Erzsébet Báthory: Bubble Baths or Blood baths?

/

I Prefer Bubble Baths not Blood Baths

Elizabeth Bathory, posing for a portrait. She is wear a white long sleeved dresses, with a brown and black skirt. Over top she is wear a black over coat with frilled cut of sleeves. She has on a ruff, and a matching hair piece as well.

Erzsébet Báthory (Elizabeth Bathory), posing in a portrait

Self-care is so essential to a girl, and since we live in a male-dominated society, aging is not an option now, is it? Our dear Erzsébet knew this, so she did what any rational Victorian woman would do… Kill hundreds of maids, torture them, and then bathe in their blood. I know a good skincare routine is irreplaceable to a girl, but the blood bath does seem a tad extreme; a bubble bath probably would have suffixes. (but what do I know?)

With an accused kill count of 6oo, Erzsébet Báthory put herself on the map for becoming one of the world's most prolific female serial killers at an early age (16 centuries early, that is). Though did the rumored merciless blood countess really do what she was accused of? Or was she an innocent widowed woman who had a tad bit too much power and money with several families, including her own, indebted to her?

Erzsébet Báthory was born in Nyírbátor, Hungary, on August 7, 1560. Married to a nobleman named Nadasdy at just 15 years of age, Erzsébet managed to do what all noblewomen at that time were expected to. What is that you may ask? Marry rich, a goal I myself have as well.

Erzsébet and Nadasdy were the picture of what a marriage of convince was supposed to be. They had 4 children, but a good 80% of the time never saw each other. This was, of course, due to her husband going off fighting the Ottoman Turks. During this time, she managed the estate and his affairs in his place, and she did so like a shark. Erzsébet Báthory was a cold-blooded businesswoman, so the story goes. But did her calculated business skills that would have granted her the title of ‘woman of the year’ in this day and age end up playing a role in her demise?

No one at this time liked a woman in power, much less a widow in power, and in January of 1604, Báthory’s husband died during battle. Báthory then took complete control of her extensive estates, something I’m sure her male family members were very fond of; because soon after the passing of her husband in the year 1610, Báthory was accused of her horrific crimes.

She stood accused along with her servants of mass murder and torture of commoners as well as noble ladies, ( which is why the case was apparently taken up, because heaven forbid the upper class to be slighted!).  Erzsébet herself was never tried, though 3 of her servants were executed when she was found guilty. Charged with officially 80 counts of murder, she was to live out her days confined to her home in Castle Cachtice, where she remained till she was found dead in 1614.

Portrait of Elizabeth Bathory, in a red and white dress, with a large frilled collar and her hair wrapped up in what looks like a red hair scarf. The paint is worn and discolored with age.

Isn’t it so convent though? Everything seemingly was tied up in a blood-red bow, not a single loose end in sight! Murderess Countess convicted as she should be. Except for the fact that those who convicted her gained far more than God’s good grace by locking her away. The debts they owed soon became collateral for allowing her family to manage her confinement and take control of her lands. Those who have reviewed the case in recent years have speculated that this murderess was actually innocent and that this was a case of politically fueled slander.

Though no matter what really happened, the case took on a life of its own in later years. Plenty of people came forward with their own recount of what happened, and years after the actual trial, the legend of the blood countess began as people started to say she bathed in the blood of victims in order to stay young. That is a rather big thing to leave out of the trial, but just like today’s society. Scandals and trials are like a giant game of telephone; they start off small only to become completely unrecognizable by the end for better or worse.

The intricacies of this case are fascinating; I would urge you to take a deep dive into it as well and form your own opinion on whether she was innocent or guilty, and perhaps the next time you hear of the blood countess, your blood will boil for a different reason then at the though of all those she ‘killed’. So for all you self-care girls out there obsessed with serial killers and potentially wronged female historical figures, treat yourself to a bubble bath in our girl, Erzsébet Báthory’s honor.

