Crime Chronicles: Bloody Bathory

Hungary, not a place I've visited, but it's a land that's well-known for its beautiful landscapes, incredible mountains, lush forests, and rich history. It was also the home to one of history's most notorious criminals, a woman who used the promise of work to lure helpless, desperate young women to her estate...to their deaths.

What was found by the investigators led to a major scandal and cries of outrage and horror. Yet, today, things are viewed slightly differently. Today I would like to invite you, dear readers, to join me as we explore the dark story of Elizabeth Bathory, the Bloody Countess.

Who was Elizabeth Bathory?

Born in Hungary in 1560 to parents George and Anna Bathory, Elizabeth, or Erzsebet, if you prefer, grew up in the family estate; a castle overlooking the little town of Ecsed. She was raised as a Calvinist Protestant which, as far as I understand it, is just a different branch of Protestantism.

She was born into a noble family which provided her with a VERY privileged education. How privileged was her education, well, she learned Latin, German, Hungarian, and Greek - in addition to all the regular subjects expected of a noblewoman of the time. Erzsebet had wealth, and prominence which may explain her later treatment - but we'll get there.

In 1573, at the age of 13, Erzsebet was engaged to Ferenc Nadasdy as part of a political arrangement between the families. They married two years later in 1575. This obviously gave both families a significant advantage in terms of land ownership. The couple had five children, Anna, Orsolya, Katalin, Andras, and Paul. I should note that these are the CONFIRMED children, there may be others that we don't know about.

Erzsebet quickly found herself in charge of much more than just the typical household concerns, however, when war broke out with the Ottoman Empire. Ferenc was sent off as commander of the Hungarian troops in 1578, and his wife was left in charge of the multiple estates. This entailed keeping the business affairs in order. It also included providing medical care to the people who lived on those estates who needed aid.

Around 1601, Ferenc fell ill with an unknown malady that caused excruciating pain in his legs. This illness persisted for the rest of his life - although, it didn't last long. In 1603, he became permanently disabled. A year later, in 1604, he passed away.

So, why the long family section? Usually I just go over some bits and pieces. Well, first, I find it interesting, and second, after 1604 is where things go pear-shaped. Strap in guys, this is going to get dark...really, really dark.

A Splash of Blood

There are a couple of...let's call them theories as to why the Countess became a serial killer. One theory is that she was taught or encouraged to be cruel. As a noble, she could've pretty much gotten away with anything so the sense of entitlement is a serious possibility.

Another theory, and this is where the popular origin story comes from, is simply vanity. Throughout her youth, Erzsebet was known for her beauty. Okay, but what does that have to do with anything? Well, there are a few different stories but they all involve the same event: a splash of blood.

The story, as I know it, goes that the Countess was unhappy about the fact that she was aging. One day, while helping her mistress, a servant girl cuts herself and her blood drips onto the Countess's hand. In anger, the Countess wipes away the blood to find that the skin underneath has become young again.

Of course, this gives Bathory the bright idea that if she bathes in the blood of virgin girls she can retain her youth - this is where her nickname 'The Blood Countess' originated. Obviously that's not the case and it should be noted that this whole thing about bathing in blood first surfaced in 1729 and was disproven or discounted in 1765 when actual documents pertaining to the investigation came out.

Bathing in Blood...Oh, this is Going to Hurt!

With the death of her Ferenc in 1604 (I just now realized that it may actually be Ference - I know, dumb blonde moment), some nasty rumors began to circulate. The victims were largely servants and minor noblewomen. See, minor nobles would often send their daughters to the Countess for lessons in etiquette.

Now, before I continue, I really hope you're not squeamish...because the things that the Countess did are just...*shudders*

Victims were covered in honey, and left outside for the bugs to munch on...ouch. Wintertime would see them forced into ice baths which, in case you're unaware, is a problem. Why is that a problem? Well, they were naked, and that put them at risk of hypothermia.

