400 years later, accounts of Hungarian ‘Blood Countess’ remain shrouded in mystery and controversy

Associated Press

ČACHTICE, Slovakia (AP) — More than 400 years after her death, the truth about “the Blood Countess,” a Hungarian noblewoman alleged to have been the most prolific female serial killer of all time, remains elusive. From her castle atop a rugged peak in what is today Slovakia, Elizabeth Báthory was alleged to have tortured and killed up to 650 young women and girls. Gruesome legends persist that she delighted in bathing in the blood of the victims, believing it would help retain her youth. Báthory’s macabre story has captivated imaginations, and invited speculation, for centuries. But some researchers have cast doubt on whether she was responsible for the savagery and suggest that as a wealthy and powerful woman in late Renaissance Europe, she herself may have been the victim.