Hi, my name is Breanne Gormley. I’m currently in my second year of Professional Writing at Algonquin College. I am passionate about the color blue, tiny skulls, folklore, and petting random cats I find on the street. I have a deep love of writing, and I can’t wait to take a trip with you through time and explore the finer things in life, specifically tragic events and brutal murders. I hope you will enjoy this blog as much as I do.

To Impale or to be Impaled: Vlad III

/
This is a portrait of Vlad the III, he has long dark curled hair & a mustache. He is dressed in a red velvet shirt with large gold buttons & a short animal fur cape covering his shoulders. He wears a red ornate hat with precious stones & pearl

Portrait of Vlad III of Wallachia

Vlad III Draculea, who was the man behind the blueprint for tall, dark, pale morally grey boyfriends everywhere?

I know what you’re thinking: Where’s my hot, dark, deathly pale bloodsucking vampire boyfriend?

Me too, girl, me too. Though since we both can’t seem to find one, let’s take this time to review the man behind it all, one of the most notorious inspirations behind the cult craze of vampires and bloodlust, the blueprint for our questionable taste in men, Vlad the III Draculea.

Known by many names, some of the most prominent being Vlad III Draculea, Son of the Dragon, or Vlad the Impaler, given to him by his numerous enemies. Another name we can also assume may have been commonly used to refer to him was Asshole. However, that’s personal speculation and not a historical fact.   

Mysterious orders, larger-than-life castles, and a forest of bodies left out on spikes without care for the age or vulnerability of the victim. Brutal and subtle is an understatement when describing Vlad the III; This man was a terrifying warlord who slayed and impaled anyone in his way. The words, Compromise and forgiveness were not in Vlad's personal vocabulary, as he never seemed to forget an offense or slight against him or those around him.

 Going to any feast hosted by him would be strongly advised against as it often was a one-way invitation; you come and feast, and he sits and watches with pleasure as you are stabbed and impaled, tortured and imprisoned until he has something useful for you to do (such as build him fancy castles). Oh, and you can’t forget setting the guests on fire and letting them all burn to death as well. He was certainly innovative when it came to dinner-time entertainment and killing large groups of people!  

Being responsible for over 800,000 deaths during his reign, most having something to do with (surprise) impalement, the 2nd son of Vlad II and Princess Cneajna of Moldavia, Vlad III certainly made a name for himself. However, his rise to power was not exactly as smooth as he probably would have liked. With his father being overthrown at a young age, discourse ran rampant, and for quite a while, there was a power struggle in Wallachia. Though at the age of 24 Vlad finally made his claim permanent on July 22nd, 1456 through hand-to-hand combat.

During his reign, Vlad cracked down on everything, from liars to thieves and even the homeless. He showed no mercy in persecuting whoever he saw fit, well, making sure to change around the seats of power so he’d have full control over his officials and court. He did this by electing those of lower and common birth so that without him, they'd be unable to keep their place and power. Though he was ruthless, it's safe to say as a warlord and dictator, he was a genius.

One of his best-known ‘accomplishments’ in his eyes, ‘atrocities’ in our eyes, was what was called the ‘forest’ of the dead. This is exactly what it sounds like: more than 23,000 people of all ages and types impaled and left to line the road of an enemy route outside of the city of Targovishte in 1476. This was done in response to the army of 90,000 men assembled by Mehmed II, who was looking to take Wallachia. Though after witnessing the gruesome sight, Mehmed II turned around and marched back to Constantinople with his men. The forest was described as victims piled on victims, mothers impaled with their babies and children—a strong smell of rotten, decomposing corpses, with animals such as birds nesting inside their exposed entrails.   

Vlad, in 1462, was captured by Matthias I and was imprisoned for 12 years, until set free to reclaim Wallachia in the name of Hungary during 1475. Though originally successful in his endeavor, Vlad III died in 1476, after being ambushed and decapitated by an Ottoman patrol. His head was then sent to Mehmed II, the Sultan in Constantinople, as a trophy. They hung Vlad’s head on the city gates, what an Ironic end for the man who loved nothing more than to display the dead.

