Episode Fifty-Three: Elizabeth Bathory – The Blood Countess
You know how Count Dracula is usually said to be partially based on Vlad the Impaler? Well, most scholars think that the legendary literary bloodsucker was also based on someone who was arguably even scarier than that: Elizabeth Bathory. The Hungarian countess has become infamous for the horrific torture and murder of anywhere between 35 and 650 young women, and in later years, stories arose that she bathed in virgin blood to retain her youth. Countess Bathory, as a matter of fact, is credited by no less an authority than the Guinness Book of World Records for being the world’s most prolific female serial killer. On this episode of 13 O’Clock, Tom and Jenny delve into the terrifying and crimson-drenched world of the Blood Countess, trying to sort the truth from the myth. Exsanguinate the nearest servants and relax in a tub full of gore (don’t really do that), it’s time for episode 53.
Jenny Ashford is a horror and paranormal writer, graphic designer, and podcaster. Her books include three novels, Bellwether, The Five Poisons, and Red Menace; two short story collections, Hopeful Monsters and The Associated Villainies; a graphic novel, The Tenebrist; and four paranormal nonfiction works: The Unseen Hand: A New Exploration of Poltergeist Phenomena; The Mammoth Mountain Poltergeist, co-authored with Tom Ross; House of Fire and Whispers: Investigating the Seattle Demon House, and The Rochdale Poltergeist, both co-authored with parapsychologist Steve Mera. Her short stories have also appeared in several anthologies, including The Nightmare Collective, History Is Dead, 2012AD, ChimeraWorld #3, and ChimeraWorld #4.
Along with Tom Ross, she co-hosts a podcast called 13 O'Clock on the Project Entertainment Network, on which the duo discuss all measure of strange and creepy topics, ranging from the paranormal to true crime to historical mysteries to horror movies. She also makes videos for a sister list channel called 13 O'Clock In Minutes.
Jenny's graphic design work can be seen in marketing materials for Van Gogh Vodka, promo materials for bands including Astari Nite, Ending the Vicious Cycle, Withering Earth, Kids Without Heroes, and Sons of Ragnar, poster designs for Memento Mori at Independent Bar, Thee Grotto and Vengeance at the Haven in Orlando, and on the cover of The Young Atheist's Survival Guide by Hemant Mehta (aka The Friendly Atheist), among many other places. She also runs an online store called GraveCake selling products with her gothic and horror-themed designs.
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