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class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2</span> <span>Roman tradition</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Roman_tradition-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Hindu_tradition" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Hindu_tradition"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3</span> <span>Hindu tradition</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Hindu_tradition-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Greek_tradition" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Greek_tradition"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.4</span> <span>Greek tradition</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Greek_tradition-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Christian_tradition" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Christian_tradition"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.5</span> <span>Christian tradition</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Christian_tradition-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Islamic_tradition" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Islamic_tradition"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.6</span> <span>Islamic tradition</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Islamic_tradition-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Germanic_tradition" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Germanic_tradition"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.7</span> <span>Germanic tradition</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Germanic_tradition-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Modern_law" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Modern_law"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.8</span> <span>Modern law</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Modern_law-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Hand_gestures" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Hand_gestures"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Hand gestures</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Hand_gestures-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Hand gestures subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Hand_gestures-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Schwurhand" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Schwurhand"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1</span> <span>Schwurhand</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Schwurhand-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Serbian_custom" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Serbian_custom"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.2</span> <span>Serbian custom</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Serbian_custom-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-International_customs" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#International_customs"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.3</span> <span>International customs</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-International_customs-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Types_of_oaths" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Types_of_oaths"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Types of oaths</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Types_of_oaths-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notable_oaths_in_history_and_fiction" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notable_oaths_in_history_and_fiction"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Notable oaths in history and fiction</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notable_oaths_in_history_and_fiction-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" title="Table of Contents" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Oath</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 57 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-57" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">57 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-af mw-list-item"><a href="https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eed" title="Eed – Afrikaans" lang="af" hreflang="af" data-title="Eed" data-language-autonym="Afrikaans" data-language-local-name="Afrikaans" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Afrikaans</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%82%D8%B3%D9%85_(%D9%84%D8%BA%D8%A9)" title="قسم (لغة) – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="قسم (لغة)" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-azb mw-list-item"><a href="https://azb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A2%D9%86%D8%AF" title="آند – South Azerbaijani" lang="azb" hreflang="azb" data-title="آند" data-language-autonym="تۆرکجه" data-language-local-name="South Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>تۆرکجه</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-min-nan mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-min-nan.