Elizabeth Bathory :: essays papers

Elizabeth BathoryIn post to improve her complexion and as well(p) to maintain her failing grasp on her youth and vitality, she slaughtered six coulomb innocent young women from her tiny mountain principality...The noble Bthory family caulescent from the Hun Gutkeled clan which held power in broad areas of east central atomic number 63 (in those places now known as Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania), and had emerged to assume a role of sexual intercourse eminence by the first half of the 13th century. Abandoning their tribal roots, they expect the name of one of their estates (Btor meaning valiant) as a family name. Their power go to reach a zenith by the mid 16th century, but declined and worn out 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 some basic familial preferences among lesser lights however, and in or der to consolidate more tenuous clingings to influence there was considerable exogamy amongst the Bthory family, with some of the usual problems of this practice produced as a result. Unfortunately, beyond the usual problems some extraordinary difficulties arose (namely hideous psychoses) and several evil geniuses appeared, the notorious and sadistic Erzsbet the most prominent of them.Truly, she was evil enough to be know as one of the original vampires who later inspired Bram Stoker to relieve the legend of Dracula -- but unlike Stokers story, she was real. Unusual for one of her social status, she was a fit and active child. Raised as Magyar royalty, as a young maid she was quite beautiful delicate in her features, slender of build, tall for the time, but her personality did not attain the selfsame(prenominal) measure of fortuitous development. In her own opinion her most neat feature was her often commented upon gloriously creamy complexion. Although others were not really s o equally impressed with the quality of her rather ordinary skin, they offered copious sycophancy if they knew what was good for them, as Erzsbet did not accept unenthusiastic half-measures of approval and she was vindictive.She was only 15 when she was married off for political gain and position to a roughly soldier of (nevertheless) aristocratic stock and manner. By reason of the marriage, she became the lady of the castling of Csejthe, his home, situated deep in the Carpathian mountains of what is now central Romania, but which thusly was known only as Transylvania.