Elizabeth Bathory, also known as the "Blood Countess", was a Hungarian noblewoman who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. She is infamous for allegedly torturing and killing hundreds of young girls in order to bathe in their blood, which she believed would keep her youthful and beautiful. The question of whether Bathory was a victim or a villain is a complex one, and opinions vary widely.
On one hand, some argue that Bathory was a victim of her own circumstances. She was born into a family of aristocrats who were known for their cruelty, and her parents may have abused her as a child. Additionally, Bathory's husband was often away fighting in wars, leaving her to manage their estates and deal with political intrigues on her own.