A short biography of an extra ordinary woman...
You all must know about Dracula. But have you ever heard about FEMALE DRACULA or should I say Countess Dracula? This is not just a story, but this is real story. The 1970's film Countess Dracula was the first to deal explicitly with the this. Movie insiders say that a newer version starring Linda Blair, which offers some insight into its predicted quality is in the works right now. Well before watching the movie, let's rethrough a little information about this "COUNTESS DRACULA."
Countess Elizabeth Bathory (1560-1614), was a Hungarian noblewoman, born to one of Hungary's wealthiest and most influential families. The young Countess was a spoiled child, raised by a string of governesses employed to cater to her every need. Though her erratic fits and stand-offish personality were bothersome, she was generally regarded as an intelligent and capable young woman.
At the age of eleven Elizabeth became engaged to 26 year old Count Fernencz Nadasdy, a renowned war hero whose sadistic flair would ultimately earn him fame as "The Black Hero of Hungary."
In her early twenties, Elizabeth, perhaps in a fit of boredom, discovered that torturing servants "tickled her fancy." Unfortunately for the teenage females in the servant population, Elizabeth's choice targets were adolescent girls. She began by ripping their bodies apart with red-hot pincers, setting them on fire, and torturing them with "star-kicking," which entailed oiled bits of paper being placed inbetween the servants' toes; the paper would be lit on fire while the Countess delighted in the spectacle of the girls attempting to kick away the flames. She was known to rip girls' heads apart by pulling their mouths open until they tore at the edges and the neck snapped. On her better days, she delighted in humiliating girls by forcing them to strip naked and perform their household duties in full view of men.
When Fernencz returned home from war, he often indulged in the torture spectacles with his wife, though most accounts note that his capacity for administering agony was vastly exceeded by his wife's, Ferencz would storm off in disgust while Elizabeth squealed in delight. In her late twenties, the Countess bore two daughters and a son, all of whom were promptly relinquished to the care of wet nurses and governesses shortly after birth. Though the Countess ignored her children, she did not include them in her tortures.
When an unfortunate servant girl pulled the Countess' hair while styling it, Elizabeth slapped the girl so hard that blood splashed on her hand. As she went to wipe it off, she believed that the skin touched by the blood had regained the smooth, creamy complexion for which it had once been famous. She consulted her accomplices witches known as Darvulia, Helena Jo, and Dorka. They assured her that the blood of virgins was indeed the proverbial fountain of youth for those who bathed in it. Elizabeth ordered the maid's throat slashed and her blood drained into a large vat. She bathed lavishly in the blood while it was still warm. Thus began a horrific ritual. Hundreds of girls were kidnapped, brought to the castle, and drained of their blood. Often she bit their necks and breasts herself, drinking the blood and eating the flesh from their open wounds. Elizabeth ordered torture devices from German clockmakers and blacksmiths. Soon Csjethe Castle, where she lived out much of her adult life, had a torture chamber in the basement. Aside from the notorious vat and a kitschy iron maiden, there were spiked cages and a spike filled metal orb hanging from the ceiling. Girls were placed in the cylindrical spiked cages and prodded with red hot iron pokers until they impaled themselves on the spikes; others were placed in the spiked orb, which was rocked back and forth like a pendulum until the girl's flesh had been shredded. The cages were fitted with drains at the bottom so that the Countess could stand beneath them for a "blood shower."
Elizabeth's reign of terror continued for years. The casualty list grew into the three digits. Bodies of dead girls were burned, buried beneath the castle floors, or left in the wilderness to be devoured by scavengers. Shockwaves of terror penetrated the surrounding countryside from which most of Elizabeth's victims had been abducted, but few dared speak out for fear of the Countess' infamous wrath. Even the clergy which supposedly responsible for protecting peace and justice. No direct action was taken until the Countess, having exhausted her supply of adolescent girls in the area, began preying on noblewomen of lesser rank. She established a sham "school" for teenage girls of noble birth, inviting them to Csjethe Castle with the promise of education, only to torture them to death for months at a time.
