They say that behind every great horror story is a hint of truth. The legend of Elizabeth Bathory sits somewhere between Dracula and American Psycho. She was a 16th-century Hungarian noblewoman. Her taste for cruelty, and allegedly virgin blood, earned her the nickname The Blood Countess.

You know, just your average girlboss goals. If girlbossing includes bathing in human blood to stay young forever. #SelfCareButMakeItMedival

Elizabeth and her children. They look so miserable, it’s sending me.

Who Was Elizabeth Bathory?

Elizabeth Bathory was born in 1560 to a powerful aristocratic family. She had more money, land, and political clout than most women of her time. Honestly, she had more than most women of any time.

She spoke multiple languages, ran estates, and wielded influence like a sword. But behind castle walls, things, weren’t just Gothic- they were grisly.

According to legend, Bathory was obsessed with youth and beauty. The rumor mill says she began torturing young servant girls and peasant women- biting, beating, mutilating- and then eventually… bathing in their blood. Some say she believed it would preserve her beauty.

Others think she was just a straight -up sadist in velvet skirts.

Either way? Not exactly spa day approved.

I don’t know if she actually said this, but baby girl, who is you?

Myth Vs. Murder

Historians love to argue about how many people she killed. Some say around 30 victims, others go full horror movie and claim over 600. That’s not a typo. Six. Hundred. Girls.

Her arrest in 1610 came with jaw-dropping accusations. She was never formally put on trial. Again, her wealth and power protected her. She was walled up in a room in her castle. The room had only four slits for food and air.

GO TO YOUR ROOM, ELIZABETH!!!!

She died for years later, sealed in stone and legend.

But here’s where it gets juicy: some scholars believe the charges were setup. A political smear campaign by greedy nobles and the Church to take her lands.

Was she a misunderstood woman ahead of her time? Was she accused of witchcraft and murder simply for being rich? Was it because she was educated and intimidating?

Or was she the real deal- a vampire before vampires had branding?

A Witchy Little Aside

If you’re lighting a candle tonight (red or black, ideally), pour a little salt in a circle. Then, whisper Elizabeth’s name into the dark.

Well, I’m not saying anything will happen. But I’m also not saying it won’t.

This tale has it all- power, mystery, a whole lot of blood, and questions we may never answer.

It’s what keeps me coming back to cases like this. Okay, Danny’s too. It’s the overlap between truth and myth. The intersection of body and spirit. The connection of crime and consequence.

Elizabeth Bathory might have been a monster. Or she might have been the victim of one of history’s darkest PR takedowns.

either way, her story drips with danger. And honestly? I’m into it.

Final Thoughts: Would She Have Had a Tiktok?

Probably. And it would have been freaking terrifying. Think vampy thirst traps, blood-red filters, and cryptic captions like “Beauty is pain. Especially yours.”

Sleep tight!

❤ Luna