skopowe

The term "skopowe" refers to a historical practice within Slavic cultures, particularly among the Eastern Slavs, of castrating young boys, often for service in harems or as eunuch singers. This practice was most prevalent in the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire, where Slavic peoples were often enslaved or taken as captives. The exact etymology of "skopowe" is debated, but it is thought to be derived from Slavic words related to castration or emasculation.

Boys subjected to skopowe were typically young, often between the ages of eight and twelve, as this was believed to be the optimal age for the procedure to be most effective in preventing the development of secondary sexual characteristics and to ensure a higher-pitched voice for singing. The castration was a brutal and often fatal procedure, with high mortality rates due to infection and blood loss. Those who survived were then trained for specific roles, such as eunuch servants in palaces, guardians of women's quarters, or as singers in church choirs and imperial courts.

While the practice was most associated with the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, evidence suggests that similar customs may have existed in other Slavic regions, though on a smaller scale and with less documentation. The rise of Christianity and later cultural shifts gradually led to the decline and eventual abandonment of skopowe in most Slavic societies. The term itself has largely fallen out of common usage, remaining primarily within historical and academic contexts.