Everyone knows Elizabeth Báthory as the Blood Countess, the noblewoman who supposedly bathed in the blood of young girls to preserve her beauty. But how much of that infamous story is actually true?

In this Tangisode, we're peeling back four centuries of legend to uncover the real woman behind one of history's darkest reputations. From the political power of the Báthory family and the brutal world of sixteenth-century Hungary to the mysterious deaths of servant girls, the daughters of lesser nobles, and the investigation that ended in house arrest instead of a public trial, we separate documented history from gothic folklore.

Was Elizabeth Báthory history's most prolific female serial killer, or did centuries of rumor, politics, and beauty myths transform a real woman into an immortal monster? Pour yourself something appropriately dramatic and join us as we explore where history ends... and legend begins.

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Sources Referenced:

• Craft, Kimberly L. Infamous Lady: The True Story of Countess Erzsébet Báthory. 2009.
• Thorne, Tony. Countess Dracula: The Life and Times of Elisabeth Báthory, the Blood Countess. 1998.
• Bledsaw, Rachael Leigh. No Blood in the Water: The Legal and Gender Conspiracies Against Countess Elizabeth Bathory in Historical Context. Illinois State University, 2014.
• Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Elizabeth Báthory."
• Associated Press. "Centuries Later, Hungary's Blood Countess Still Inspires Debate."