Friday, December 28, 2012

The Bloody Countess; The Atrocities of Erzebet Bathory; a book

Merry Christmas and Happy New year. My cat, Lady Emma Gaga de Bathory, is sitting next to me, asleep, clutching her assorted cat toys and dolls, all with the last name mouse. Crinkle Mouse, Poodle Mouse, Ikea Rat Mouse, Rocket Mouse, Octo Mouse, etc. She asked me to mention this book by Valentine Penrose, transl. Alexaner Trocchi. Hand and rotator cuff injuries are better, not helped by a St. Vitus' type dance I peformed down an icy drive way; kept my balance, still got hurt.
The book appears to take the usual partytline about the 650 victims, but adds cannibalism to her list of alleged crimes. It is easy to write this kind of book, if one has time. One is adding to what is already out there, regurgitating what has been said. The research for much of these stories was secondary and written long after Erzebet died. But, I will not be unfair, and I applaud anyone who been able to be published and translated. Enlightened views take a long time; this book was published in 2006, and much has changed since then regarding Erzebet. Here is the description from the Edward R. Hamilton Book Seller most recent catgalog, received by post yesterday: "Recounts the true, disurbing case history of Erzebet Bathory, a 16th-century European aristocrat infamous for pathological necrosadism involving torture, blood-drinking, cannivalism, and wholesale slaughter, whose brual acts culminated in the deaths of 650 Carpathians. " (ERBS catalog 44). It is 154 pages long. Enough said. Yet, she was not executed. There was plenty of recent and contemporary precedent for executing royals and aristocrats, all over the world. As recently as 1649, Cromwell had Charles I beheaded in England. The Salem witch trials would take place in the New World less than 50 years after Erzebet died. They were thriving in the Germanic countries, yet, she was spared. Why? What legacy and infamy did Thurzo and her other accusers fear? Were they more than a little unsure? Read this and as many other books possible. I will look and post as time allows to this end.

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