The Legend of Elizabeth Bathory - The Blood Countess (10)

Added 1676580908 by Calandra.

Báthory was said to have killed the daughters of the lesser gentry sent by their parents to learn courtly etiquette and social advancement. Some witnesses told of relatives who had died while at Báthory’s gynaecium. Abductions were said to have also taken place. In all, Báthory was accused of having killed between a couple of dozen and over 600 young women. Almost all were of noble birth and had been sent to the gynaecium. She tortured her victims before killing them and Báthory was suspected of having committed many forms of torture on her victims. Survivors and witnesses reported victims experiencing severe beatings, burning or mutilation of hands, freezing or starving to death. According to the Budapest City Archives, victims would be covered in honey and live ants, or burned with hot tongs and then placed in freezing water. Báthory was said to have stuck needles into her victims’ lips or body parts, stabbing at them with scissors or biting off their breasts, faces, and limbs. She was also rumoured to have vampiric tendencies. Báthory was said to have enjoyed drinking the blood of virgins, believing that it would preserve her beauty and youthfulness. She was also rumoured to bathe in the blood of her young victims. The story goes that she developed this penchant after slapping a female servant in rage, and discovered her skin looked younger where the servant’s blood has splashed on.