Queen+Elizabeth+Bathory

“Time has no respect for beauty” –Elizabeth Bathory (Kümel). This is a quote from an Hungarian noblewoman who has murdered around 650 young girls. She is commonly referred as “The Blood Countess” (Breyer). Her reign of terror still haunts the locals of Hungary to this day (Malathronas). She is known as “the world’s most prolific and sadistic female serial killer…” Her odd love for drinking the blood of young virgin girls as a beauty remedy keeps the world wondering why (Breyer). She is Countess Elizabeth Báthory, and her crimes get even more inhumane throughout the years.


 * Personal Background**

 Elizabeth Báthory is a Hungarian noblewoman who was born in the year 1560 and died in the year 1614 (Breyer). Báthory’s home is in the Cachtice Castle in northern Hungary (Malathronas). The Cachtice Castle was her home, and also her grave (Toner). Báthory was born into Hungarian nobility, and was raised with the utmost privileges although, her family holds a long history of savagery and derangement. Because of her family’s influence on her as a young child, her personality started to adapt to her surroundings, and she suffered from random fits of extraordinary rage (Breyer). 

 Elizabeth Báthory was married at the age of 15. She was married to Ferencz Nádasdy, a soldier who was also a nobleman (Breyer). Because Elizabeth outranked her husband, she kept her surname, Báthory (Cavendish). Throughout their married life, Báthory gave birth to seven children (Breyer). Nádasdy was often busy and away most of the time, so while he was away Báthory would run the estates and also commit her murders. Ferencz Nádasdy died in 1604 (Cavendish).

Because of Báthory’s deranged family, she too fell into their paths. Although, Báthory had signs of an neurological disorder and/or epilepsy. Báthory grew up in a family with a nurse that practiced black magic, it was rumored that the nurse practiced sacrifices where she needed the bones and blood of young children. Along with her childhood nurse, Báthory’s family also included an aunt who was said to practice witchcraft, an uncle who was a Devil worshiper, and her brother who was considered as a pedofile (Breyer). With a woman who grew up in a family like that, it is not a surprise that she grew up to be a serial killer.

 Because of Báthory’s inhumane crimes, movie producers decided to create a film based on her life (Malathronas). Although, there was not just one film, there was several. The movie eras ranged from the 90’s to the 2000s (Kümel). Besides films, Báthory also has a wine that was inspired by her (Malathronas). Needless to say Báthory’s life gave the business people of this time plenty of ideas to gain profit off her story.


 * Personality Traits**

Elizabeth Báthory has an abundance of traits, although she is mostly known as a prolific and sadistic serial killer. Báthory was a beauty freak, and she did anything she could to stay young and beautiful (Breyer). Báthory was a very superstitious woman. She believed that the blood of young virgin girls had the powers to keep skin young looking (Toner). From drinking the blood of young female virgins, to bathing in it, Báthory did anything she could to stay young (Breyer). Báthory’s reason for her inhumane actions in order to stay beautiful was because she wanted to do it for her husband. Báthory wanted to stay young and beautiful for her husband because she hardly saw him since he was out at war (Clark).

Elizabeth Báthory suffered from rage and random outbursts at a young age. She enjoyed torturing, beating, and killing young female virgins. Historians found Báthory as a bisexual because her only targets were female (Clark). Báthory has signs of neurological disorders and even epilepsy (Breyer). In my opinion, I believe that her torturous and monstrous ways were caused by her disorders.

Some historians believe Báthory’s actions were caused because “her problem was that she was too rich and powerful…” They believed that she was overwhelmed with power and became mad (Clark). Aside from all assumptions that people think that caused her to commit her crimes, no one really knows the true reasons behind her madness (Toner).


 * Obstacles**

Throughout the course of anyone’s life they will, at one point, face minor or major obstacles. Hungarian noble woman Elizabeth Báthory faced numerous amounts of conflicts. Being a serial killer, it is quite difficult not to get questioned by police authority. Throughout the course of Báthory’s murders, Hungarian officials became suspicious, and investigated Báthory in 1610. The investigators collected testimony from more than 300 witnesses (Breyer). After this moment Báthory’s fate was basically doomed.