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soan-s%C3%A8" title="Soan-sè – Minnan" lang="nan" hreflang="nan" data-title="Soan-sè" data-language-autonym="閩南語 / Bân-lâm-gú" data-language-local-name="Minnan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>閩南語 / Bân-lâm-gú</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be mw-list-item"><a href="https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D1%80%D1%8B%D1%81%D1%8F%D0%B3%D0%B0" title="Прысяга – Belarusian" lang="be" hreflang="be" data-title="Прысяга" data-language-autonym="Беларуская" data-language-local-name="Belarusian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bcl mw-list-item"><a href="https://bcl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panuga" title="Panuga – Central Bikol" lang="bcl" hreflang="bcl" data-title="Panuga" data-language-autonym="Bikol Central" data-language-local-name="Central Bikol" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bikol Central</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B0" title="Клетва – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="Клетва" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurament" title="Jurament – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Jurament" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C5%99%C3%ADsaha" title="Přísaha – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Přísaha" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sn mw-list-item"><a href="https://sn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipiko" title="Chipiko – Shona" lang="sn" hreflang="sn" data-title="Chipiko" data-language-autonym="ChiShona" data-language-local-name="Shona" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ChiShona</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_(l%C3%B8fte)" title="Ed (løfte) – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Ed (løfte)" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid" title="Eid – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Eid" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-et mw-list-item"><a href="https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanne" title="Vanne – Estonian" lang="et" hreflang="et" data-title="Vanne" data-language-autonym="Eesti" data-language-local-name="Estonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Eesti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juramento" title="Juramento – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Juramento" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%B4uro" title="Ĵuro – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Ĵuro" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zin" title="Zin – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Zin" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D9%88%DA%AF%D9%86%D8%AF" title="سوگند – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="سوگند" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serment" title="Serment – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Serment" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ki mw-list-item"><a href="https://ki.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mw%C4%A9h%C4%A9twa" title="Mwĩhĩtwa – Kikuyu" lang="ki" hreflang="ki" data-title="Mwĩhĩtwa" data-language-autonym="Gĩkũyũ" data-language-local-name="Kikuyu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Gĩkũyũ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%84%A0%EC%84%9C" title="선서 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="선서" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hy mw-list-item"><a href="https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D4%B5%D6%80%D5%A4%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%B4" title="Երդում – Armenian" lang="hy" hreflang="hy" data-title="Երդում" data-language-autonym="Հայերեն" data-language-local-name="Armenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Հայերեն</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hi mw-list-item"><a href="https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A5" title="शपथ – Hindi" lang="hi" hreflang="hi" data-title="शपथ" data-language-autonym="हिन्दी" data-language-local-name="Hindi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>हिन्दी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumpah" title="Sumpah – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Sumpah" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuramento" title="Giuramento – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Giuramento" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A2%D7%94" title="שבועה – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="שבועה" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kn mw-list-item"><a href="https://kn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B2%86%E0%B2%A3%E0%B3%86" title="ಆಣೆ – Kannada" lang="kn" hreflang="kn" data-title="ಆಣೆ" data-language-autonym="ಕನ್ನಡ" data-language-local-name="Kannada" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ಕನ್ನಡ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kk mw-list-item"><a href="https://kk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BD%D1%82" title="Ант – Kazakh" lang="kk" hreflang="kk" data-title="Ант" data-language-autonym="Қазақша" data-language-local-name="Kazakh" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Қазақша</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sw mw-list-item"><a href="https://sw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiapo" title="Kiapo – Swahili" lang="sw" hreflang="sw" data-title="Kiapo" data-language-autonym="Kiswahili" data-language-local-name="Swahili" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Kiswahili</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ku mw-list-item"><a href="https://ku.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sond" title="Sond – Kurdish" lang="ku" hreflang="ku" data-title="Sond" data-language-autonym="Kurdî" data-language-local-name="Kurdish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Kurdî</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ky mw-list-item"><a href="https://ky.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BD%D1%82" title="Ант – Kyrgyz" lang="ky" hreflang="ky" data-title="Ант" data-language-autonym="Кыргызча" data-language-local-name="Kyrgyz" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Кыргызча</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-la mw-list-item"><a href="https://la.