acquire knowledge of three distinct languages, namely Latin, German, and Greek. She also received instruction on how to conduct herself in an aristocratic manner. Elizabeth was blessed with riches, education, and a prominent social standing at the time of her birth and upbringing in an affluent family.

When she was just 10 years old, the countess tied the knot for the first time with a Hungarian nobleman. In the tenth year of their marriage, they had their first child, a daughter named Anna.

In spite of the fact that Elizabeth gave birth to five children, only two of them came to maturity. Many historians are of the opinion that the marriage was a harmonious and joyful partnership, despite the fact that the specifics of the marriage remain unclear.

Because her husband was forced to leave the castle during the Long War (1593-1606), Elizabeth became the owner of the estate as well as the lands that were associated with it. In 1604, her spouse passed away. Elizabeth became the lady of the castle at the time since the couple did not have a son who had reached adulthood.

As far as the servants were concerned, the widow who was obstinate and strong was not particularly to be loved.

Following the death of Elizabeth's husband, a number of strange occurrences took place inside the castle. There were a great number of young handmaids who, according to the stories, passed away under mysterious circumstances and were buried in secret. At the same time, she was cruel and evil toward her servants, and she frequently caused them physical harm.

Elizabeth was being brushed by a handmaid one day when she accidentally pulled her hair out of its natural state. When Elizabeth's anger reached a boiling point, she smacked the handmaid across the face.

The handmaid's mouth began to bleed as a result of the force of the slap, and some of the blood made its way onto Elizabeth's hand. She observed that her skin had become more youthful and smoother after she had removed the blood from her face.

Starting from this point forward, Elizabeth would kill hundreds of young girls who were still virgins and then bathe in their blood in order to make her skin appear younger, healthier, and smoother. Occasionally, she would also drink the blood that was drawn from a golden goblet or from the bodies of the young girls.

On the 19th of December in the year 1619, Elizabeth Bathory was taken into custody and charged with murder. In addition to being sentenced to prison, she passed away prior to her trial.

She was laid to rest in Csejte, which is located in Slovakia; however, the coordinates of her grave are unknown. Immediately following Elizabeth's passing, her story quickly gained popularity in Hungary, and she was compared to the devil, who is known for being cruel, evil, and murderous. In some instances, she is also referred to as the Hungarian version of Dracula. Many archaeologists and tourists visit the Ecsed Castle every year where they try to find Elizabeth Báthory’s torture chambers.

Elizabeth Báthory is significant and famous in Hungarian culture. Many paintings, novels, plays, musicals and even films were written around her life. She also owns the Guinness World Record as the most prolific female killer. The Hungarian Dracula is also a popular icon in many foreign countries.

References

https://dailynewshungary.com/hungarian-horror-story-the-hungarian-countess-who-bathed-in-blood/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_B%C3%A1thory

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-69057709