Jump to content

Elizabeth Báthory

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The native form of thispersonal nameisEcsedi Báthori Erzsébet.This article usesWestern name orderwhen mentioning individuals.

Elizabeth Báthory
Born
Báthori Erzsébet

7 August 1560
Nyírbátor,Kingdom of Hungary
Died21 August 1614(1614-08-21)(aged 54)
Csejte,Kingdom of Hungary
(nowČachtice,Slovakia)
Other namesBloody Countess[1]
Known forHungarian noblewoman,subject offolklore,alleged serial killer
SpouseFerenc II Nádasdy
Children
  • Anna
  • Orsika
  • Katalin
  • András
  • Paul
Relatives
FamilyBáthory

Countess Elizabeth Báthory of Ecsed(Hungarian:Báthori Erzsébet,pronounced[ˈbaːtɔrɪˈɛrʒeːbɛt];Slovak:Alžbeta Bátoriová;7 August 1560 – 21 August 1614)[2]was aHungarian noblewomanand allegedserial killerfrom the powerfulHouse of Báthory,who owned land in theKingdom of Hungary(now Slovakia). Báthory and four of her servants were accused oftorturingand killing hundreds of girls and women from 1590 to 1610.[3]She and her servants were put on trial and convicted. The servants were executed, whereas Báthory was imprisoned within theCastle of Csejte (Čachtice)until she died in her sleep in 1614.[4][5]

The charges levelled against Báthory have been described by several historians as awitch-hunt.[6][7]Other writers, such as Michael Farin in 1989, have said that the accusations against Báthory were supported by testimony from more than 300 individuals, some of whom described physical evidence and the presence ofmutilateddead, dying and imprisoned girls found at the time of her arrest.[8]Recent sources claim that the accusations were a spectacle to destroy her family's influence in the region, which was considered a threat to the political interests of her neighbours, including theHabsburg empire.[9]

Stories about Báthory quickly became part of nationalfolklore.[10]Legends describing hervampirictendencies, such as the tale that she bathed in the blood of virgins to retain her youth, were based on rumours and only recorded as supposedly factual over a century after her death. Although these stories were repeated by at least three historians in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, they are considered unreliable by modern historians.[11]Some insist that Elizabeth's story inspiredBram Stoker's novelDracula(1897),[12]although Stoker's notes on the novel provided no direct evidence to support this hypothesis.[13]Nicknames and literaryepithetsattributed to her includeBlood CountessandCountess Dracula.[1]

Biography

[edit]

Early life and education

[edit]
Ecsed, the lake and the old castle

Elizabeth was born in 1560 on a family estate inNyírbátor,Royal Hungary,and spent her childhood atEcsedCastle. Her father was Baron George VIBáthory(d. 1570), of the Ecsed branch of the family, brother of Andrew Bonaventura Báthory (d. 1566), who had been rulingVoivode of Transylvania.Her paternal great-grandparents wereKonrad the Red,Duke of MasoviaandWarsaw,who was a member of thePiast dynastyandAnna Radziwiłł,a member of the influential Polish-LithuanianHouse of Radziwiłł.Her mother was Baroness Anna Báthory of Somlyó (1537–1570), member of the other line of the Báthory family, daughter ofStephen Báthory of Somlyó, Palatine of Hungary.Through her mother, Elizabeth was the niece ofStephen Báthory(1533–1586),Prince of Transylvania,who became the ruler of thePolish-Lithuanian CommonwealthasKing of PolandandGrand Duke of Lithuania.[14]She had several siblings; her older brotherStephen(1555–1605) served as aJudge Royalof Hungary.[9]

Báthory was raised aCalvinistProtestant,[5]and learnedLatin,German,Hungarian,andGreekas a young woman.[3][15]Born into a privileged noble family, she was endowed with wealth, education, and a prominent social rank.[14]A proposal made by some sources[who?]in order to explain Báthory's cruelty later in her life is that she was trained by her family to be cruel.[16]

As a child, Báthory had multipleseizuresthat may have been caused byepilepsy.[15]At the time, symptoms relating to epilepsy were diagnosed asfalling sicknessand treatments included rubbing blood of a non-sufferer on the lips of an epileptic or giving the epileptic a mix of a non-sufferer's blood and piece of skull as their episode ended.[17][original research?]

