10. Princess Olga of Kiev is said to have killed hundreds of her enemies, burning some alive and poisoning many others, but she was still named a Saint
The story of Olga of Kiev has undoubtedly been embellished over the centuries. But even if tales of the Ukrainian royal’s wicked temper and blood-lust are only partly true, they still make her one of the most bad-add princesses of all time. Though hardly anything is known about her early years – save for the fact she was born in city of Pskov, most probably in 879AD – she enters the history books from 903AD, the year she married into royalty. Her husband, the future Igor or Kiev, ruled over the Kievan Rus. Unsurprisingly for those times, he made many enemies, including the Drevilans. And it was the Drevilans who killed Igor in 945, leaving Princess Olga in charge.
Believing that Olga was naturally weak, the Drevilans asked her to marry their own Prince Mal. According to the legend, she asked her enemies to send 20 of their best men to make the case for an arranged marriage. When they arrived, she offered them use of her best bathhouse. Then, when the men were inside, she locked the doors and burned them all alive. She also invited 5,000 Drevilans to a feast. Olga got them all drunk and then had her soldiers butcher them all in cold blood. At the same time, however, Olga also worked tirelessly to promote Christianity throughout modern-day Ukraine and was even made a saint for her efforts.