Countess Elizabeth Báthory (Báthory Erzsébet in Hungarian, Alžbeta Bátoriová in Slovak, Alžběta Báthoryová in Czech, Elżbieta Batory in Polish, 7 August 1560 – 21 August 1614), was a Hungarian countess from the renowned Báthory family. She is possibly the most prolific female serial killer in history and is remembered as the “Blood Countess” and as Bloody Lady of Čachtice, after the castle near Trenčín, in Slovakia, where she spent most of her adult life.
The Báthory family is famous for defending Hungary against the Ottoman Turks.
After her husband’s death, she and four collaborators were accused of torturing and killing hundreds of girls and young women, with one witness attributing to them over 600 victims, though she was only convicted on 80 counts. In 1610, she was imprisoned in Čachtice Castle, where she remained bricked in a set of rooms until her death four years later. She was never formally tried in court.
The case has led to legendary accounts of the Countess bathing in the blood of virgins in order to retain her youth. These stories have led to comparisons with Vlad III the Impaler of Wallachia, on whom the fictional Count Dracula is partly based, and to modern nicknames of the Blood Countess and Countess Dracula.
Báthory Erzsébet
Sunn O))) Lyrics
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and honey from the swarm, a thin coat of eternal whispering
that bleaches from within, a darkness that defiles thought,
stolen by the wingless harpies whose memories lay waste the valley of diamonds,
where the great One sleeps, her eyes,
placid pits of violent tar and bitumen regurgitated by demons chained to misery,
eyes that see nothing for there is only the darkness that wells up from inside,
a great viscous cloud smothering hope,
their disease the tapestry of all that is futile,
her gaze burning holes in the veil that protects the chosen,
her breathe a plague that unleashes the frozen wolves, blind,
their tongues paint your heart with scorpions,
their pestilence an invitation to the only one that matters for
She is the presence that is all that is un-named, for it is Her,
the unbegotten Mistress of the eternal hunger,
dwell forever in her great unholy stomach where the damned befoul themselves in
the glory of her fecund and bloody history,
worship in the torment of a million wasted lives,
bathe in the horror that the blood of time carries with the plague,
and befoul yourself with worship,
for she hates you eternally with the ferocious lust that binds all that inhabit
the wasted and forgotten, the blissful loathing of you is now all that remains,
alone, forgotten and Damned.
The lyrics of Sunn O)))'s Báthory Erzsébet describe a Goddess-like figure, Bathory Erzsebet, who is both awe-inspiring and terrifying. The imagery is vivid and visceral, with references to marble, honey, darkness that bleaches from within, and the dung of the old ones. Bathory's eyes are described as placid pits of violent tar and bitumen, and her breath is a plague that unleashes blind, frozen wolves. She is the presence that is all that is unnamed, the unbegotten Mistress of the eternal hunger. The lyrics suggest that Bathory is both destructive and fecund, with a bloody history that inspires both worship and horror.
The language of the song is rich and evocative, drawing on both religious and mythical archetypes. The wingless harpies who steal from the valley of diamonds are a reference to Greek mythology, while references to the dung of the old ones and the great viscous cloud suggest a more Lovecraftian influence. The language of worship and damnation also has clear religious overtones, with Bathory positioned as a dark and terrifying deity. Overall, the lyrics leave a powerful impression of dread and awe, with Bathory Erzsebet as a figure to be both feared and revered.
Line by Line Meaning
Here. Decompose forever, aware and unholy, encased in marble and honey from the swarm, a thin coat of eternal whispering
The singer introduces the listener to a state of perpetual decay and corruption, where they are forever conscious yet impure. They are encased in a mixture of smooth and sweet substances that provide the slightest cover to the constant hissing of their depraved nature.
that bleaches from within, a darkness that defiles thought, stolen by the wingless harpies whose memories lay waste the valley of diamonds,
The corruption inside the listener seeps through and begins to taint their thoughts. Memories of wingless harpies come to mind, who by their mere existence destroyed a beautiful valley that was once filled with riches.
where the great One sleeps, her eyes, placid pits of violent tar and bitumen regurgitated by demons chained to misery, eyes that see nothing for there is only the darkness that wells up from inside,
The listener is taken to the place where the great, unnamed one resides. Her eyes are sockets of pitch-black tar, spewed up by demons who suffer. They cannot see because there is only darkness within them, which is a reflection of the viewer's own inner dark.
a great viscous cloud smothering hope, a blanket woven from the dung of the old ones, their disease the tapestry of all that is futile,
The ominous atmosphere generated by the viewer's inner darkness stifles all hope. They are surrounded by a heavy haze made up of a material as thick as the excrement of ancient beings. Such a weight is a constant reminder of the futility of life.
her gaze burning holes in the veil that protects the chosen, her breathe a plague that unleashes the frozen wolves, blind, their tongues paint your heart with scorpions,
The lady's gaze can penetrate the veil of protection that guards the chosen ones, and her breath is like the curse that transforms wolves into statues of ice. They cannot see but they can still hurt with their poisoness tongue. Don't forget, it is the artist’s heart that is being metaphorically painted and impaled.
their pestilence an invitation to the only one that matters for She is the presence that is all that is un-named, for it is Her, the unbegotten Mistress of the eternal hunger,
The havoc caused by the wolves is actually an invitation to the most important entity of all, one who is all-encompassing yet not named. She is the mistress of a hunger that has been existent for eternity, but the manner in which She came into existence cannot be described - She was not created by anyone.
dwell forever in her great unholy stomach where the damned befoul themselves in the glory of her fecund and bloody history, worship in the torment of a million wasted lives, bathe in the horror that the blood of time carries with the plague,
The listener is welcomed to live perpetually inside the dark entity's undesirable stomach - one that can only be described in terms of horror. Those who have been cursed to eternal damnation carry it with them. They are summoned to worship the entity, taking joy in the depravity that is an ingredient of her violent journey through history. The listener must also bathe in the horror created by the bloodshed perpetrated by the entity, always carrying with it the plague of time.
and befoul yourself with worship, for she hates you eternally with the ferocious lust that binds all that inhabit the wasted and forgotten, the blissful loathing of you is now all that remains, alone, forgotten and Damned.
Finally, the listener must profane themselves through devotion to the entity, which loathes them with such a furor that it is almost pleasurable. The listener is to remain isolated and forgotten, cursed to eternal damnation for their sins.
Contributed by Gavin C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MRKRINKL
Was in a concert - after two hours I recognized this is not a sound check!