At the age of 13, before her first marriage, Báthory allegedly gave birth to a child.[16]The child, said to have been fathered by apeasantboy, was supposedly given away to a local woman who was trusted by the Báthory family.[16]The woman was paid for her actions, and the child was taken toWallachia.[16]Evidence of this pregnancy came up long after Elizabeth's death, through rumours spread by peasants; therefore, the validity of the rumour is often disputed.

Marriage and land-ownership

[edit]
Portraits of Nádasdy and Báthori from the Čachtice Museum

In 1573,[9]Báthory was engaged to CountFerenc Nádasdy,a member of theNadasdy family.It was apolitical arrangementwithin the circles of the aristocracy. Nádasdy was the son of BaronTamás Nádasdy de Nádasd et Fogarasföld(1498–1562) and his wife, Orsolya Kanizsai (1523–1571).

On 8 May 1575, Báthory and Nádasdy were married at the palace ofVarannó(today Vranov nad Topľou, Slovakia).[9]The marriage resulted in combined land ownership in both Transylvania and the Kingdom of Hungary.[9]

Nádasdy's wedding gift to Báthory was his household in theCastle of Csejte (Čachtice),situated in theLittle Carpathiansnear Vág-Ujhely and Trencsén (present-dayNové Mesto nad VáhomandTrenčín,Slovakia).[9]At the time,King Maximilian IIowned the castle, but made Ferenc's mother, Orsolya Kanizsai, officialstewardin 1569. Nádasdy finally bought the castle in 1602 fromRudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor,but during his constant military campaign, Elizabeth maintained the castle in his absence, along with the Csejte country house and seventeen adjacent villages.[18]

After the wedding, the couple lived in Nadasdy's castle atSárvár.[9]

In 1578, three years into their marriage, Nádasdy became the chief commander of Hungarian troops, leading them towar against the Ottomans.[citation needed]Báthory managed business affairs and the family's multiple estates during the war. This role usually included responsibility for the Hungarian andSlovakpeople, providing medical care during theLong War(1593–1606), and Báthory was charged with the defence of her husband's estates, which lay on the route toVienna.The threat of attack was significant, for the village of Csejte had previously been plundered by theOttomanswhileSárvár,located near the border that dividedRoyal HungaryandOttoman-occupied Hungary,was in even greater danger.

Báthory's daughter, Anna Nádasdy, was born in 1585 and was later to become the wife ofNikola VI Zrinski.Báthory's other known children include Orsolya (Orsika) Nádasdy (1590–unknown) who would later become the wife of István IIBenyó;Katalin (Kata or Katherina) Nádasdy (1594-unknown); András Nádasdy (1596–1603); and Pál (Paul) Nádasdy (1598–1650), father ofFranz III Nádasdy,who was one of the leaders of theMagnate conspiracyagainstHoly Roman EmperorLeopold I.[citation needed]Some chronicles also indicate that the couple had another son, named Miklós Nádasdy, who married ZsuzsannaZrinski.However, this cannot be confirmed, and it could be that he was simply a cousin or died young, as he is not named in Báthory'swillfrom 1610. György Nádasdy is also supposedly the name of one of the deceased Nádasdy infants, but this cannot be confirmed. All of Elizabeth's children were cared for bygovernesses,as Báthory herself had been.[citation needed]

Ferenc Nádasdy died on 4 January 1604 at the age of 48. Although the exact nature of the illness which led to his death is unknown, it seems to have started in 1601 and initially caused debilitating pain in his legs. From that time, he never fully recovered, and in 1603 became permanently disabled.[citation needed]He had been married to Báthory for 29 years. Before dying, Nádasdy entrusted his heirs and widow toGyörgy Thurzó,who would eventually lead the investigation into Báthory's crimes.[citation needed]

Accusations

[edit]
Elizabeth Báthory from Zay artist. Probably a copy of the other painting which is at theHungarian National Museum,inBudapest(also made by Zay). Mentioned in the Magyar Várak book, page 34.

Between 1602 and 1604, after rumours of Báthory's atrocities had spread throughout the kingdom,Lutheranminister István Magyari made complaints against her, both publicly and at the court in Vienna.[19]In 1610,Matthias IIassignedGyörgy Thurzó,thePalatine of Hungary,to investigate. Thurzó ordered twonotaries,András Keresztúry and MózesCziráky,[20]to collect evidence in March 1610.[21]By October 1610 they had collected 52 witness statements;[20]by 1611, that number had risen to over 300.

