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'''Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed''' (''Báthory Erzsébet'' in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_language Hungarian], ''Alžbeta Bátoriová'' in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovak_language Slovak]; 7 August 1560 – 21 August 1614) was a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countess countess] from the renowned [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A1thory Báthory] family of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobility_in_the_Kingdom_of_Hungary nobility in the Kingdom of Hungary]. Although the number of murders is debated, she has been labeled the most prolific female [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_killer serial killer] in history and is remembered as the "Blood Countess."
'''Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed''' (''Báthory Erzsébet'' in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_language Hungarian], ''Alžbeta Bátoriová'' in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovak_language Slovak]; 7 August 1560 – 21 August 1614) was a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countess countess] from the renowned [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A1thory Báthory] family of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobility_in_the_Kingdom_of_Hungary nobility in the Kingdom of Hungary]. Although the number of murders is debated, she has been labeled the most prolific female [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_killer serial killer] in history and is remembered as the "Blood Countess."


After her husband [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferenc_N%C3%A1dasdy Ferenc Nádasdy]'s death, she and four collaborators were accused of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture torturing] and killing hundreds of girls, with one witness attributing to them over 650 victims, though the number for which they were convicted was 80. Elizabeth herself was neither tried nor convicted. In 1610, she was imprisoned in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Csejte_Castle Csejte Castle], now in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia Slovakia] and known as Čachtice, where she remained bricked in a set of rooms until her death four years later.
After her husband Ferenc Nádasdy's death, she and four collaborators were accused of torturing and killing hundreds of girls, with one witness attributing to them over 650 victims, though the number for which they were convicted was 80. Elizabeth herself was neither tried nor convicted. In 1610, she was imprisoned in the Csejte Castle, now in Slovakia and known as Čachtice, where she remained bricked in a set of rooms until her death four years later.


Later writings<span style="font-size:11px;line-height:0px;white-space:nowrap;"> </span>about the case have led to legendary accounts of the Countess bathing in the blood of virgins to retain her youth and subsequently also to comparisons with [http://real-life-villains.wikia.com/wiki/Vlad_Tepes_the_Impaler Vlad Tepes the Impaler], on whom the fictional [http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Dracula Count Dracula] is partly based, and to modern nicknames of ''the Blood Countess'' and ''Countess Dracula''.
Later writings<span style="font-size:11px;line-height:0px;white-space:nowrap;"> </span>about the case have led to legendary accounts of the Countess bathing in the blood of virgins to retain her youth and subsequently also to comparisons with [http://real-life-villains.wikia.com/wiki/Vlad_Tepes_the_Impaler Vlad Tepes the Impaler], on whom the fictional [http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Dracula Count Dracula] is partly based, and to modern nicknames of ''the Blood Countess'' and ''Countess Dracula''.

Revision as of 09:23, 2 July 2013

File:Countess elizabeth bathory.jpg

Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed (Báthory Erzsébet in Hungarian, Alžbeta Bátoriová in Slovak; 7 August 1560 – 21 August 1614) was a countess from the renowned Báthory family of nobility in the Kingdom of Hungary. Although the number of murders is debated, she has been labeled the most prolific female serial killer in history and is remembered as the "Blood Countess."

After her husband Ferenc Nádasdy's death, she and four collaborators were accused of torturing and killing hundreds of girls, with one witness attributing to them over 650 victims, though the number for which they were convicted was 80. Elizabeth herself was neither tried nor convicted. In 1610, she was imprisoned in the Csejte Castle, now in Slovakia and known as Čachtice, where she remained bricked in a set of rooms until her death four years later.

Later writings about the case have led to legendary accounts of the Countess bathing in the blood of virgins to retain her youth and subsequently also to comparisons with Vlad Tepes the Impaler, on whom the fictional Count Dracula is partly based, and to modern nicknames of the Blood Countess and Countess Dracula.