a peculiar form of gender equality.

During the Pagan Era in early Middle Ages,

Slavic women enjoyed great independence and sovereignty.

Medieval authors give us

a large-scale picture of woman's activity.

A woman could occupy

the same niche as a man did,

in other words be "sorcerer", "warrior" and "worker"

Although Slavic societies were

(and still are, to various extents)

fiercely patriarchal

and main task in every woman's life

was birth and upbringing of children

and home-stead-ing,

there also existed a peculiar form of gender equality.