Elizabeth is said to have tortured or killed peasants for years; their disappearances were not likely to provoke an investigation. However, she eventually began killing daughters of the lessergentry,some of whom were sent to live with her hoping to learn from her and benefit from a connection to the high-ranking countess.[22]The use of needles was also mentioned by the collaborators in court. There were many suspected forms of torture carried out by Báthory.

Some witnesses named relatives who died while at the gynaeceum. Others reported having seen traces of torture on dead bodies, some of which were buried in graveyards, and others in unmarked locations.

Arrest

[edit]

On 13 December 1612, Nikola VI Zrinski confirmed the agreement with Thurzó about the imprisonment of Báthory and distribution of the estate.[20]On New Year's Eve 1612, Thurzó went to Csejte Castle and arrested Báthory along with four of her servants, who were accused of being heraccomplices:Dorotya Semtész, Ilona Jó, Katarína Benická and János Újváry ( "Ibis" or Fickó). According to Thurzó's letter to his wife, his unannounced visit found one dead girl and another living "prey" girl in the castle,[20]but there is no evidence that they asked her what had happened to her. Although it is commonly believed that Báthory was caught in the act of torture, she was having dinner. Initially, Thurzó made the declaration to Báthory's guests and villagers that he had caught her red-handed. However, she was arrested and detained prior to the discovery or presentation of the victims. It seems most-likely that the claim of Thurzó's discovering Báthory covered in blood has been the embellishment of fictionalised accounts.[23]

Thurzó debated further proceedings with Báthory's son Paul and two of her sons-in-law, Nikola VI Zrinski and GyörgyDrugeth.[20]Her family, whichruled Transylvania,sought to avoid the loss of Báthory's property which was at risk of being seized by the crown following a public scandal.[citation needed]Thurzó, along with Paul and her two sons-in-law, originally planned for Báthory to be sent to anunnery,but as accounts of her actions spread, they decided to keep her under stricthouse arrest.[24]

In the first trial, seventeen witnesses testified, including the four servants who were also fellow suspects. These suspects had been tortured before the proceedings. They confessed, and stated that they were acting on Elizabeth's orders. After the trial, they were executed as her accomplices.[25]Ilona Jó and Dorottya Szentes had their fingers torn out with a pair of red-hot pincers and were then burned alive. Due to his youth and the belief that he was less culpable, János Újváry was executed by a much less painful method: Beheading. Afterwards, his body was burned on the same pyre as Jó and Szentes. Another servant, Erzsi Majorova, initially escaped capture but was burned alive after being apprehended. Katarína Benická received a life sentence after evidence showed that she had been abused by the others.

The accusations of murder were based on rumours. There is no document to prove that anyone in the area complained about the Countess. In this time-period, if someone was harmed, or someone even stole a chicken, a letter of complaint was written.[5][7]Two trials were held in the wake of Báthory's arrest: The first was held on 2 January 1611, and the second on 7 January 1611.[26]

The highest number of victims cited during the trial of Báthory's accomplices was 650, but this number comes from the claim by a servant named Susannah that Jakab Szilvássy, Báthory's court official, had seen the figure in one of Báthory's private books. The book was never revealed and Szilvássy never mentioned it in his testimony.[27]

Confinement and death

[edit]
Aerial view ofCastle of Csejte
Main tower at the Castle of Csejte

On 25 January 1611, Thurzó wrote a letter to King Matthias describing that they had captured and confined Báthory to her castle. Thepalatinealso coordinated the steps of the investigation with the political struggle with the Prince of Transylvania.[clarification needed]She was detained in the castle of Csejte for the remainder of her life, where she died at the age of 54. As György Thurzó wrote, Elizabeth Báthory waslocked in a bricked room,but according to other sources (written documents from the visit of priests, July 1614), she was able to move freely and unhindered in the castle, more akin tohouse arrest.[28][29]

She wrote a will in September 1610, in which she left all current and future inheritance possessions to her children.[20]In the last month of 1610, she signed her arrangement, in which she distributed the estates, lands and possessions among her children.[30][7][contradictory]On the evening of 20 August 1614, Báthory complained to her bodyguard that her hands were cold, whereupon he replied "It's nothing, mistress. Just go lie down". She went to sleep and was found dead the following morning.[31]She was buried in the church of Csejte on 25 November 1614,[31]but according to some sources due to the villagers' uproar over having the Countess buried in their cemetery, her body was moved to her birth-home atEcsed,where it was intered at the Báthory family crypt.[32]The location of her body today is unknown but believed to be buried deep in the church area of the castle. The Csejte church and the castle of Csejte do not bear any markings of her possible grave.[citation needed]