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ius_iurandum" title="Ius iurandum – Latin" lang="la" hreflang="la" data-title="Ius iurandum" data-language-autonym="Latina" data-language-local-name="Latin" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Latina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-li mw-list-item"><a href="https://li.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%88%C3%A8d" title="Èèd – Limburgish" lang="li" hreflang="li" data-title="Èèd" data-language-autonym="Limburgs" data-language-local-name="Limburgish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Limburgs</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esk%C3%BC" title="Eskü – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Eskü" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eed" title="Eed – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Eed" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AE%A3%E8%AA%93" title="宣誓 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="宣誓" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_(l%C3%B8fte)" title="Ed (løfte) – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Ed (løfte)" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-oc mw-list-item"><a href="https://oc.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurament" title="Jurament – Occitan" lang="oc" hreflang="oc" data-title="Jurament" data-language-autonym="Occitan" data-language-local-name="Occitan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Occitan</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Przysi%C4%99ga" title="Przysięga – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Przysięga" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juramento" title="Juramento – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Juramento" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jur%C4%83m%C3%A2nt" title="Jurământ – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Jurământ" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%8F%D0%B3%D0%B0" title="Присяга – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Присяга" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sah mw-list-item"><a href="https://sah.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B0%D2%95%D0%B0%D1%80" title="Андаҕар – Yakut" lang="sah" hreflang="sah" data-title="Андаҕар" data-language-autonym="Саха тыла" data-language-local-name="Yakut" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Саха тыла</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sq mw-list-item"><a href="https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betimi" title="Betimi – Albanian" lang="sq" hreflang="sq" data-title="Betimi" data-language-autonym="Shqip" data-language-local-name="Albanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Shqip</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath" title="Oath – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Oath" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sr mw-list-item"><a href="https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%97%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B0" title="Заклетва – Serbian" lang="sr" hreflang="sr" data-title="Заклетва" data-language-autonym="Српски / srpski" data-language-local-name="Serbian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Српски / srpski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakletva" title="Zakletva – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Zakletva" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vala" title="Vala – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Vala" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_(juridik)" title="Ed (juridik) – Swedish" lang="sv" 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lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Присяга" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ur mw-list-item"><a href="https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%81" title="حلف – Urdu" lang="ur" hreflang="ur" data-title="حلف" data-language-autonym="اردو" data-language-local-name="Urdu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>اردو</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-yi mw-list-item"><a href="https://yi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A2%D7%94" title="שבועה – Yiddish" lang="yi" hreflang="yi" data-title="שבועה" data-language-autonym="ייִדיש" data-language-local-name="Yiddish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ייִדיש</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AE%A3%E8%AA%93" title="宣誓 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="宣誓" 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class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Personal affirmation of a statement</div><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">For other uses, see <a href="/wiki/Oath_(disambiguation)" class="mw-disambig" title="Oath (disambiguation)">Oath (disambiguation)</a>.</div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951" /><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">"Sworn In" redirects here. For the band, see <a href="/wiki/Sworn_In_(band)" title="Sworn In (band)">Sworn In (band)</a>.</div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Sec_of_State_Kissinger.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Sec_of_State_Kissinger.png/250px-Sec_of_State_Kissinger.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="151" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Sec_of_State_Kissinger.png/330px-Sec_of_State_Kissinger.