by Tony Thorne
Briggs, Robin, Witches and Neighbours, London, 1996
Burke, P.’(ed.), Economy and Society in Early Modern Europe, London, 1972
Calmet, Augustin, Treatise on the Vampires of Hungary and Surrounding Regions, London, 1759
Chishull, Edmund, Travels in Turkey & Back to England, London, 1747
Codrescu, Andrei, The Blood Countess, New York, 1995
Czigány, Lórant (ed.), Oxford History of Hungarian Literature, Oxford, 1984
da Costa Kaufman, Thomas, Court, Cloister and City, the Art and Culture of Central Europe, 1450-1800, London, 1995
de Laszowska Gérard, Emily, Transylvanian ‘Superstitions’, XIV Century, London, 1885
de Ledrede, Richard, A Contemporary Narrative of Proceedings against Dame Alice Kyteler, for Sorcery in 1324, London, 1843
Delsol, Paula, Nouveau Crimoire de l’Amour, Paris, 1971
de Mello Freyre, Gilberto, Casa-grande e Senzala, Rio de Janeiro, 1933
Dülmen, Richard van, Theatre of Horror, Cambridge, 1990
Elsberg, R. A. von [Ferdinand Strobl von Ravelsberg], Die Blutgräfin. (Elisabeth Báthory) (Ein Sitten- und Charakterbild), Breslau, 1894
Farin, Michael, Heroine des Grauens, Munich, 1989
Farkas, Deák, ‘Magyar Hölgyek Levelei’, Századok, Budapest, 1883
———, Wesselényi Anna, Budapest, 1875
‘A Fellow of the Carpathian Society’, Magyar-Land: Travels through the Snowy Carpathian and the Great Alföld of the Magyar, London, 1881
Fessler, Ignac Aurel, Die Geschichte der Ungern und Ihrer Landsassen, Leipzig, 1824
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, London, 1554, 1563
Frayling, Christopher (ed.), Vampyres – Lord Byron to Count Dracula, London, 1991
Fumée, Martin, A True Historie of the Troubles of Hungarie, newly translated by R.C., Gentleman, London, 1600
Gardonyi, Géza, Eclipse of the Crescent Moon, Budapest, 1899
Gönczi, Ferenc, Somogyi Betyárvilág, Kaposvár, 1944
Gordon, Frances, Blood Ritual, London, 1994
Gróf, László, Carta Hungarica, Budapest, 1988
Hackett, Earle, Blood: the Paramount Humour, Adelaide, 1973
Hamvas, Béla, Az Öt Geniusz, Szombathely, 1989
Hellenbach, Freifrau von, Treue Ermahnung an Ihre Einzige Tochter, Leipzig, 1760
‘Hővér’ [Dezső Rexa], Báthory Erzsébet. Csók István Képéhez, Budapest, 1896
Johnson, E. C., On the Track of the Crescent: Erratic Notes from the Piraeus to Pesth, London, 1885
Kis, Bertalan, ‘Báthory Anna Házasságai’, Századok, 1899
Klaniczay, Gábor, ‘The Accusations and Universe of Popular Magic’, Early Modern Witchcraft: Centres & Peripheries, ed. Bength Ankarloo and Gustav Henningsen, Oxford, 1990
Kočiš, Jozef, Alžbeta Báthoryová a Palatín Thurzó, Martin, 1981
Kósa, László, Magyar Néprajzi Lexikon, Budapest, 1981
Kosáry, Dominic C., A History of Hungary, New York, 1971
———, Bytčiansky Zámok, Martin, 1974
Komáromy, András, ‘A “Bübájos” Báthory Anna’, Századok, Budapest, 1894
Lehoczky, Tivadar, ‘Babonaság és Kuruzslás a XVII. Században’, Századok, Budapest, 1872
Lithgow, William, Travels & Voyages through Europe, Asia & Africa for Nineteen Years (12th edn), Leith, 1814
Makkai, Sándor, Ördögszekér, Budapest, 1925
Marthy, Barna, Élet és Irodalom, issues 51, 52, Budapest, 1979
Masters, Brian, The Dukes, London, 1976
Masters, R. E. L., and Lea, Edward, Perverse Crimes in History, New York, 1963
McNally, Raymond T., Dracula was a Woman, London, 1984
Mednyansky, Aloys von, Erzählungen, Sagen und Legenden aus Ungarn Vorzeit, Pest, 1829