Veracity of accusations

[edit]

Several authors, such as László Nagy and Irma Szádeczky-Kardoss, have argued that Elizabeth Báthory was a victim of aconspiracy.[5][33]Nagy argued that the proceedings against Báthory were largely politically motivated, possibly due to her extensive wealth and ownership of large areas of land in Hungary, which increased after the death of her husband. The theory is consistent with Hungarian history at that time, which included religious and political conflicts, especially relating to the wars with the Ottoman Empire, the spread ofProtestantismand the extension ofHabsburgpower over Hungary.[34]Moreover, Matthias owed a large debt to Báthory, which was cancelled after she was arrested.[2]

There are counter-arguments made against this theory. The investigation into Báthory's crimes was sparked by complaints from a Lutheran minister, István Magyari.[19]This does not align with the notion of a Catholic/Habsburg plot against the Protestant Báthory, although religious tension is still a possible source of conflict, as Báthory was a raised Calvinist rather than Lutheran.[14]Farin's book also alleged that there were numerous bodies and dead and dying girls found when the castle was entered by Thurzó.[8]Szádeczky-Kardoss argues that the physical evidence was exaggerated and Thurzó misrepresented dead and wounded patients as victims of Báthory, as disgracing her would greatly benefit his political state-ambitions.[5]

[edit]
Main article:Elizabeth Báthory in popular culture

The case of Elizabeth Báthory inspired numerous stories during the 18th and 19th centuries. The most commonmotifof these works was that of the countess bathing in her virgin victims' blood to retain beauty or youth. This legend appeared in print for the first time in 1729, in theJesuitscholar László Turóczi'sTragica Historia,the first written account of the Báthory case.[35]The story came into question in 1817 when the witness accounts (which had surfaced in 1765) were published for the first time. They included no references to blood baths.[36]In his bookHungary and Transylvania,published in 1850, John Paget describes the supposed origins of Báthory's blood-bathing, although his tale seems to be a fictionalised recitation of oral history from the area.[37]It is difficult to know how accurate his account of events is.Sadisticpleasure is considered a far more plausible motive for Báthory's crimes.[38]

Báthory has been labelled byGuinness World Recordsas the most prolific femalemurderer,though the number of her victims is debated.[39]

Ancestry

[edit]

Báthory was the great-great-granddaughter ofBarbara AleksandrównaandBolesław IV of Warsaw,andMikalojus Radvila the Old;the 3rd great-granddaughter ofBolesław Januszowic;the 4th great-granddaughter ofVladimir Olgerdovich;and the 5th great-granddaughter ofAlgirdas.