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Sec_of_State_Kissinger.png/500px-Sec_of_State_Kissinger.png 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="411" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Henry_Kissinger" title="Henry Kissinger">Henry Kissinger</a> places his hand on a <a href="/wiki/Hebrew_Bible" title="Hebrew Bible">Hebrew Bible</a> as he takes the <a href="/wiki/Oath_of_office" title="Oath of office">oath of office</a> as <a href="/wiki/Secretary_of_State_(United_States)" class="mw-redirect" title="Secretary of State (United States)">Secretary of State</a>, 1973.</figcaption></figure> <p>Traditionally, an <b>oath</b> (from <a href="/wiki/Old_English" title="Old English">Anglo-Saxon</a> <i><span title="Old English (ca. 450-1100)-language text"><i lang="ang"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/a%C3%BE" class="extiw" title="wikt:aþ">āþ</a></i></span></i>, also a <b>plight</b>) is a <a href="/wiki/Utterance" title="Utterance">statement</a> of <a href="/wiki/Fact" title="Fact">fact</a> or a <a href="/wiki/Promise" title="Promise">promise</a> taken by a <a href="/wiki/Sacred" class="mw-redirect" title="Sacred">sacrality</a> as a sign of <a href="/wiki/Truth" title="Truth">verity</a>. A common legal substitute for those who object to making sacred oaths is to give an <a href="/wiki/Affirmation_(law)" title="Affirmation (law)">affirmation</a> instead. Nowadays, even when there is no notion of sanctity involved, certain promises said out loud in ceremonial or juridical purpose are referred to as oaths. "To <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/swear" class="extiw" title="wikt:swear">swear</a>" is a <a href="/wiki/Verb" title="Verb">verb</a> used to describe the taking of an oath; to make a solemn <a href="/wiki/Vow" title="Vow">vow</a>. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Etymology">Etymology</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Etymology"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The word comes from <a href="/wiki/Old_English" title="Old English">Anglo-Saxon</a> <i><span title="Old English (ca. 450-1100)-language text"><i lang="ang"><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/a%C3%BE" class="extiw" title="wikt:aþ">āþ</a></i></span></i>: "judicial swearing, solemn appeal to deity in witness of truth or a promise"; from <a href="/wiki/Proto-Germanic_language" title="Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic</a> <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ai%C3%BEaz" class="extiw" title="wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/aiþaz">*aiþaz</a></i>; from <a href="/wiki/Proto-Indo-European" class="mw-redirect" title="Proto-Indo-European">Proto-Indo-European</a> <i>*oi-to-</i>: "an oath". Common to Celtic and Germanic, possibly a loan-word from one to the other, but the history is obscure and it may be non-Indo-European, in reference to careless invocations of divinity, from the late 12th century.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Historical_development_as_a_legal_concept">Historical development as a legal concept</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Historical development as a legal concept"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Le_Serment_du_Jeu_de_paume.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Le_Serment_du_Jeu_de_paume.jpg/220px-Le_Serment_du_Jeu_de_paume.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="144" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Le_Serment_du_Jeu_de_paume.jpg/330px-Le_Serment_du_Jeu_de_paume.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Le_Serment_du_Jeu_de_paume.jpg/440px-Le_Serment_du_Jeu_de_paume.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2000" data-file-height="1307" /></a><figcaption>"<a href="/wiki/Tennis_Court_Oath" title="Tennis Court Oath">Tennis Court Oath</a>" by <a href="/wiki/Jacques-Louis_David" title="Jacques-Louis David">Jacques-Louis David</a>.</figcaption></figure> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1273380762/mw-parser-output/.tmulti">.mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner{display:flex;flex-direction:column}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{display:flex;flex-direction:row;clear:left;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{margin:1px;float:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .theader{clear:both;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;align-self:center;background-color:transparent;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbcaption{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-left{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-right{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-center{text-align:center}@media all and (max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbinner{width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:none!important;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{justify-content:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{float:none!important;max-width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle .thumbcaption{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow>.thumbcaption{text-align:center}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner span:not(.skin-invert-image):not(.skin-invert):not(.bg-transparent) img{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner span:not(.skin-invert-image):not(.skin-invert):not(.bg-transparent) img{background-color:white}}</style><div class="thumb tmulti tright"><div class="thumbinner multiimageinner" style="width:224px;max-width:224px"><div class="trow"><div class="tsingle" style="width:222px;max-width:222px"><div class="thumbimage"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Juramento_da_Reg%C3%AAncia_Trina.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Juramento_da_Reg%C3%AAncia_Trina.jpg/250px-Juramento_da_Reg%C3%AAncia_Trina.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="143" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Juramento_da_Reg%C3%AAncia_Trina.jpg/330px-Juramento_da_Reg%C3%AAncia_Trina.