(Artist unknown, c. 1545)

In a span of more than 25 years, the bloodthirsty Countess of Slovakia claimed more than 600 lives. What drove this woman to murder without shame, without conscience? Could it have been years of incestuous relations within the family that created such a monster? Or was it her lust for blood that made her such a cankerous wretch on Slovakian society?

Erzsebet (or more famously known, Elizabeth) Bathory was a woman of royal ancestry. She was beautiful, as well as cunning. Rumors began to swirl amongst villagers that girls who went to the manor of Countess Bathory never returned to their beloved families. Many suspected that the Countess was a sorceress who practiced the dark arts.

Erzsebet was known to have quite the temper, and was easy to fly into fits of rage. Legend claims that it was during one of these fits, she struck a servant girl, flinging blood upon her skin. As she gazed upon the blood, she believed that her skin had been transformed into a younger, more beautiful glow. Thus began her quest for blood.

Being married to Count Ferencz Nadasday, gave Erzsebet ample opportunity to practice her sadistic tendencies. The Count was often away on war campaigns. But when she came to his estate the Count had taught Erzsebet how to punish the servants, such as dousing them in cold water, and leaving them to freeze to death during the winter. Erzsebet however, took punishments to new extremes.

Many girls were lured to Erzsebet’s castle, where they were tortured beyond comprehension. They would be beaten, cut, or burned. She often carried out the torture herself, but she also had accomplices. Sometimes victims would be savagely poked in many places, only to be drained of their blood. Some would have their mouths sewn shut, or have hot pokers placed upon their faces or within their mouths. Many were mutilated.

The villagers endured this behavior until noble girls began to disappear. No longer could the people tolerate such savage violence. Her castle of torture had been raided, and accounts of her deeds had been proven true. Stories began to surface of bodies being buried about the grounds. Corpses had been strewn about the castle in all forms of decomposition.

During her trial, many accounts of Erzsebet’s monstrosities were brought to light. Girls were chosen for their youth and beauty. Even when the Countess was ill, she’d have girls brought to her bedside so she could beat and bite them. Their flesh would then be served to the servants. Many of the survivors told of their mistreatment. Girls had been buried alive, beheaded, or had body parts removed. Such testimony would lead to Erzsebet’s end.

What was to be done with such a deviant? Many considered the Countess to be a vampire, a witch who drained the innocents of their very souls. Since she was from such distinguished heritage, her sentence was only to be imprisoned in a small set of rooms within her castle. There she died after only having been imprisoned for nearly 4 years. Her reign of revolting torture has made her one of the many notorious serial killers in history.