In the spirit of the
season..... The Infamous
Countess Erzsebet Bathory 1560 - 1641
Erzabet is currently making the neighbors nervous in
TX!
Which means, she's in the home of a private
collector, and not available for sale or duplication
Erzsebet
Bathory was born in Hungary in 1560, the child of George and Anna Bathory. She was born
into one of the wealthiest and most respected families in the country. In the spring 1575,
at the age of 15, Erzsebet
was married to Count Ferencz Nadasdy. The Count added her surname to his so Erzsebet
could keep her family name of Bathory. After the marriage they moved to Castle Csejthe, a
mountain top fortress overlooking the village of Csejthe, which lies in the north-western part
of Hungary. During the course of their marriage she bore him four children, three girls and
one boy. Her husband died in battle in 1600.
Erzsebet
Bathory was said to be a woman of exceptional beauty. She was described as having long
dark hair, light skin, and a voluptuous figure.
The legend says:
As Erzsebet grew older, she tried to conceal her age through cosmetics and expensive
clothes, but nothing helped. However, one day a servant girl was attending to Erzsebet's
hair and either pulled it or made a remark that Erzsebet
thought was inappropriate. Whatever the circumstance the infuriated Countess slapped the
girl so hard that blood spurted from her nose. The blood splashed against Erzsebet's face.
Where the blood had touched the Countess she observed in a mirror that her skin had lost
its lines of age. Believing that she could look young again, Erzsebet
turned to vampirism. Erzsebet had her servants kidnap beautiful young virgins, slash them
with knives and collect their blood in a large vat. The Countess would then bathe in the
virgin's blood, or drink it to achieve an 'inner beauty' as well.
History says:
In 1611 she was arrested by Count Gyorgy Thorzo and held under 'house arrest'. Her trial
was held at Bitcse and Erzsebet refused to plead either guilty or innocent and never actually
appeared at the trial.
During the course of the trial: "the voluntary confessions, [of her accomplice's] as well
as the ones made under torture, together with the evidence provided by witnesses under
oath, patently proved their guilt, a guilt surpassing all evil and cruelty, namely, murder,
butcherings and most horrendous and assorted tortures, and because [of] these grave
crimes must be punished with the harshest penalty provided by law". Quotes excerpted from
still existing trial documents.
Erzsebet was found guilty of the deaths of 612 women, although 50 is the number sited
most during the questioning.
Due to her nobility, Erzsebet was not allowed to be executed. Instead she was sentenced to
life imprisonment. Erzsebet was walled into a room in the Castle Csejthe with only a small
hole left open through which food could be passed. There she lived for almost four years.
On August 14, 1614, Countess Erzsebet Bathory was found dead in her cell.
For a fuller accounting, please see: Dracula Was a Woman by Raymond T.
McNally - McGraw-Hill Publishing
Erzsebet is dressed in a black velvet kirtle with elaborate bead work on the front panel.
A 'faux' chemise of grey nylon shows through her split cutwork sleeves. Her
neckpiece is wired black velvet and her fully lined black velvet cape attaches to the
neckpiece with snaps. Her cape has matching beadwork down the center
back. She also wears a hand beaded necklace and carries a goblet of 'blood'. Her
dress is not removable, it has been sewn to the doll. I LOVE black velvet, but anything
harder to get good pictures of I've never encountered!
Erzsebet has been given a full makeover, all of her factory paint removed and her face
re-painted with artist quality acrylics and sealers. Her hair has been partially re-rooted into a
widow's peak, streaked with black and elaborately braided, curled and styled so as not to
interfere with the neckpiece. Her light silver eyes ALSO caused me camera problems!
LOL .
Erzsebet's right hand has been remolded to carry her goblet.
Below is an attempt to show the beadwork on the front of the gown......
and
here's the back of the cape!
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