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Well known for its legends and lore of dark magic and Vampirism, Transylvania has always had its “stake” in the heart of legend. Home to the most horrific serial killer of its day; Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler) or Count Dracula. Transylvania would give birth to a new evil and her name was Elizabeth Bathory. Elizabeth was born in 1560 to one of the oldest families in Translvania, the Bathory’s. The Bathory family name brought about hundreds of rumors including incest, monstrous births and mental illness. When Elizabeth was but 15 she wed Count Ferenc Nádasdy who gave to her as a wedding gift Csejte Castle. Some time after their marriage Count Forenc became commander of a Hungarian army and while her husband was away , she would play and not in a nice way . Elizabeth was a very smart woman, running the castle and the problems that surrounded it including helping to keep invasions at bay. However she would become more famous for her hobbies than her work.

 

One day as she sat getting her hair brushed by one of her servant girls, the girl accidentally pulled her hair too hard. The Countess became infuriated and struck the girl so hard across the face that she drew blood. When she saw the girls face all bloody the countess believed that she saw the area surrounding the blood grow more youthful and revitalized. This belief would send her on a silent and horrific spree. With the help of some of her most trusted confidants, which included a supposed witch and her servant, she began recruiting young local girls with promises of work only to kill them for their blood in her castle. She continued this bloodlust from 1601 to 1611 bathing and drinking blood in the name of beauty. In 1611 the King who had been hearing rumors of these horrendous acts, decided to put the “rumors” at rest by investigating the Countess. Invading her castle he found staggering evidence that the allegations where true. The King was so disgusted that he decided to hold a series of trials in which he would oversee. He sentenced the witch/servants to immediate execution but because of Elizabeth’s status she could not be criminally prosecuted. Instead the King ordered her to her castle never to roam free. To make sure she stayed put he had her walled up in one of the rooms in which she committed her acts. The only light given to her was from a small hole in the wall which was used for giving her food. On July 31st 1614 Elizabeth “Countess Dracula” died as she lived…In Darkness.