A sárkány árnyékában
Between Cult and History: Interpretations Life of Erzsébet Báthory

Summary/Abstract: The legend of Erzsébet Báthory was born in the 18th century. In his book, László Thuróczi, while describing the town of Csejte, mentioned her tragic story, and thus created the myth of the mistress of the manor who bathed in the blood of young girls. Throughout the centuries this judgement barely changed, and she has become the cultic protagonist of a horror story. Not even scientific research could defy this legend until the 1990s, when some major contradictions were pointed out. Although depositions were examined carefully, some weirdness remained around them. It seems that the accusation is based on ten people’s statements, and none of them had proof. The roles of the palatine and the clerk are also questionable. The story is complex not because of its horror, but because it is almost impossible to find out all the motivation of its characters. This study would like to aim at solving this impossibility by analysing the sources more closely and investigating the story from a new aspect.

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