Today, confessions given under such circumstances would not be considered credible. Moreover, Elizabeth’s servants did not confess to their alleged crimes until they were subjected to extreme torture methods, such as having their fingers torn out with red-hot pincers. In fact, many of the witnesses testified that they had not actually seen any first-hand evidence of Elizabeth’s crimes they had merely heard the accusations from others. However, there are no documents which prove that anyone in the local area lodged any complaints against Elizabeth, and this was in a time when letters of complaint were written whenever any transgression – no matter how minor – was perceived to have been committed. The initial accusations against her were based on rumours which gained momentum after being frequently repeated. She was confined to her castle for the remainder of her life, where she died in 1614, aged 54.īut did she actually commit the crimes she was convicted of? Her punishment was to be placed under strict house arrest.
A fifth servant, who had initially evaded capture at the castle, was later caught and burned alive.Īs for Elizabeth, she was spared from imprisonment or execution. The other female servant avoided death, instead receiving a life sentence due to the fact that she’d been abused by the other women. Two of the female servants were tortured and burned alive, whilst the lone male servant was given a quick death by beheading. On New Year’s Eve 1612, Thurzó paid a visit to Čachtice Castle to arrest Elizabeth and four of her servants.Īs per a letter he wrote to his wife, Thurzó found one dead girl in the castle along with another living girl, presumed to be a future victim. Some witnesses named relatives who died while at the gynaeceum (the part of the castle set aside for women), whilst others said that they’d seen traces of torture on dead bodies buried in graveyards and other unmarked locations.
Stories swirled for several years until 1610 when the King of Hungary, Matthias II, ordered György Thurzó, the Palantine of Hungary, to investigate.īy the next year, Thurzó’s team had collected over 300 witness statements which seemingly corroborated the rumours.
After this, the rumours regarding Elizabeth’s bloodlust ramped up. In 1604, Elizabeth’s husband died due to an unknown illness. However, instead of acquiring genteel ways, they ended up as victims of Elizbeth’s depravity. AdvertisementsĮlizabeth supposedly then moved on to more aristocratic targets who’d been sent to her to learn good manners. Her reported reign of terror was, at first, confined to young peasant women, whom she captured and tortured with the help of her servants, before killing them and consuming their blood. Rather, she allegedly exclusively targeted young virgin girls and women, believing that their blood would provide her with eternal youth. However, she didn’t kill any of her male lovers. It was a political arrangement, thus Elizabeth had no qualms about engaging in extramarital affairs. Regardless, it’s possible that it played into her young mind as she grew into adulthood.Įlizabeth was married in 1575 to Count Ferenc Nádasdy. It is unknown whether Elizabeth was given this treatment as a child or not. One of the treatments for this at the time was to rub the blood of a non-sufferer on your face, as well as drinking some of it. Born into nobility in 1560, Elizabeth's family ruled Transylvania, a place long associated with vampire mythology.Īs a child, Elizabeth suffered from epileptic seizures and fits.
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