The Inquisition and the Witch Hunt

It's also possible that Bathory was targeted by the male dominated establishment at the time because vilification or demonization of women was a common way of removing them from the political chessboard. In certain practices in the Inquisition, in certain non-inquisition witch hunts, the person who put the witch to trial would receive the wealth of the estate. They were not objective in their accusations. So, it's quite possible that this was a political hit. But we say all this because whether or not the legend is true, it is something iconic. It is an image that is stayed with us.