EmilyVahs

ForensicScience
11/16/15

ElizabethBthory

It's1560inSolvakia.TheBthoryfamilyrulesmostofthekingdomandtheyare
therichestfamilyformiles.Thefamilyhasjustreceivedtheirnewbornbabygirl
Elizabeth.Shelivesamongrichknightsandpowerfulmen,soitisnotundeniablethat
theyounggirlseesthingsthatnochildshouldeverhavetosee.Itissaidthatyoung
Elizabethwaswitnesstoacapturedthiefbeingsewnintothestomachofadyinghorse
andwaslefttoperish.Althoughher
distinguishedfamilyincludedkings,cardinals,
knights,andjudgesit
wassaidtobecomposedofsomeverydisturbedkin.Oneofher
uncleswassupposedlyinstructingherinsatanismwhileanauntwastellingherall
about
sadomasochism.
Sincethefamilycondonessuchviolenceitiseasierto
understandwhyshegrewuptobesuchaheartlesskiller.Bytheageof12shewas
engagedtoFerencNdasdyandmarriedby14,
inwhatwaslikelyapolitical
arrangementwithinthecirclesofthearistocracy.
Shewasknowntohaveseveralaffairs
withpeopleofthelowerclassaftertheirmarriage.Herhusbanddiedin1604ofeithera
battlewoundoradisease,shewas43.
Herkillingspreeswereestimatedtohavetakenplacebetween
1585and1610.
Thismeansshewouldhavebeenapproximately25whenshebegan.Allofhervictims
wereservantwomen,andtherewereestimatedtobebetween30to650victims.The
discrepancyliesinthefactthatthisdidtakeplaceinthelate1500sandthattherewere
alotofdifferentaccountsofwhattookplacebehindthecastlescloseddoors.Mostof
hervictimsweregirlsfromlowerclassfamilieswhocouldnotaffordtotakecareof
them,andtheythoughtsendingthemtoarichcastletobecomeamaidwouldimprove
theirlife,butitdidthecompleteopposite.Topleasehiswife
Ferencmadeheratorture
chamberintheirvastestate.
Althoughherhusbandmostlikelyparticipatedinhiswifes
cruelties,hemayhavealsorestrainedsomeofherimpulseswhenhediedshebecame
muchworse.
Shewasatorturouscoldheartedkiller,thatissomethingthathistoriansallagree
on,butthekindsoftorturemaybedebatable.Oneclaimsaysthatshebathedininher
virginvictimsbloodbecauseitwouldkeepherlookingyouthful.Howeverthisstorylikely
camefromthemediamanyyearslater.Otherssayshedrankhervictimsbloodforthe
samereason,andthisisamorelikelyscenario.
Witnessestoldofherstabbingvictims
orbitingtheminvariouslocations,cuttingthemwithscissors,stickingneedlesintotheir
lipsorundertheirfingernails,andburningthem.Somewerebeatentodeath,butothers
werestarved.Shetiedthemdownandsmearedthemwithhoneytobeattackedby
beesandants.Oneunfortunategirlwasevenforcedtocookandeatherownflesh.
Elizabethwasnottheonlyoneinonthesehorrificactivities.Shehadthree
elderlywomenmaids,andonedisfiguredboyservanthelpedhertorturehervictims.
Theboywaslessinvolvedintheeventsthentheotherswhentheygotfoundoutsohe
gotmercyafterthesentencing.Hewasdecapitatedthenthrowninafire.Thethree
olderwomenhadtheirfingerstornoffandthentheywerethrownintothefire
alive
,
nothinglikegoodoldfashionedmedievalpunishment.

ThebloodcountessherselfwasincarceratedAugust26,1610byCountGyorgy
onordersfromKingMatthias.HediscoveredCountessElizabethBathorydirectinga
torturesessiononyounggirlsuponhisarrival.Elizabethhadbeganfindinghervictims
amongthedaughterofthenoblemenintheirkingdom,andthisiswhatdrewthe
attentionofthekingfinally.Bathorywasalreadyinfamousintheareaforhertortureand
murderofservantsandpeasants,buthertitleandhighrankingrelativeshad,untilthis
point,madeheruntouchable.InJanuary1611,Bathoryandhercohortswereputon
trialfor80countsofmurder.Elizabethherselfwasnotputontrial,becauseofher
familysstanding,butshewasconfinedtoatowerin
achtice
Castlewithoutany
windowsordoors.
AtrialandexecutionofElizabethwouldhavecausedapublic
scandalanddisgracethenobelfamily,andherconsiderableestatewouldhavebeen
seizedbythecrown.KingMatthiaswassuccessfullyconvincedthatbringingElizabeth
totrialwouldnegativelyaffectthenobility,sothetrialwasabandonedinstead.
Her
partnersweretriedandultimatelychargedandexecutedasdescribedpreviously.
Therewasonlytwoformsofevidencefoundagainsther,buttherewasalotofit.
Therewereover300witnesseswhotestifiedagainsttheCountess.Someofthe
testimonialsweresovilethattheyactuallybecamelegend.Elizabethisbelievedtobea
primaryinspirationforBramStokersDracula,andotherformsofliteratureand
entertainment.Thenumberofchargesthatwerebroughtupbythetestimonieswasso
longthatittakesuptotenpagessinglespaced.
OnewitnessreportedthatBthoryhad
keptabookwhereshehadalistofover650victims.Thelocationofthissupposeddiary
isunknown.Theotherformofevidencewaswhattheauthoritiesfoundwhentheywent
toinvestigate.Whentheyarrivedshewasreportedlyinthemiddleofoneofhertorture
sessions
andhadfoundafreshlyburiedcorpseandacoweringservant,badlybeaten
butstillalive.A
fterinvestigatingthroughthenighttheyfoundt
hebodiesofdeador
dyinggirlsstrewnabout,allhavingsufferedfromtorture:beaten,flogged,burned,and
stabbed.Withinafewhours,additionalbodiesandvictimswouldbefoundwithinthe
castleitself.Therewasbarelyanyevidencethatcouldevenconsiderherinnocent,and
withthevillagesknowledgeofhercrimestherewerenoothersuspects.
AfterElizabethwaslockedawayinsolitaryconfinementshelivedabout4years
inthetowershediedAugust1614attheageof54.TheBloodCountessherselfissaid
tobeoneofthemostprolificfemalekillersinhistoryandisonlyoutnumberedby
Dracula(VladtheImpaler)himself.HercountlessmurdersweresohorrificthatHungary
createdalawthatforbadeanyonefromsayinghername.Herdemoniclegacywillmost
definitelygodowninhistoryasoneofthemostcoldhearted,bossy,andpowerful
womentowalktheearth.
WorksCited:
historicalheroines.wikispaces.com
http://www.historytoday.com/richardcavendish/deathcountesselizabethbathory
http://www.history.com/thisdayinhistory/bathorystorturousescapadesareexposed
http://www.rejectedprincesses.com/princesses/elisabethbathory
http://infamouslady.com/about_the_countess.html
http://history.howstuffworks.com/historyvsmyth/hungariancountessserialkiller1.htm
http://www.ancientorigins.net/historyfamouspeople/elizabethbathory16thcenturyderangedserialkillero
rvictimbetrayal