Elizabeth Bathory :: essays papers

Elizabeth BathoryIn order to improve her complexion and also to maintain her weakness grasp on her y awayh and vitality, she slaughtered six hundred innocent raw women from her tiny mountain principality...The noble Bthory family stemmed from the Hun Gutkeled clan which held effect in broad areas of east central Europe (in those places now know as Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania), and had emerged to assume a role of relative eminence by the first half of the 13th century. Abandoning their tribal roots, they assumed the name of unmatched of their estates (Btor meaning valiant) as a family name. Their power rose to reach a zenith by the mid 16th century, but declined and faded to die out completely by 1658. Great kings, princes, members of the judiciary, as well as holders of ecclesiastical and civil posts were among the ranks of the Bthorys.Adopting an exalted name did not alter rough basic familial preferences among lesser lights however, and in order to consolidate more than tenuous clingings to influence there was considerable intermarriage amongst the Bthory family, with nearly of the usual problems of this practice produced as a result. Unfortunately, beyond the usual problems some iniquitous difficulties arose (namely hideous psychoses) and several evil geniuses appeared, the notorious and sadistic Erzsbet the virtually prominent of them.Truly, she was evil enough to be recognized as wizard of the original vampires who later inspired Bram Stoker to write the legend of genus Dracula -- but unlike Stokers story, she was real. Unusual for one of her social status, she was a survive and active child. Raised as Magyar royalty, as a progeny maid she was quite beautiful delicate in her features, slender of build, rangy for the time, but her personality did not attain the same measure of uncaused development. In her own opinion her most outstanding feature was her practically commented upon gloriously creamy complexion. Although others were n ot really so equally impress with the quality of her rather ordinary skin, they offered copious praise if they knew what was good for them, as Erzsbet did not accept unenthusiastic half-measures of adulation and she was vindictive.She was precisely 15 when she was married off for political gain and position to a rough soldier of (nevertheless) easy stock and manner. By reason of the marriage, she became the lady of the Castle of Csejthe, his home, situated dusky in the Carpathian mountains of what is now central Romania, but which then was known only as Transylvania.