There were various routes by which the slaves reached the European cities where the specialized castration centres existed. Since the great majority of the boys operated on were Slavs, they were usually brought down through what is now Russia and into Europe from the north. The Vikings captured prisoners in the Slav lands and then sometimes sold them on to other slavers who would bring them to Europe. Just as there was a prohibition in Islam on the castration of slaves, so too did Christianity frown upon the practice. Indeed, even trading in Christian slaves was unacceptable, which made the
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