Ancestors of Elizabeth Báthory[40][41]
8. AndrewBáthory of Ecsed
4.Stephen Báthory of Ecsed
9. Dorothea Várdai
2. George Báthory of Ecsed
10.Konrad III Rudy
5.Sophia of Masovia
11.Anna Radziwiłł
1.Elizabeth Báthory of Ecsed
12. Nicholas Báthory of Somlyó
6.Stephen Báthory of Somlyó
13. SophiaBánffy of Losonc
3. Anne Báthory of Somlyó
14. Stephen Telegdi
7.Catherine Telegdi
15. MargaretBebek of Pelsőcz
[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abBarker, Roland C. (2001).Bad People in History.New York: Gramercy Books. p. 7.ISBN9780517163115.
  2. ^abPallardy, Richard."Elizabeth Bathory | Biography & Facts".Encyclopedia Britannica.Archivedfrom the original on 24 July 2015.
  3. ^abRamsland, Katherine."Lady of Blood: Countess Bathory".Crime Library.Turner Entertainment Networks Inc. Archived fromthe originalon 11 March 2014.Retrieved13 June2014.
  4. ^McNally, Raymond T.(1983).Dracula Was a Woman: In Search of the Blood Countess of Transylvania.New York: McGraw Hill. p. 81.ISBN978-0-07-045671-6.
  5. ^abcdeIrma Szádeczky-Kardoss:"The Bloody Countess? An Examination of the Life and Trial of Erzsébet Báthory",translated by Lujza Nehrebeczky, Hungarian original published inÉlet és Tudomány,September 2005
  6. ^Levack, Brian P. (28 March 2013).The Oxford Handbook of Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Colonial America.OUP Oxford. p. 348.ISBN978-0-19-164883-0.
  7. ^abcLengyel, Tünde; Várkonyi, Gábor (2011).Báthory Erzsébet, egy asszony élete[Erzsébet Báthory: The Life of a Woman]. Budapest: General Press. pp.285–291.ISBN9789636431686.
  8. ^abFarin, Michael (1989).Heroine des Grauens: Wirken und Leben der Elisabeth Báthory: in Briefen, Zeugenaussagen und Phantasiespielen[Heroine of Horror: The Life and Work of Elisabeth Báthory: In Letters, Testimonies and Fantasy Games] (in German). p. 293.OCLC654683776.
  9. ^abcdefgBartosiewicz, Aleksandra (December 2018)."Elisabeth Báthory – a true story".Przegląd Nauk Historycznych.17(3). Lodz University Press, Poland:103–122.doi:10.18778/1644-857X.17.03.04.hdl:11089/27178.S2CID188107395.
  10. ^"The Plain Story".Elizabethbathory.net. Archived fromthe originalon 20 October 2013.Retrieved18 November2013.
  11. ^McNally, Raymond T.(1983).Dracula Was a Woman: In Search of the Blood Countess of Transylvania.New York City:McGraw-Hill.p. 11-13.ISBN978-0-07-045671-6.
  12. ^Joshi, S. T. (2011).Encyclopedia of the Vampire: The Living Dead in Myth, Legend, and Popular Culture.Santa Barbara, California:ABC-CLIO.p. 6.ISBN9780313378331.Retrieved29 September2018.
  13. ^Stoker, Bram;Eighteen-Bisang, Robert; Miller, Elizabeth (2008).Bram Stoker's Notes for Dracula: A Facsimile Edition.Jefferson, North Carolina:McFarland & Company.p. 131.ISBN9780786477302.Retrieved29 September2018.
  14. ^abcThorne, Tony(2012).Countess Dracula: The Life and Times of Elisabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess.Bloomsbury Publishing.ISBN9781408833650.
  15. ^abThe most notorious serial killers: ruthless, twisted murderers whose crimes chilled the nation.United Kingdom: TI Incorporated Books. 2017.ISBN9781683300274.OCLC982117998.
  16. ^abcdLeslie, Carroll (2014).Royal Pains: A Rogues' Gallery of Brats, Brutes, and Bad Seeds.New York City:New American Library.pp.160–161.ISBN9781101478776.OCLC883306686.
  17. ^Holmes, Gregory L. (January 1995)."The falling sickness. A history of epilepsy from the Greeks to the beginnings of modern neurology".Journal of Epilepsy.8(1). Amsterdam, Netherlands:Elsevier:214–215.doi:10.1016/s0896-6974(95)90017-9.ISSN0896-6974.PMC1081463.
  18. ^"História hradu".Retrieved8 September2024.
  19. ^abFarin, Michael (1989).Heroine des Grauens: Wirken und Leben der Elisabeth Báthory: in Briefen, Zeugenaussagen und Phantasiespielen[Heroine of horror: the life and work of Elisabeth Báthory: in letters, testimonies and fantasy games] (in German). pp.234–237.OCLC654683776.
  20. ^abcdefKord, Susanne (2009).Murderesses in German Writing, 1720–1860: Heroines of Horror.Cambridge University Press. pp.56–57.ISBN978-0-521-51977-9.
  21. ^Letters from Thurzó to both men on 5 March 1610, printed inFarin, Michael (1989).Heroine des Grauens: Wirken und Leben der Elisabeth Báthory: in Briefen, Zeugenaussagen und Phantasiespielen[Heroine of horror: the life and work of Elisabeth Báthory: in letters, testimonies and fantasy games] (in German). pp.265–266,276–278.OCLC654683776.
