People often wonder why women were persecuted so much during the European xtian forced conversion. To answer this we need to look at what role women played in society. It was the wife's job to teach and raise the children at home. Not only did the wife and mother teach practical matters but also told the children of the Gods and the way of our folk. This was a sacred duty for women passed on from mother to daughter for centuries.
The conversion to xtianity was basically forced upon the people by greedy war lords and kings who wanted to use the xtian ideas and practices to hold on to power for longer making it easier to lord over the average man and increase their wealth passing onto their family after they passed. xtianity created the elite ultra rich class that still sadly rules over us today. Their soldiers and sheriffs etc could easily ban public worship for the Gods and stop sacred places being used but they struggled to oppress what was happening in peoples own homes. The old ways were still being taught to children by mothers all over Europe.
This is why the extreme practices of burning witches, drowning witches and torture were common place. Milions must have died. women were the last hurdle for xtians to cement their power over us.
During the reign of Charlemagne women were impaled on sharpened poles put in the vagina. Slowly over days the pole would travel the length of the body through the organs causing tremendous pain, simply because a woman was found collecting herbs in the forest. She was labeled a witch. Their screams could be heard for days as an example to those who would not accept the foreign faith.
I should mention, don't judge modern xtians too harshly for our ancestors actions. We like to learn of and share our history but let's focus on our own lives and moving forward in a positive manner, rather than wasting time and energy thinking of xtians or others in a negative way.
