Although marriage contracts used to state that a woman was a man's companion and helper, she always occupied a subordinate position in the family. The only insurance of her rights used to be the dowry she brought with her and the "charge" her groom had credited to her after the wedding. The man represented the family in public and made his own decisions about the property, operation and income of the entire farm. The position of the village woman was still confirmed by the old Czech law at the beginning of the 20th century: a woman is a prisoner of her husband.
The whole life of a village woman was filled with the role of mother, wife and housewife with many daily responsibilities. A good housewife had to do five jobs a day: cook, milk, bake bread, wash and churn butter. Although the woman was a very valid force in the economy, the social evaluation was very low. She herself could only take care of the unimportant management of the yard (poultry breeding) and keep small revenues from it. She was brought up to her subordinate position by her parents, by their example, by her surroundings and by the church. Modesty and obedience were the most important virtues of a Christian girl and they were to accompany a village woman throughout her life.
A rural woman's first child was usually born within a year of marriage, others usually came after two to three years. In the past, the birth of a child was accompanied by numerous practices and superstitions that could reveal its fate or ensure the best future. The mother lay in the "corner" for the entire six-weeks period, alone in bed, covered with a corner sheet "koutnice". The mother was for the six-weeks cared for by the maternity "grandmother - babička", who often also provided for godparents and entire baptisms. It used to be the custom for relatives and neighbors to send the woman "in the corner" boiled chicken in noodle soup, pastries, sip of a spirit and small gifts. The mother had to observe certain rules (she was not allowed to go barefoot, with bare hair, to the well, to the cellar, to leave the child without various precautions, etc.), because she was considered sinful and impure. It was no wonder that after the six weeks she wanted to go to church as soon as possible "for the introduction" so that she could go about her work and the old order would return to the household.
Folk wisdom and proverbs described the position of women harshly and truthfully in the spirit of their time:
- With a girl like with buns - take them while they are fresh
- Girl until the age of twelve comb, until sixteen watch out, until eighteen thank the one who takes her out of the house
- A bride without a dowry is like a pretty picture - you like it, but it doesn't feed or clothe anyone.
- The Horse and the Woman have the most faults.
- Keep a woman like a duvet, shake her like a pear tree.
- Don't lend a horse, don't let a woman go to a feast.
- A woman is like wax – you need to shape her according to your will.
- Praise a horse in a month, praise a woman in a year.
