Hrob F II na dánském pohřebišti Stengade II (Langeland) pochází z doby vikinské. Po odkrytí kamenného závalu byly ve zbytcích pohřební komory nalezeny dvě kostry, jedna z nich s useknutou hlavou a svázanýma nohama. Tradičně bývá hrob vykládán jako doklad společného pohřbu pána s otrokem, který byl před nuceným spolupohřbením zabit. Tento výklad nově zpochybnil Zdeněk Smetánka, který interpretoval kameny, jimiž byl hrob zakryt, a stopy násilí na jednom z pohřbených jako doklady tzv. ‚bázně z mrtvých‘ (crainte des mortes). Autor předkládaného článku tento názor odmítá a s přihlédnutím k dochovaným literárním pramenům přiznává jistou pravděpodobnost tradiční interpretaci. Na závěr zvažuje, nakolik je možno poznat mentální svět společnosti doby vikinské pouze na základě archeologického svědectví. and Inhumation grave F II at the Viking Age burial site of Stengade II (Langeland, Denmark) is usually interpreted as an example of the burial of a man together with his slave. The decapitation and fetters on the body of the slave are taken to indicate the execution of the slave during the burial of the master. This view has recently been challenged by Zdeněk Smetánka, who argues (mostly on the basis of comparative evidence) that the traces of violence on the body are an expression of “crainte des mortes”, i.e. that the mutilated man was not a slave but rather a person suspected of becoming a revenant after his death. The author of the present article, relying mainly on surviving literary evidence, dismisses this theory, and pleads rather for the standard interpretation. The conclusion questions the possibility of understanding the mental world of Viking Age society solely on the basis of archaeological evidence.
Globalization is a process. It is sweeping away old cultural norms and social orders and is bringing death to traditional beliefs and customs. This is a process of change, and many aspects of culture are changed forever. It is possible for this kind of transition to happen in many different ways and in many situations "the clash of civilizations" does not necessarily result in conflict. Cultural norms are voluntarily exchanged between various groups, but the differences in social standards are too difficult to accept, one culture begins to change the other. In such cases, one important question emerges . "Who has the right to decide which cultural norms and traditions are better?" This is a question about "cultural borders" and the universality of human rights and social norms. In this discussion, the issue of ritual slavery finds a place. Triokosi, and similar practices that can be found in some West African countries, are clear examples of the traditional bastions in the "war" against globalization. Those are the practices cosidered as being harmful by international society bud defended by traditional believers. The exploration of ritual bondage from both modern and historical perspectives is he main purpose of this article;; it also aims to shed some light on the discussion about the legitimization or suppression of cultural norms that are considered as being harmful.