The Blood Countess

            You may have heard of Elizabeth of Bathory, otherwise known as the Blood Countess. She was born into an important family of Hungarian nobility. She’s one of the most notorious female serial killers in history.  She and four accomplices killed and tortured hundreds of girls. The four accomplices were convicted of torturing and killing eighty girls. Elizabeth on the other hand was never tried. She was instead locked in a castle for her remaining four years of life.

            The Blood Countess once slapped her maid for a minor offense. Blood spurted out of the maid’s nose and onto the Countess. She thought her skin looked younger in the places that had been touched by blood. This started a long line of maids who had their wrists slit. Elizabeth bathed in their blood.

            Elizabeth of Bathory certainly had strange views on cosmetics. Whether she was evil or mentally unbalanced doesn’t really matter. The Blood Countess’ brutal blood baths are truly the most extreme way to stay looking young I’ve ever heard of.

The Mary Celeste

            Have you heard of the Mary Celeste, the ship that’s crew disappeared? It’s considered the greatest maritime mystery of all time. In my opinion, it’s for a good reason.

            The Mary Celeste was discovered on December 4, 1872 without the crew and passengers. It appeared to be abandoned. The weather was fine, and the crew was able seamen, so no one could figure out why the crew had gone missing. The ship had been at sea for one month, and still had six months worth of food on the ship. All the cargo and personal possessions of the crew were untouched. The crew was never heard from again.

            People have been trying to figure out this mystery for centuries, and there are no clear answers. There have been theories including alcoholic fumes, underwater earthquakes, waterspouts, sea monsters, and aliens.  They are possible, but not likely.

            Although this is considered one of the most interesting mysteries of the sea, the world probably wouldn’t have known or cared if not for Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle, a man struggling to establish himself as a writer. The story has grown and been changed. So, who really knows what happened to the Mary Celeste?  I’d have to say no one.