———, Malerische Reise auf dem Waagflusse in Ungern, Pest, 1826
Nagy, Ivan, Révai Nagy Lexikon, Budapest, 1911
Nagy, László, A Rossz Hírü Báthoryak, Budapest, 1984
———, Az Erös Fekete Bég, Budapest, 1987
Nicholas, Margaret, The World’s Wickedest Women, London, 1984
Nižňansky, Jožo, Čachtická Pani, Prague, 1932
Paget, John, Hungary & Transylvania, London, 1839
Pálóczy-Horváth, G., In Darkest Hungary, London, 1944
Pápai Párisz, Ferenc, Pax Corporis, Koloszvár, 1747
Parker, G., Europe in Crisis, New York, 1980
Pázmány, Péter, Sermons, Pozsony, 1636
Penrose, Valentine, La Comtesse Sanglante, Paris, 1957
Périsset, Maurice, La Comtesse de Sang, Erzsébet Báthory, Paris, 1975
Péter, Katalin, A Csejtei Várúrnö Báthory Erzsébet, Budapest, 1985
———, ‘The later Ottoman Period and Royal Hungary’, A History of Hungary (ed. Péter F. Sugár et al.), London & New York, 1979
Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts, Budapest, 1993
Pizarnik, Alejandra, ‘The Bloody Countess’, Other Fires, A. Manguel (ed.), London, 1986
Pócs, Éva, Fairies and Witches at the Boundary of South-Eastern and Central Europe, Helsinki, 1989
Purchas, his Pilgrimes, London, 1625
Radford, Ken, Fire Burn, London, 1989
Radvánszky, Béla, ‘Foglalkozás, Idötoltés, Játék a XVI es XVII Században’, Századok, Budapest, 1887
Radvánszky, Béla, ‘Lakodalmak a XVI és XVII Században’, Századok, Budapest, 1883
———, Régi Magyar Szakácskönyvek, Budapest, 1893
Ranft, Michael, De Masticatione Mortuorum in Tumuli, Leipzig, 1728
Raskó, Gabrielle, A Nöi Bünözsés, Budapest, 1978
Revický, Bartolomej, Báthory Erzsébet, Piešt’ány, 1903
Ronay, Gabriel, The Truth about Dracula, London, 1972
Schram, Ferenc, Magyarországi Boszorkányperek 1529-1768, Budapest, 1970, 1982
Seabrook, William, ‘World Champion Lady Vampire of All Time’, Witchcraft, Its Power in the World Today, New York, 1940
Sheridan le Fanu, Joseph, ‘Carmilla’, Dark Blue magazine, London, 1871
Sinor, Denis, History of Hungary, London, 1959
Szádeczky-Kardoss, Irma, Báthory Erzsébet-Igaszága, Budapest, 1993
Szepsi Laczkó, Máté, Emlékezetül Hagyott Írások, 1983
Takats, Sándor, Régi Magyar Asszonyok, Budapest, 1982
Thaly Kálmán, ‘Gyógyítások Ráolvasás és Babonaság Által’, Századok, Budapest, 1883
Tóth, Béla, A Magyar Anekdotakincs, Budapest, 1899-1904
———, Mendemondak. A Világtörténet Furcsaságai, Budapest, 1896
Túróczi, László, Ungaria Suis cum Regibus Compendio Data, Tyrnava, 1744
Vándor, Kálman, Báthory Erzsébet, Budapest, 1941
Várkonyi, Ágnes R., Connections between the Cessation of Witch Trials and the Transformation of Social Structure Related to Hygiene, Budapest, 1991
Wagner, Michael, Beyträge zur Philosophischen Anthropologie und den Damit Werwandten Wissenschaft, Vienna, 1794
Wéber, Samuel, and Szádeczky, Lajos, ‘Adalékok a Babona és a Hiedelmek Történetéhez’, Századok, 1882
Werböczy, Istvan, Opus Tripartitum Juns Consuetudinaii Hungariae, Buda, 1514
Zsigmond, Móricz, Tündérkert, Budapest, 1921
Filmography
Ceremonia Sangrienta, dir. Jorge Grau, X Films/Luis Films, Spain/Italy, 1972
Contes Immoraux, dir. Walerian Borowczyk, Argos Films, France, 1974
Countess Dracula, dir. Peter Sasdy, Hammer Films, GB, 1970
Le Rouge aux Lèvres, dir. Harry Kümel, Showking/Cinevog/Maya Films/Roxy Films, Belgium/France/West Germany, 1971
