Erzsébet Báthory (1560-1614) is considered Hungary’s most infamous serial killer. There’s probably a Commie thug or two that gave her a run for the money in the 20th century but she’s still retained her grisly title. Her reputation was one of such infamy that stories began to evolve that included decidedly vampiric details. One such detail: she bathed in the blood of virgins to keep herself young. Those stories have in turn given birth to names, names such as the Blood Countess and Countess Dracula.

 

The atrocities she is believed to have actually committed are far worse than any blood bath and the number of victims ranges from a conservative 36 (a total provided by one of her accomplices, the dwarf Fickó, during the resulting trials) to upwards of 650. Personnel at her castle of Sárvár reported that between 100 and 200 bodies had been removed from the castle over her years of ‘activity’.

 

Countess Báthory was never brought to trial. Efforts were made to pursue further testimonies against her following the trials (and executions) of her accomplices but house arrest to a single room was the extent of the punishment she would ever face. Eventually, she died in that single room. I’d like to think that King Matthias dispatched a vampire hunter to finish her having failed to find a legal route.