Elizabeth Báthory - The Blood Countess

Elizabeth Báthory, a Hungarian noblewoman of the 16th and 17th centuries, gained a notoriety that chills the blood to this day. Accused of torturing and killing hundreds of young women, she earned the grim moniker, the "Blood Countess."

Báthory's descent into depravity allegedly began after her husband's death in 1604. Obsessed with maintaining her youthful beauty, a dark legend claims she believed bathing in the blood of virgins held the key. Testimonies point to Báthory and her accomplices, primarily female servants, subjecting young women to unimaginable cruelty. These victims, ranging from peasant girls to daughters of minor nobility, were lured to her castle under the guise of employment or education. Once there, they faced a brutal reality. Accounts detail horrors like beatings, burning with hot irons, mutilation, and exposure to the elements.

Báthory's powerful family initially shielded her from consequences. However, the sheer number of disappearances and the escalating social status of her victims forced King Matthias II of Hungary to intervene. In 1610, officials arrived at Csejte Castle, Báthory's home, to find a horrifying scene. While the exact number of victims remains unknown, estimates range from the dozens to the hundreds.

Báthory's accomplices were put on trial and executed. Due to her noble status, she received a different fate. Bricked into a small chamber within her own castle, she remained imprisoned until her death in 1614.