Elizabeth Bathory Essay, Research Paper

Rachel Smith

Caywood

AP Eng. IV

March 18, 2001

Throughout history vampires have been one of the most feared fictional characters. Vlad Dracul, often called “Dracula”, is the most renowned vampire. He impaled his victims on stakes in front of his castle in order to frighten away any enemies (Glut). Around this tme, Countess Elizabeth Bathory was also beginning her own descent into evil. She savagely slaughtered over 650 young women.

Elizabeth Bathory was born in 1560 to George and Anna Bathory. The Bathory family held lands throughout Transylvania, and were one of the most important and powerful families in the country. At the young age of eleven she was betrothed to Count Ferencz Nadasdy and married at the age of 15. They lived in the Castle Csejthe in the Nyitea country of Hungary. The count spent most of his time away from the castle in war. He was often referred to as the “Black Hero of Hungary”. In their marriage she had many lovers (McKaig).

As the countess approached the age of 25 she became increasingly worried about growing old and losing her beauty on which she heavily depended on (Mckaig). Soon after the death of her husband in 1604, she moved to her family’s land in Vienna. There she began a spiraling downfall into darkness. The countess began attending sacrificial rituals and practicing some forms of sorcery.

One day one of her maids was brushing her hair and pulled it by accident, infuriated, the countess picked up a pair of scissors and struck her in the face. The young girl’s blood sprayed on her hand and when she went to wash it off she realized that her skin looked younger than it had in years. Soon after that she began to devise plans to obtain the blood she needed to