Elizabeth Bathory is often looked upon as one of the true sources of the vampire legends and stories about her abound. Although there is some debate as to whether she bathed in the blood of virgins or simply covered herself in it, there is little doubt that she used it to help try to keep herself young and powerful. Fact and fiction are difficult to differentiate in her tale, but if you combine the known facts with the commonly believed but less verified stories of her, it makes for interesting, if bloody, reading.

Elizabeth Bathory was born into a powerful family in Hungary in 1560. Her parents were George and Anna Bathroy and belonged to one of the oldest, wealthiest aristorcratic families in Hungary. She had a cousin who became Prime Minister and her Uncle, Stephan Bathory, became the King of Poland reigning between 1575