With even more investigations, officials found four of Báthory’s servants guilty of murder as well. These four servants assisted Báthory in her crimes. In the end of this chaos, the servants too were punished (Breyer). Not only did Báthory burden herself, but the lives of others as well.

As a punishment for Báthory, she was sent to exile. Báthory was walled into her room until death. She only had enough space for air and food to travel through. Báthory remained alone in her room in the Cachtice castle for four consecutive years. On 1614, Elizabeth Báthory laid on her death bed after four years trapped in her own room, the Cachtice castle (Clark).


 * Historical Significance**

 Countess Elizabeth Báthory was born into nobility in the year 1560 (Breyer). Because Báthory’s family name is so high in ranking, Elizabeth kept her surname (Cavendish). Usually in marriage you would expect the woman to take the surname of the husband. Báthory did not, which makes me believe that she is an significance to Hungary and especially her time period. Although, outranking her husband is not the only thing that made Báthory historically significant.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Elizabeth Báthory is remembered as “The Blood Countess” (Breyer). Not only that, but she is also famous for being a legendary vampire (Cavendish). Báthory receives these nicknames because of her violent lifestyle. Elizabeth is considered as the world’s most prolific and sadistic female serial killer. She has murdered around six hundred fifty young girls (Breyer). Even though she murdered hundreds of young women, there is no record of her ever murdering a man (Toner).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Imagine if you were a young girl living in Hungary when Báthory ruled, how would youfeel? Because of Báthory’s notorious killing spree, her reign of terror still haunts locals to this day (Malathronas). Over six hundred murders, and also known for her blood drinking fetish, who would not be? It has been over one hundred years since her death, and locals are st <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5;">ill haunted by her actions. Because of this I believe that she is an historical figure, she must have had a huge <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">impact on Hungary if her story is still being told around the world to this day. Báthory has entered the realm of a legend in Hungary (Clark).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Because of her interesting life story, motion picture businesses made a movie out of her. Báthory stared in several films, and all of them are from different directors. Not only did she have several movies based on her, but also her own wine brand. Báthory’s life may have haunted the lives of citizens in Hungary, but her story creates an interesting plot for others to hear. After all, she is a woman who has murdered six hundred girls over a course of four years, who would not be fascinated to hear about that? In this time period, there are not many women that have made an impact in the world, because Báthory managed to, it impresses me. How can one woman scar the lives of citizens in Hungary for more than one hundred years? It may seem impossible, but Elizabeth, managed to do this, and create a story that the public will tell for decades (Malathronas).


 * References**

Breyer, Melissa."The Blood Countess: History's most prolific female serial killer." //Lifestyle//. 15 Oct. 2012. //Mother Nature Network.// Web. 18 Nov. 2014. **(SE5)**

Cavendish, Richard."Death of Countess Elizabeth Bathory." //The Archive.// 08 Aug. 2014: 64.8. //History Today.// Web. 17 Oct. 2014. **(SE3)**

Clark, Josh. "Elizabeth Bathory, the 'Blood Countess.'" //Culture.// 01 Apr. 2008. //How Stuff Works.// Web. 17 Sept. 2014. **(SE1)**

Malathronas, John. "On the trail of the 'Blood Countess' in Slovakia." //Travel//. 22 Aug. 2014. //CNN//. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. **(SE2)**

Tizard, Will. "Legend Insipires Two Takes on Horror Tale." //Variety.// 25 Jun. 2007. A2. //eLibrary//. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. **(SE6)**

Toner, Alan. "Countess Dracula- Elizabeth Bathory." //Humanities.// 27 Dec. 2013. //Ezine Articles//. Web. 03 Nov. 2014. **(SE4)**

Kümel, Harry. "Daughters of Darkness." //Character.// 22 Oct.1971. //IMDb.// Web. 05 Feb. 2015.

Thorne, Tony. "Countess Elizabeth Báthory: icon of evil." //Culture.// 29 Jun. 2008. //Telegraph.// Web. 05 Feb. 2015. = =