Notes
Preface
1 Bathory Palace, c/o Lara A. Haynes, 1618 SW 3rd, Topeka Ks. 66606–1215, USA.
2 The case was reported in the London Daily Mail on Thursday 9 February 1995.
Introduction
1 See Susan Bassnett, ‘Blood
and Mirrors: Imagery of Violence in the Writings of Alejandra Pizarnik’, in Essays on Latin American Women, OUP, Oxford 1996.
2 Alejandra Pizarnik, ‘The Bloody Countess’, in A. Manguel (ed.), Other Fires, Picador, London, 1986.
3 Valentine Penrose, La Comtesse Sanglante, Mercure de France, Paris, 1957.
4 John Paget, Esq., Hungary and Transylvania, John Murray, London, 1839.
5 Ibid.
6 Contes Immoraux, directed by Walerian Borowczyk, Argos films, France, 1974.
7 Countess Dracula, directed by Peter Sasdy, Hammer Films, GB, 1970.
8 Gabriel Ronay, The Truth about Dracula, Victor Gollancz, London, 1972.
9 J. Sheridan le Fanu, ‘Carmilla’, in Dark Blue magazine, London, 1871.
10 Now generally spelled Szápolyai in Hungarian sources.
11 For snow-white steed thou gav’st the land
For golden bit, the grass
For the rich saddle, Duna’s stream
Now bring the deed to pass.
Bowring, Poetry of the Magyars
12 ‘R. C. Gentleman’ in the preface to his translation of Martin Fumée’s A True Historie of the Troubles of Hungarie, London, 1600.
13 William Lithgow, Travels and Voyages through Europe, Asia and Africa for Nineteen Years, 12th edn, Leith, 1814. William Lithgow was one of the earliest English-speaking gentleman-explorers, recording the opinions of a forthright Presbyterian islander as he travelled through Hungary and into Transylvania and Wallachia in 1616, descending the Danube from Vienna in the company of the Turkish ambassador.
14 Charles Boner, Transylvania: Its Products and its People, Longman, London, 1865.
15 Lithgow, Travels.
16 ‘Magyarfaló vasgárdista? Cioran és a magyarok’ (‘Hungarophagous Iron Guardist? Cioran and the Hungarians’), Magyar Napló, no. 24, Budapest, November 1993.
17 Jozo Nižňanský, Čachtická Pani, Prague, 1932.
18 Andrei Codrescu, The Blood Countess, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1995.
19 Frances Gordon, Blood Ritual, Headline, London, 1994.
20 Margaret Nicholas, The World’s Wickedest Women, Octopus Books, London 1984.
Chapter One
1 Béla Hamvas, Az Öt Geniusz, Szombathely, 1989.
2 John Paget, Esq., Hungary and Transylvania, John Murray, London, 1839.
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid.
5 The very few artefacts preserved from the old manor-house are displayed in the Čachtice museum, which is located in a wing of the newer mansion there.