  22. ^McNally, Raymond T.(1983).Dracula Was a Woman: In Search of the Blood Countess of Transylvania.New York: McGraw Hill. p. 44, 48-49.ISBN978-0-07-045671-6.
  23. ^Thorne, Tony(1997).Countess Dracula.London: Bloomsbury. pp.18–19.ISBN9780747536413.
  24. ^A letter from 12 December 1610 by Elizabeth's son-in-law Zrínyi toThurzórefers to an agreement made earlier. SeeFarin, Michael (1989).Heroine des Grauens: Wirken und Leben der Elisabeth Báthory: in Briefen, Zeugenaussagen und Phantasiespielen[Heroine of horror: the life and work of Elisabeth Báthory: in letters, testimonies and fantasy games] (in German). p. 291.OCLC654683776.
  25. ^McNally, Raymond T.(1983).Dracula Was a Woman: In Search of the Blood Countess of Transylvania.New York: McGraw Hill. p. 77.ISBN978-0-07-045671-6.
  26. ^"No Blood in the Water: The Legal and GenderConspiracies Against Countess Elizabeth Bathory in Historical Context".Retrieved8 September2024.
  27. ^Thorne, Tony(1997).Countess Dracula.London, England:Bloomsbury.p. 53.ISBN978-1408833650.
  28. ^Bledsaw, Rachael (20 February 2014).No Blood in the Water: The Legal and Gender Conspiracies Against Countess Elizabeth Bathory in Historical Context(MS thesis). Illinois State University.doi:10.30707/ETD2014.Bledsaw.R.
  29. ^Ferencné, Palkó (2014).Báthory Erzsébet Pere(BA thesis). University of Miskolc.
  30. ^Szádeczky-Kardoss Irma – Báthory Erzsébet igazsága / The truth of Elizabeth Báthory (10 years of research using contemporary correspondence)
  31. ^abInfamous Lady the true story of Countess Erzsebet Bathory Kimberly L. Craft 2009 p.298
  32. ^Farin, Michael (1989).Heroine des Grauens: Wirken und Leben der Elisabeth Báthory: in Briefen, Zeugenaussagen und Phantasiespielen[Heroine of horror: the life and work of Elisabeth Báthory: in letters, testimonies and fantasy games] (in German). p. 246.OCLC654683776.
  33. ^Nagy, László.A rossz hirü Báthoryak.Budapest: Kossuth Könyvkiadó 1984[page needed]
  34. ^Szakály, Ferenc (1994)."The Early Ottoman Period, Including Royal Hungary, 1526–1606".In Sugar, Peter F. (ed.).A History of Hungary.Indiana University Press. pp.83–99.ISBN978-0-253-20867-5.
  35. ^inUngaria suis *** regibus compendia data,Typis Academicis Soc. Jesu per Fridericum Gall. Anno MCCCXXIX. Mense Sepembri Die 8. p 188–193, quoted by Farin
  36. ^Hesperus,Prague, June 1817, Vol. 1, No. 31, pp.241–248and July 1817, Vol. 2, No. 34, pp.270–272
  37. ^Paget, John (1850).Hungary and Transylvania; with remarks on their condition, Social, Political and Economical.Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard. pp.50–51.
  38. ^Alois Freyherr von Mednyansky:Elisabeth Báthory,inHesperus,Prague, October 1812, vol. 2, No. 59, pp. 470–472, quoted byFarin, Michael (1989).Heroine des Grauens: Wirken und Leben der Elisabeth Báthory: in Briefen, Zeugenaussagen und Phantasiespielen[Heroine of horror: the life and work of Elisabeth Báthory: in letters, testimonies and fantasy games] (in German). pp.61–65.OCLC654683776.
  39. ^"Most prolific female murderer".Guinness World Records.Guinness World Records Limited.Retrieved3 May2018.The most prolific female murderer and the most prolific murderer of the western world, was Elizabeth Báthory, who practised vampirism on girls and young women. Described as the most vicious female serial killer of all time, the facts and fiction on the events that occurred behind the deaths of these young girls are blurred. Throughout the 15th century, she is alleged to have killed more than 600 virgins.
  40. ^Horn, Ildikó (2002).Báthory András[Andrew Báthory](in Hungarian). Új Mandátum. pp.245–246.ISBN978-963-9336-51-3.
  41. ^Markó, László (2000).A magyar állam főméltóságai Szent Istvántól napjainkig: Életrajzi Lexikon[Great Officers of State in Hungary from King Saint Stephen to Our Days: A Biographical Encyclopedia](in Hungarian). Magyar Könyvklub. p. 256.ISBN978-963-547-085-3.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toElizabeth Báthory.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elizabeth_Báthory&oldid=1271392851"