Sign up for the

Inside History
newsletter

SHOWS THIS DAY IN HISTORY SCHEDULE TOPICS STORIES

THIS DAY IN HISTORY DECEMBER 26

1610
December 26

Hungarian countesses’ torturous

escapades are exposed

On December 26, 1609 or 1610 (sources are not conclusive), Count Gyorgy
Thurzo makes an investigative visit to Csejthe Castle in Hungary on orders
from King Matthias and discovers Countess Elizabeth Bathory directing a
torture session of young girls. Bathory was already infamous in the area for
her torture and murder of servants and peasants, but her title and high-
ranking relatives had, until this point, made her untouchable. Her bloodthirsty
activities have led many to cite her as one of the first vampires in history.

Bathory was born in Transylvania in 1560 to a distinguished family that

included kings, cardinals, knights, and judges. Though she counted many
luminaries among her relatives, her family tree also featured some seriously
disturbed kin. One of her uncles instructed her in Satanism, while her aunt
taught her all about sadomasochism. At the age of 15, Bathory was married to
Count Nadady, and the couple settled into Csejthe Castle. To please his wife,
her husband reportedly built a torture chamber to her specifications.

Bathory’s torture included jamming pins and needles under the fingernails of
her servant girls, and tying them down, smearing them with honey, and leaving
them to be attacked by bees and ants. Although the count participated in his
wife’s cruelties, he may have also restrained her impulses; when he died in the
early 1600s, she became much worse. With the help of her former nurse, Ilona
Joo, and local witch Dorotta Szentes, Bathory began abducting peasant girls to
torture and kill. She often bit chunks of flesh from her victims, and one
unfortunate girl was even forced to cook and eat her own flesh. Bathory
reportedly believed that human blood would keep her looking young and
healthy.

Since her family headed the local government, Bathory’s crimes were ignored
until 1610. But King Matthias finally intervened because Bathory had begun
finding victims among the daughters of local nobles. In January 1611, Bathory
and her cohorts were put on trial for 80 counts of murder. All were convicted,
but only Bathory escaped execution. Instead, she was confined to a room of
the castle that only had slits for air and food. She survived for three years but
was found dead in August 1614.

Citation Information
Article Title
Hungarian countesses’ torturous escapades are exposed

Author
History.com Editors

Website Name
HISTORY

URL
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bathorys-torturous-escapades-are-exposed

Access Date
February 1, 2020

Publisher
A&E Television Networks

Last Updated
December 20, 2019

Original Published Date

November 13, 2009

TAGS · CRIME

BY HISTORY.COM EDITORS

FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here
to contact us!

ALSO ON THIS DAY

CRIME

1985
World-renowned primatologist Dian Fossey is found murdered in
Rwanda
On December 26, 1985, primatologist and conservationist Dr. Dian Fossey is found murdered in her
cabin at Karisoke, a research site in the mountains of Rwanda. It is widely believed that she was
killed in connection with her lifelong crusade against poaching. An animal lover from ...read more

HOLIDAYS

1966
The rst Kwanzaa
The rst day of the rst Kwanzaa is celebrated in Los Angeles under the direction of Maulana
Karenga, the chair of Black Studies at California State University at Long Beach. The seven-day
holiday, which has strong African roots, was designed by Dr. Karenga as a celebration of ...read
more

SPORTS

1908
Jack Johnson wins heavyweight title
Jack Johnson becomes the rst African American to win the world heavyweight title when he knocks
out Canadian Tommy Burns in the 14th round in a championship bout near Sydney, Australia.
Johnson, who held the heavyweight title until 1915, was reviled by whites for his de ance ...read
more

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1946
Bugsy Siegel opens Flamingo Hotel
Mobster Bugsy Siegel opens the glitzy Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 26, 1946.
Well-known singer and comedian Jimmy Durante headlined the night's entertainment, with music
by Cuban band leader Xavier Cugat. Some of infamous gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel’s ...read
more

WORLD WAR II

1944
General Patton relieves Allies at Bastogne
On December 26, General George S. Patton employs an audacious strategy to relieve the besieged
Allied defenders of Bastogne, Belgium, during the brutal Battle of the Bulge. The capture of
Bastogne was the ultimate goal of the Battle of the Bulge, the German o ensive through the ...read
more

U.S. PRESIDENTS

1972
Truman dies
On December 26, 1972, former President Harry S. Truman dies in Independence, Missouri. Then-
President Richard Nixon called Truman a man of “forthrightness and integrity” who had a deep
respect for the o ce he held and for the people he served, and who “supported and wisely ...read
more

Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox.

SIGN UP

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1820
Moses Austin asks Spanish for Texas colony
Hoping to recover from bankruptcy with a bold scheme of colonization, Moses Austin meets with
Spanish authorities in San Antonio to ask permission for 300 Anglo-American families to settle in
Texas. A native of Durham, Connecticut, Austin had been a successful merchant in ...read more

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY

1973
“The Exorcist” opens in theaters
On December 26, 1973, The Exorcist, a horror lm starring the actress Linda Blair as a girl
possessed by an evil spirit, makes its debut in theaters; it will go on to earn a reputation as one of
the scariest movies in history. The Exorcist was based on William Peter Blatty’s ...read more

NATURAL DISASTERS & ENVIRONMENT

2004
Tsunami devastates Indian Ocean coast
A powerful earthquake o the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, on December 26, 2004 sets o a
tsunami that wreaks death and devastation across the Indian Ocean coastline. The quake was the
second strongest ever recorded and the estimated 230,000 dead made this disaster one of the 10
...read more

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

1956
Carmaker Preston Tucker dies
On December 26, 1956, the visionary carmaker Preston Tucker dies of lung cancer. He was just 53
years old. Tucker began his career in the auto industry as a mail messenger at General Motors. He
quickly worked his way out of the mailroom, however, and before he turned 30 he was ...read more

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1776
George Washington wins rst major U.S. victory at Trenton
At approximately 8 a.m. on the morning of December 26, 1776, General George Washington’s
Continental Army reaches the outskirts of Trenton, New Jersey, and descends upon the
unsuspecting Hessian force guarding the city. Trenton’s 1,400 Hessian defenders were still groggy
from ...read more

WORLD WAR I

1917
U.S. government takes over control of nation’s railroads
Eight months after the United States enters World War I on behalf of the Allies, President Woodrow
Wilson announces the nationalization of a large majority of the country’s railroads under the
Federal Possession and Control Act. The U.S. entry into the war in April 1917 ...read more

WORLD WAR II

1943
Britain surprises German attacker in the Arctic
On December 26, the German battle cruiser Scharnhorst is sunk by British warships in the Arctic after decoded German naval signals reveal that the
Scharnhorst is on a mission to attack an Anglo-American convoy to Russia. Hitler’s navy had posed serious threats to convoys shipping ...read more

Ad Choices · Advertise · Closed Captioning · Copyright Policy · Corporate Information

· Employment Opportunities · FAQ/Contact Us · Privacy Notice · Terms of Use · TV Parental Guidelines
· RSS Feeds · Accessibility Support

© 2020 A&E Television Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.