6 Von Elsberg reproduces a photograph of the house in question in his work Die Blutgräfin. Elisabeth Báthory, Breslau, 1894, as does Revicky in his Báthory Erzsebet, Pieštány, 1903.
7 See e.g. Paget, Hungary; and Biographie Universelle, Paris, 1843.
8 Jožo Nižňansky, Čachtická Pani, Prague, 1932.
9 G. Pálóczy-Horváth, In Darkest Hungary, Victor Gollancz, London, 1944.
10 Istvan Werböczy, Opus Tripartitum Juris Consuetudinarii Hungariae, 1514.
11 Here and elsewhere the author is much indebted to Dr Gábor Várkonyi of Budapest University for his insights into the history of Hungary and Transylvania. Parts of this summary are adapted with kind permission from his lecture ‘Poland and Hungary at the End of the Sixteenth Century’, delivered at the London University School of Slavonic and East European Studies, 28 November 1995.
12 P. Burke (ed.), Economy and Society in Early Modern Europe, RKP, London, 1972.
13 Lady Hellenbach, Treue Ermahnung an Ihre Einzige Tochter, Leipzig, 1760.
14 Voivode or vajda was the title given to a ruler appointed to govern a district or province; a post which was often a stepping stone on to the higher aristocracy.
15 Katalin Péter, ‘The Later Ottoman Period and Royal Hungary’, in Péter F. Sugár, Péter Hanák and Tibor Frank (eds), A History of Hungary, I.B. Tauris & Co., London and New York, 1979.
16 Dominic G. Kosary, A History of Hungary, Arno Press and New York Times, New York, 1971.
17 Jozef Kočiš, Bytčiansky Zámok, Martin, 1974.
18 Thomas da Costa Kaufman, Court, Cloister and City: The Art and Culture of Central Europe, 1450–1800, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1995.
19 The letter is in the Thurzó family archive in the Slovak State Regional Archive at Bytča.
20 Ibid.
21 Paget, Hungary.
Chapter Two
1 The January trial evidence was first published in the journal Hesperus in Prague in 1817.
2 Biographie Universelle, Paris, 1843.
3 Valentine Penrose, La Comtesse Sanglante, Mercure de France, Paris, 1957.
4 S. T. Bindoff, Tudor England, Penguin, London, 1950.
5 Richard van Dülmen, Theatre of Horror, Polity Press, Cambridge, 1990.
6 Original instruments of torture are on display for example in the castle of Nuremberg in Germany and Warwick castle in England; methods of torture are illustrated in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs (1554, 1563).
7 Kálmán Vándor, Báthory Erzsébet, Budapest, 1941.
8 The original transcript and judgements are in the Thurzó archive at Bytča.
9 Ibid.
10 Although this intriguing reference to a sexually ambiguous companion is reminiscent of similar testimony given in a number of witch-trials across Europe, it was not corroborated or referred to by other witnesses.
11 See p. 185.
12 In the Thurzó archive at Bytča.
13 Ibid.
14 Jozef Kočiš, Bytčiansky Zámok, Martin, 1974.
Chapter Three
1 László Túróczi, Ungaria Suis cum Regibus Compendio Data, Tyrnava, 1744.
2 John Paget, Esq., Hungary and Transylvania, John Murray, London, 1839.
3 An original copy of the evidence is in the Hungarian National Archives in Budapest.
4 One of the castle guards at Beckov, Paul Rakolupsky, was required on taking up his post in 1608 to swear his oath of fealty to Elisabeth and jointly to Francis Mágóchy, his wife Ursula Dersffy, János (not Péter) Ráttkay, Daniel Pongrácz and his wife Anna Majláth. The document is in the Nádasdy archive in Budapest.
5 The connection between the families was traced by Irma Szádeczky-Kardoss in her work, Báthory Erzsébet – Igazsága, Budapest, 1993.
6 The original is in the Hungarian National Archives in Budapest.
7 See p. 99.
8 ‘Hungarians in Purgatory’, a chapter in V. Kovács Sándor (ed), from The History of Our Literature of Chivalry, Szépirodalmi Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 1985.