This is not the end of it, however, Bathory would cut their noses and lips. She would whip them with stinging nettles and drive needles under their nails and into their fingers. The Countess would also bite the shoulders and breasts of her victims and burn their skin in some rather...erm...sensitive places - please read between the lines here, I really don't want to think about it anymore.

Many depictions of the Countess depict her bathing in the blood of her victims, but there's no evidence of that in the history books. Still, it's a good story and makes for a great folktale.

Investigating the Rumors

Okay, usually we do this the other way around and cover the investigation and then do the crimes bit. This time we covered the crimes first so that you guys would have an idea of what the investigators were dealing with. So, how did the investigation begin?

The rumors of atrocities that Bathory had done had spread throughout the kingdom of Hungary. The Lutheran minister at the time was Istvan Magyari and he made complaints against the Countess both in public and in Vienna (which was the political hotspot of Austria at the time). As the rumors circulated, they got the attention of Mathias II, the King of Hungary. He subsequently sent Gyorgy Thurzo to investigate in 1610. Thurzo sent two of his own people out to find evidence of wrongdoing regarding the missing noblewomen.

Apparently the servants weren't important enough to care about back in the day. By 1611, the two investigating notaries were able to collect some 300 witness statements.

The Blood Countess is Arrested

So, the story of how Erzsebet Bathory was arrested goes that Gyorgy Thurzo arrived at Bathory's castle in December 1610, and surprised her while she was torturing one of her victims. Upon seeing what the Countess was doing, Thurzo immediately arrested her. She was then imprisoned in her home - being high status had benefits.

In addition to Bathory, four of her servants were arrested - three women and one man. All four servants were arrested, interrogated, and tortured - can we agree that the past was the worst? Two of the three women and the men were taken to trial in 1611 and sentenced to death. The executions were quickly carried out. The third woman, it seems, was spared execution but disappears from the history books after that. Another woman was accused of witchcraft and executed soon after.

The servants had completely denied any participation in the murders, BUT they did admit to burying between 36 and 51 bodies (the number varies between accounts). As far as Bathory herself, she listed a total of 650 victims.

Erzsebet's Fate

Now, normally this type of thing would be a major court case. In Bathory's case, however, she never went to court - due to her high status. If convicted, the government would seize her estate. She would've also probably been executed for her crimes.

Instead of going to court, the Countess was confined to her castle in 1611 and remained so until her death at the age of 54 in 1614.

Was She Actually Guilty?

So, here's the proverbial elephant in the room: was Erzsebet Bathory a serial killer or the victim of a conspiracy? This is a question that's been plaguing scholars for years - literally. Okay, so what's the evidence for and against this idea?

One theory is that the whole ordeal was a political ploy. The Hungarian king owed Bathory a substantial amount of money. Additionally, Gyorgy Thurzo could've had some political aspirations which Bathory's incarceration would benefit. Many of the witnesses said that they'd only HEARD the rumors from other people. So, most of the testimony was just hearsay...great. The evidence may also have been significantly exaggerated.

Additionally, the confessions had been extracted via torture which just wouldn't fly today. There was also the fact that Thurzo had some sort of influence over the witnesses.

As far as the other servants in Bathory's castle are concerned, well, a few of them were executed and no, I won't go into how that was done...I can only take so much brutality.

The Truth May Never be Known

Much like with the Werewolf of Bedburg, the truth about Erzsebet Bathory's crimes will never be known. We know that she was a cruel mistress thanks to a letter written by a priest in 1602, but exactly how sadistic she was is going to be a mystery forever.

There are, of course, theories about how she was a lust killer - someone who derives sexual pleasure through killing - but there's no evidence to support that. Well, no evidence that I could find at least. Personally, I think her case was rigged. Hearsay evidence, exaggerated testimony/evidence, coerced confessions...the list goes on.

The fact that the Countess had a significant estate and would've lost it had she been convicted in court, is another possible factor. Greed is, after all, a powerful motive.