A clergyman finally notified King Matthias of Hungary, who commissioned Elizabeth's cousin, Count Thurzo, to conduct an investigation of the Countess' activities. A raid on the castle proved ghastlier than Thurzo and his men had prepared themselves for one dead girl in the main hallway, another, still alive, whose entire body had been pierced with holes, and several more hung from the rafters of the basement ceiling like gutted deer, their blood emptying into Elizabeth's legendary vat. Fifty bodies were exhumed from the basement of the castle. The roster, discovered in Elizabeth's desk, listed the names of 650 girls who had been murdered. The Countess' accomplicies Dorka, Ficzko, and Thorko, among others were taken into custody, while the Countess herself was placed under house arrest in her castle.
In 1610, the Countess and her accomplices were placed on trial. Dorka, Helena Jo, and Ficzko confessed after lengthy torture sessions. All placed the majority of blame on Anna Darvulia, a witch consort of Elizabeth's who passed away several years prior to the trial. Over 200 witnesses were called, many of whom had little more than hearsay to offer nonetheless, confessions of those close to the Countess' court, as well as the grisly evidence uncovered at Thurzo's raid, provided ample testimony to her guilt. Elizabeth herself never physically appeared in court or admitted to any crime.
Her accomplices, however, were shown no mercy. Dorka and Helena Jo, whose hands had "spilled Christian blood," had their fingers torn out with red-hot pincers before being thrown into a fire; the others were beheaded and burned at the stake. Another cohort, Erszi Majorova, was later beheaded when evidence surfaced linking her to the Countess' sadistic activities.
By law, Elizabeth's noble birth prevented her from sharing the fate of her accomplices, but her cousin Thurzo sentenced her to perpetual imprisonment in her own castle in 1611. Elizabeth was walled into a small chamber in her castle, with only a small hole left open for air and food. The tower still stands today in the modern Slovak Republic. A full transcript of the trial was produced and remains today in the Hungarian State Archive in Budapest.
Countess Elizabeth Bathory never confessed to her crimes, nor did she utter a word of repentence or remorse. After refusing the services of a battalion of priests, she was found dead in her prison in 1614, three years after her initial imprisonment. She was fifty-four years old. Folklore has attributed her death to deprivation of virgins' blood.
Countess Elizabeth Bathory (1560-1614), was a Hungarian noblewoman, born to one of Hungary's wealthiest and most influential families. The young Countess was a spoiled child, raised by a string of governesses employed to cater to her every need. Though her erratic fits and stand-offish personality were bothersome, she was generally regarded as an intelligent and capable young woman.
At the age of eleven Elizabeth became engaged to 26 year old Count Fernencz Nadasdy, a renowned war hero whose sadistic flair would ultimately earn him fame as "The Black Hero of Hungary."
In her early twenties, Elizabeth, perhaps in a fit of boredom, discovered that torturing servants "tickled her fancy." Unfortunately for the teenage females in the servant population, Elizabeth's choice targets were adolescent girls. She began by ripping their bodies apart with red-hot pincers, setting them on fire, and torturing them with "star-kicking," which entailed oiled bits of paper being placed inbetween the servants' toes; the paper would be lit on fire while the Countess delighted in the spectacle of the girls attempting to kick away the flames. She was known to rip girls' heads apart by pulling their mouths open until they tore at the edges and the neck snapped. On her better days, she delighted in humiliating girls by forcing them to strip naked and perform their household duties in full view of men.
When Fernencz returned home from war, he often indulged in the torture spectacles with his wife, though most accounts note that his capacity for administering agony was vastly exceeded by his wife's, Ferencz would storm off in disgust while Elizabeth squealed in delight. In her late twenties, the Countess bore two daughters and a son, all of whom were promptly relinquished to the care of wet nurses and governesses shortly after birth. Though the Countess ignored her children, she did not include them in her tortures.