9 The original is in the Thurzó archive in the Hungarian National Archives in Budapest.
10 Ibid.
11 Ibid.
12 Ibid.
13 Count Esterházy includes in his book of spells and cures an interesting formula which he calls a ‘snake-curse’. This sequence of words, which is very similar in format to Elisabeth’s charm, is in fact a Slavonic prayer with the addition of one or two nonsense terms. So it seems that the Hungarian ruling class often used the language of their Slav serfs and priests in superstitious ceremonies (also suggesting that they did not well understand what they were saying and arguing against their fluency in Slovak or Croatian).
14 Ibid.
15 Barton’s letter is in the British Museum Manuscript Room, collection Cotton Nero B XII.
16 There are odd words of Czech and Hungarian in both the Latin and Slovak sequences. (Ponikenus’ origins are not known, although he was obviously an ethnic Slav, either native to the region or one of many who had migrated north from Slovenia and Croatia to escape from the advancing Turks or to evangelise.)
17 Tivadar Lehoczky, ‘Babonaság és Kuruzslás a XVII. Században’, Századok, Budapest, 1872.
18 Quoted in Kálmán Thaly, ‘Gyógyítások Ráolvasás és Babonaság Által’, Századok, Budapest, 1883.
19 Weber and Szádeczky, ‘Adalékok’.
20 From the Chronicles of Szepesség, town records from the seventeent
h century, 1st published Budapest, 1910 (2nd ed., Budapest, 1988).
21 Christopher Frayling (ed.), Vampyres: Lord Byron to Count Dracula, Faber & Faber, London, 1991.
22 Mme E. de Laszowska Gérard, ‘Transylvanian Superstitions’, in XIV Century, July 1885.
Chapter Four
1 Béla Radvánszky, ‘Lakodalmak a XVI és XVII Században’, Századok, Budapest, 1883.
2 Letter of 1598, published in Századok, Budapest, 1894.
3 Quoted in László Nagy, Az Erös Fekete Bég (The Mighty Black Bey, the Life of Ferenc Nádasdy), Budapest, 1987.
4 The correspondence is in the Nádasdy family archive in the Hungarian National Archives in Budapest.
5 Ibid.
6 In the Nádasdy family archive.
7 R. A. von Elsberg, Die Blutgräfin. Elisabeth Báthory, Breslau, 1894.
8 The celebratory pamphlet was written by Franciscus Hippolytus Hildesheim and printed by Stephan Creuzer.
9 Radvánszky, ‘Lakodalmak’.
10 Ibid.
11 Paula Delsol, Nouveau Grimoire de l’Amour, Mercure de France, Paris, 1971.
12 Ágnes R. Várkonyi, Connections between the Cessation of Witch Trials and the Transformation of Social Structure Related to Hygiene, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1991.
13 Magyarország Tôrténete (1526–1686 section), ed. Ágnes R. Várkonyi, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1987.
14 The letter from Countess Báthory is referred to in the works of Katalin Péter and Irma Szádeczky-Kardoss.
15 See p. 63.
Chapter Five
1 Quoted (abridged) in László Nagy, A Rossz Hírü Báthoryak, Budapest, 1984.
2 Ibid.
3 Zsuzsana Bozai, ‘Hungarian Aristocratic Women in the Seventeenth Century’ (unpublished thesis), Budapest, 1995.
4 Quoted in László Nagy, Az Erös Fekete Bég: Nádasdy Ferenc, Budapest, 1987.
5 Bozai, ‘Hungarian Aristocratic Women’.
6 Béla Radvánszky, ‘Foglalkozás, Idôtôltés, Játék a XVI és XVII. Században’, Századok, Budapest, 1887.
7 See p. 48.
8 Béla Radvánszky, ‘The Feasts of Count Szaniszló Thurzó in 1603’, Századok, Budapest, 1893.