The Life of Elizabeth Bathory

• Born, August 7, 1560
  Elizabeth was born Erzebet Bathory to a wealthy and prominent family. She was the daughter of Baron and Baroness George and Anna Bathory.
• Highly educated, spoke Hungarian, German and Latin.
• Engaged to Ferenc Nadasdy, the "Black Hero of Hungary" at age 11.
  Because the Nadasdy family was of a lesser social status, Elizabeth kept her name and her husband hyphenated his.
• Elizabeth went to live with her future mother-in-law and while there a brief affair with peasant man produced a daughter, who was given, along with money, to a peasant.
• Becomes aware of effects of blood.
  While getting ready for her husband's homecoming, Elizabeth was being helped by one of her maids. The maid saw that something was wrong with Elizabeth's hairdress, but when she went to fix it, Elizabeth hit her with a brush. So hard in fact, that blood was drawn. Some of the maid's blood fell onto Elizabeth, who cleaned it away in disgust. However, Elizabeth noticed that the skin below the blood seemed to be younger and more vibrant.
• Married, May 8, 1575.
  Taking time off from the ever-present war with the Turks, Ferenc came home to marry his bride.
• Husband teaches different forms of torture.
  Honey torture, involving stripping a girl naked, smearing honey over her, and leaving her outside to be the victim of any insect that happens by. Later, Elizabeth would use her own version of this involving water and a cold winter night.
• Reputed to be one of the most beautiful women in all of Europe, beneath is a portrait of the Countess.
  
  

Torture devices of Elizabeth

An iron maiden, I've been told is like a coffin with spikes in it. The spikes don't impale you, but do cause bleeding. There are then two spikes that are driven into the eyes causing (obviously) blindness. The victem then slowly bleeds to death. Thanks to those of you who wrote me and let me know! A cyndrical cage, that is too narrow to sit in, and too small to stand in. It has spikes on it, and when the cage is hoisted and rocked, the vicitm will skewer themselves on it. Variation: The cage is hoisted, but the victim is poked at with a red hot poker, and impales themselves. Eliabeth would sit under this cage, shout obscenities at her victim and "soak" up the blood that dripped down.

Elizabeth was eventually caught and brought to justice. Some say it was because officials could no longer ignore rumors circulating around the peasant community. Others say that it was because Elizabeth, bored with common blood, turned to that of royalty, who were missed more than thier peasant counterparts. Whichever the reason, Elizabeth was given two trials:

• First trial, held on January 2, 1611 at Bytca (pronounced Byt-cha)
• Seventeen testomonies including her four accomplices, Helena Jo, Dorka, Katharina, and Ficzko.
  Elizabeth was not alone in her acts. She had four known accomplices, perhaps others.
• A maid, identified as "Zusanna" testified that she was aware of a list, written in the Countess's own handwriting, of the names of six hundred victims.
  This probably wouldn't stand up in modern, American courts. So far as I know, the list does not still exist today.
• Second trial held on January 7, 1611.
• Elizabeth was not allowed at either trial. She was also never convicted at either trial. This may have been to protect the family name. It may have also been to keep away the king. The king at the time owed a great deal of money to the Bathory family, and if she had been convicted, all debts would have been cancelled
• Three of her cohorts were senctenced to horrible deaths and mutilations.
  • Helena Jo and Dorka were sentenced "to have all the fingers on their hands, which they used as instruments in so much torture and butcherings and which they dipped in the blood of Christians, torn out by the public executioner with a pair of red-hot pincers; thereafter they shall be thrown alive on the fire" (McNally)
  • Ficzko, her only male accomplice, was sentenced to "decapitation. His body, drained of blood... reunited wiht his two fellow accomplices where... he [would] be burned" (McNally)
  • Katharina was exonerated by Dorka, Helena Jo and Zusanna, and was left to be dealt with at a later date.
• Elizabeth never having been convicted of anything, remained for the rest of her life walled up inside of her room, under "Castle Arrest." The room was small, and the only link to the outside world was through a small opening for air and food to be passed through.
• On August 21, 1614, a guard, who had never seen the countess, wanted to get a look at the Countess who was still, at the age of 54, reputed to be one of the most beautiful women in all of Europe. Looking in through one of the slots left open for food and air, he discovered Elizabeth lying face down. The Blood Countess was dead.

Life of Elizabeth Bathory taken from http://enteract.com/~chipagan/elizabeth/