When an unfortunate servant girl pulled the Countess' hair while styling it, Elizabeth slapped the girl so hard that blood splashed on her hand. As she went to wipe it off, she believed that the skin touched by the blood had regained the smooth, creamy complexion for which it had once been famous. She consulted her accomplices witches known as Darvulia, Helena Jo, and Dorka. They assured her that the blood of virgins was indeed the proverbial fountain of youth for those who bathed in it. Elizabeth ordered the maid's throat slashed and her blood drained into a large vat. She bathed lavishly in the blood while it was still warm. Thus began a horrific ritual. Hundreds of girls were kidnapped, brought to the castle, and drained of their blood. Often she bit their necks and breasts herself, drinking the blood and eating the flesh from their open wounds. Elizabeth ordered torture devices from German clockmakers and blacksmiths. Soon Csjethe Castle, where she lived out much of her adult life, had a torture chamber in the basement. Aside from the notorious vat and a kitschy iron maiden, there were spiked cages and a spike filled metal orb hanging from the ceiling. Girls were placed in the cylindrical spiked cages and prodded with red hot iron pokers until they impaled themselves on the spikes; others were placed in the spiked orb, which was rocked back and forth like a pendulum until the girl's flesh had been shredded. The cages were fitted with drains at the bottom so that the Countess could stand beneath them for a "blood shower."
Elizabeth's reign of terror continued for years. The casualty list grew into the three digits. Bodies of dead girls were burned, buried beneath the castle floors, or left in the wilderness to be devoured by scavengers. Shockwaves of terror penetrated the surrounding countryside from which most of Elizabeth's victims had been abducted, but few dared speak out for fear of the Countess' infamous wrath. Even the clergy which supposedly responsible for protecting peace and justice. No direct action was taken until the Countess, having exhausted her supply of adolescent girls in the area, began preying on noblewomen of lesser rank. She established a sham "school" for teenage girls of noble birth, inviting them to Csjethe Castle with the promise of education, only to torture them to death for months at a time.
A clergyman finally notified King Matthias of Hungary, who commissioned Elizabeth's cousin, Count Thurzo, to conduct an investigation of the Countess' activities. A raid on the castle proved ghastlier than Thurzo and his men had prepared themselves for one dead girl in the main hallway, another, still alive, whose entire body had been pierced with holes, and several more hung from the rafters of the basement ceiling like gutted deer, their blood emptying into Elizabeth's legendary vat. Fifty bodies were exhumed from the basement of the castle. The roster, discovered in Elizabeth's desk, listed the names of 650 girls who had been murdered. The Countess' accomplicies Dorka, Ficzko, and Thorko, among others were taken into custody, while the Countess herself was placed under house arrest in her castle.
In 1610, the Countess and her accomplices were placed on trial. Dorka, Helena Jo, and Ficzko confessed after lengthy torture sessions. All placed the majority of blame on Anna Darvulia, a witch consort of Elizabeth's who passed away several years prior to the trial. Over 200 witnesses were called, many of whom had little more than hearsay to offer nonetheless, confessions of those close to the Countess' court, as well as the grisly evidence uncovered at Thurzo's raid, provided ample testimony to her guilt. Elizabeth herself never physically appeared in court or admitted to any crime.
Her accomplices, however, were shown no mercy. Dorka and Helena Jo, whose hands had "spilled Christian blood," had their fingers torn out with red-hot pincers before being thrown into a fire; the others were beheaded and burned at the stake. Another cohort, Erszi Majorova, was later beheaded when evidence surfaced linking her to the Countess' sadistic activities.
By law, Elizabeth's noble birth prevented her from sharing the fate of her accomplices, but her cousin Thurzo sentenced her to perpetual imprisonment in her own castle in 1611. Elizabeth was walled into a small chamber in her castle, with only a small hole left open for air and food. The tower still stands today in the modern Slovak Republic. A full transcript of the trial was produced and remains today in the Hungarian State Archive in Budapest.
Countess Elizabeth Bathory never confessed to her crimes, nor did she utter a word of repentence or remorse. After refusing the services of a battalion of priests, she was found dead in her prison in 1614, three years after her initial imprisonment. She was fifty-four years old. Folklore has attributed her death to deprivation of virgins' blood.
posted by Raysa @ 12:22 AM
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