Saturday, March 5, 2011

The Blood Countess

McFarlane's Monsters series 3: Elizabeth Bathory
Elizabeth Báthory has appeared in numerous films, books, music and video games. If you somehow haven't heard of her, here's the rundown on history's most prolific female serial killer.

In Hungary, during the 1500s and early 1600s, she allegedly tortured and killed more than 600 women. According to testimony, she was accused of:
  • severe beatings over extended periods of time, often leading to death
  • burning or mutilation of hands, sometimes also of faces and genitalia
  • biting the flesh off the faces, arms and other bodily parts
  • freezing to death
  • surgery on victims, often fatal
  • starving of victims
  • sexual abuse
Her real claim to fame were the later accounts that she had bathed in the blood of slaughtered virgins to retain her beauty and youth. (Not recommended by dermatologists, btw.)

However, her guilt is debated. Some believe she was just the victim of religious persecution and a political conspiracy. But, guilty or innocent, Elizabeth Báthory has gone down in history as a sadistic murderess.

16 comments:

Jonny said...

Countless video game characters come to mind after reading this; namely The Countess and Blood Raven from D2.

Break said...

Woah thats pretty harcore :O

Jay said...

Did not know that, will look up more on this Elizabeth Bathory.

following. :)

Astronomy Pirate said...

That's crazy. So she was kind of the female Vlad Dracul.

baxxman said...

Incredible. six hundred? wow
Baxxmans

Freek said...

It's funny. If it was a set-up by the church, then the church is fucked up. If she really did do all those things, then she's fucked up.

It would shock me to think that just because you're a noble you could get away with stuff like this.

llllollllll said...

Wow. She was batshit crazy.

ExoticBlogger said...

wow that's insane

Alphabeta said...

Bathing in virgins' blood isn't great for skin, agreed, but it does wonders for one's immortality.
I'm 83 and have the body of a 19 year old.

Rachel Neilson said...

I can't believe that has happened.

Fix PC Games Admin said...

that is cruel :o followed ! monitoring blog

Vyper said...

Ew..a real blood bath.

The Wired said...

Oh, thats wicked! I like the figure too! And she must have been pretty f'ed up in the head, but legendary all the same. But I'll say this, the way the Church portrays women, I wouldn't be surprised that this is just slander against her... Good read though!

Moobeat said...

It's always suprised me how popular Elizabeth bathory is

Jesse Brooks said...

That's scary to think about. I wonder how much she only changed the course of history by killing those women. Imagine how many descendants were never born because of her. Things could be very different now.

Great post and great blog :)

Poetry of the Day said...

yea that woman was nuuuuuts
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