This week, I explore the life of Elizabeth Bathory, the infamous Hungarian countess who is widely considered to be history's most notorious female serial killer. The legend surrounding Elizabeth, aka Countess Dracula, or The Blood Countess, remains that she was a bloodthirsty killer who tortured and murdered hundreds of young girls (mainly peasants), bathing in their blood in the belief that it would keep her young and beautiful. While it is impossible to know the exact number of The Blood Countess' victims, it is estimated that she may have been responsible for the deaths of up to 650 girls. Elizabeth Bathory remains one of the most intriguing and terrifying figures in history, a woman whose legend has endured for centuries. While the exact truth of her crimes may never be known, the impact she had on history is undeniable. Her story is a reminder of the darkest aspects of human nature and the power of legend to shape our understanding of the past.

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Thank you to this week’s sources:

Infamous Lady The True Story of Countess Erzsebet Báthory
Kimberly L. Craft

The Blood Countess: The Life and Crimes of Elizabeth Bathory
Valentine Penrose

The Legend of Elizabeth Bathory: Blood Bath
Discovery Channel

Elizabeth Bathory: The Blood Countess
Drea Knufken, All That's Interesting, 2019.

The True Story of Elizabeth Bathory: History's Most Prolific Female Serial Killer
Natasha Ishak, The Lineup, 2020

The Woman Who Killed for Beauty
Daisy Dunn, BBC, 2019

Reinventing the 'Blood Countess': Bathory in Popular Culture
Anna Kornbluh, Journal of Dracula Studies, 2008.

The Countess and the Feminists
Victoria Nelson, The New York Times, 1994

Countess Elizabeth Bathory: A Female Dracula?
Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, History.com, 2019

The Blood Countess: Elizabeth Bathory, Vampire or Victim?
Anne McDonnell, Smithsonian Magazine, 2012