I highly recommend researching Vladdy on your own time, as there is just so much to cover in depth about this blood-crazed, castle-loving warlord. To try and fit it in one piece would put you and me in an early grave.

A blood red sky, with a pale moon the emits a soft red glow, covered by a thin strip of dark clouds. A silhouette of bushes is seen in the foreground

From his early days to his many battles, up until his very last moments, Vlad the Impaler made sure he would never be forgotten. Though his existence was a blood-soaked one, Vlad the impale-crazed III’s antics have made my 3am sleep-deprived Google searches fruitful and enlightening.

 Finally, at the end of the day (and this blog), I think we can all agree on one thing, and that is that Vlad the III suffered from middle-child syndrome; all the killing and impaling was certainly a cry for attention; sadly, his dad was dead. Though Vlad’s deep-seeded daddy issues have made for a rather juicy story that we can all sink our teeth into.

Hi, my name is Breanne Gormley. I’m currently in my second year of Professional Writing at Algonquin College. I am passionate about the color blue, tiny skulls, folklore, and petting random cats I find on the street. I have a deep love of writing, and I can’t wait to take a trip with you through time and explore the finer things in life, specifically tragic events and brutal murders. I hope you will enjoy this blog as much as I do.

Killing Time with Medieval Torture

/

We love creative minds, and there are no minds as creative as medieval men looking to punish those they loathe; the innovative and intricate ideas they put into action are both horrifying and awe-inspiring. However, if there is one type of torture/execution that I find particularly fascinating, I’d say it is the artful practice of Scaphism. This technique dates to 550 to 330 BCE in the Achaemenid Persian Empire, and you can bet that whoever created this ritual was just as sweet as honey.

Scaphism is a type of execution made to maximize the pain and suffering of its victims and is said to have only been used on the most horrendous offenders. The practice uses what is described as two boats placed on top of each other, with areas for feet, hands, and head to dangle out. While those parts are exposed and the rest of the body is enclosed inside the boats, the real fun begins. Offenders are smeared in milk and honey and then force-fed obscene amounts until their bodies physically cannot handle it. What happens, you may ask, when you consume too much of these usually tasty and refreshing treats? Excretion! Lots and lots of it. But before anything can happen, they are pushed out onto a stale body of water and, for the most part, are left to their fate. The honey and milk will soon attract animals, birds, and fish to feast and pick at their vulnerable bodies.

You’d think the external pain would be enough, but there’s more in store for these poor souls. As previously mentioned, those receiving the punishment would be fed large amounts of honey and milk, giving them a rather aggressive case of diarrhea. So not only would they be afloat getting pecked to death, but they’d be lying in their feces, unable to move or shield themselves from the smell. As they lie in their own fecal matter, maggots, insects, and bacteria start to breed. Now, they will begin to be eaten from the inside out.

The physical pain of slowly being eaten alive, unable to move, with constant diarrhea, and the spread of infection caused by the critters gnawing at them was not the only damage done. The victims also had to deal with the psychological impact of the putrid smell surrounding them and the constant feeling of pain. Since it could also last multiple days, it's said that on occasion, the criminal would be reeled back in only to be fed more. This was to keep them in a constant state of what can only be described as extreme discomfort.

It's a horrible way to go if you ask me. However, it is important to mention that there is some doubt about whether this was an actual form of punishment due to a lack of hard evidence and the chance of over-exaggerations from Greek storytellers. It is highly probable that this method was never actually used, But whether it’s a lie or real is perhaps something we will never know.

Hi, my name is Breanne Gormley. I’m currently in my second year of Professional Writing at Algonquin College. I am passionate about the color blue, tiny skulls, folklore, and petting random cats I find on the street. I have a deep love of writing, and I can’t wait to take a trip with you through time and explore the finer things in life, specifically tragic events and brutal murders. I hope you will enjoy this blog as much as I do.