Episode 13 Elizabeth Bathory: Vampiric Blood Countess or Iron-fisted Matriarch?

The legend of Countess Elizabeth Bathory has inspired countless horror movies and heavy metal bands. This enigmatic woman has come to be seen by modern culture as a vampiric monster obsessed with youth and beauty who bathed in the blood of virgin servant girls as a means of staying young. Yet there is no historical record of this and these bizarre accusations came a hundred years after her death. History does show us a cruel and sadistic widow who ruled her empire with an iron fist and delighted in the torture of her servants, yet some historians claim even this isn't true, and that she is completely innocent of these crimes. They claim she was the victim of a complex geopolitical conspiracy. So which is it? Murderess Blood Countess or innocent victim of a conspiracy? Today we will sift through the legends, rumors and historical facts to try to discover the truth behind the infamous and enigmatic Elizabeth Bathory. Website: www.murdercoasterpodcast.com Facebook: Murder Coaster Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MurderCoaster Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks. REFERENCES:Countess Dracula: Life and Times of Elisabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess by Tony ThorneInfamous Lady: The True Story of Countess Erzsébet Báthory by Kimberly L. CraftThe Private Letters of Countess Erzsébet Báthory by Kimberly L. CraftCountess Elizabeth Bathory: The Life and Legacy of History's Most Prolific Female Serial Killer by Charles River Editors