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Juramento_da_Reg%C3%AAncia_Trina.jpg/500px-Juramento_da_Reg%C3%AAncia_Trina.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1920" data-file-height="1249" /></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption">The oath of the provisional <a href="/wiki/Triumvirate" title="Triumvirate">triumviral</a> regents of the <a href="/wiki/Empire_of_Brazil" title="Empire of Brazil">Empire of Brazil</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Old_Cathedral_of_Rio_de_Janeiro" title="Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro">Imperial Chapel</a> in 1831, during a period known as the <a href="/wiki/Regency_period_(Empire_of_Brazil)" title="Regency period (Empire of Brazil)">Regency period</a>.</div></div></div><div class="trow"><div class="tsingle" style="width:222px;max-width:222px"><div class="thumbimage"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Juramento_Isabel.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Juramento_Isabel.jpg/250px-Juramento_Isabel.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="151" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Juramento_Isabel.jpg/330px-Juramento_Isabel.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Juramento_Isabel.jpg/500px-Juramento_Isabel.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="821" /></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption"><a href="/wiki/Isabel,_Princess_Imperial_of_Brazil" title="Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil">Isabel, Princess Imperial</a> takes oath as regent of the Empire of Brazil before the <a href="/wiki/Federal_Senate_(Brazil)#History" title="Federal Senate (Brazil)">Imperial Senate</a>, <abbr title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 1870</span>.</div></div></div></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Jewish_tradition">Jewish tradition</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Jewish tradition"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The concept of oaths is deeply rooted within <a href="/wiki/Judaism" title="Judaism">Judaism</a>. It is found in <a href="/wiki/Book_of_Genesis" title="Book of Genesis">Genesis</a> 8:21, when God swears that he will "never again curse the ground because of man and never again smite every living thing". This repetition of the term <i>never again</i> is explained by <a href="/wiki/Rashi" title="Rashi">Rashi</a>, the pre-eminent biblical commentator, as serving as an oath, citing the <a href="/wiki/Talmud" title="Talmud">Talmud</a> Shavous 36a for this ruling.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The first personage in the biblical tradition to take an oath is held to be <a href="/wiki/Eliezer" title="Eliezer">Eliezer</a>, the chief servant of <a href="/wiki/Abraham" title="Abraham">Abraham</a>, when the latter requested of the former that he not take a wife for his son <a href="/wiki/Isaac" title="Isaac">Isaac</a> from the daughters of Canaan, but rather from among Abraham's own family. </p><p>The foundational text for oath making is in <a href="/wiki/Book_of_Numbers" title="Book of Numbers">Numbers</a> 30:2: "When a man voweth a vow unto the Lord, or sweareth an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth." According to the Rabbis, a <a href="/wiki/Neder" title="Neder">neder</a> (usually translated as "vow") refers to the object, a <i>shâmar</i> (usually translated as "oath") to the person. The passage distinguishes between a <i>neder</i> and a <i>shvua</i>, an important distinction between the two in <a href="/wiki/Halakha" title="Halakha">Halakha</a>: a <i>neder</i> changes the status of some external thing, while a <i>shvua</i> initiates an internal change in the one who swears the oath. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Roman_tradition">Roman tradition</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Roman tradition"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In the <a href="/wiki/Ancient_Rome" title="Ancient Rome">Roman</a> tradition, oaths were sworn upon <i><a href="/wiki/Iuppiter_Lapis" class="mw-redirect" title="Iuppiter Lapis">Iuppiter Lapis</a></i> or the Jupiter Stone located in the <a href="/wiki/Temple_of_Jupiter_Optimus_Maximus" title="Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus">Temple of Jupiter</a>, <a href="/wiki/Capitoline_Hill" title="Capitoline Hill">Capitoline Hill</a>. <i>Iuppiter Lapis</i> was held in the Roman tradition to be an <a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath_Stone&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Oath Stone (page does not exist)">Oath Stone</a>, an aspect of Jupiter in his role as divine law-maker responsible for order and used principally for the investiture of the oathtaking of office. </p><p>According to Cyril Bailey, in "The Religion of Ancient Rome" (1907): </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1244412712">.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{padding-left:1.6em}}</style><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>We have, for instance, the sacred stone (<i><a href="/wiki/Silex#Archaic_and_foreign_uses" title="Silex">silex</a></i>) which was preserved in the temple of Iuppiter on the Capitol, and was brought out to play a prominent part in the ceremony of treaty-making. The <a href="/wiki/Fetial" title="Fetial">fetial</a>, who on that occasion represented the Roman people, at the solemn moment of the oath-taking, struck the sacrificial pig with the <i>silex</i>, saying as he did so, "Do thou, <a href="/wiki/Jupiter_(mythology)" class="mw-redirect" title="Jupiter (mythology)">Diespiter</a>, strike the Roman people as I strike this pig here to-day, and strike them the more, as thou art greater and stronger." Here no doubt the underlying notion is not merely symbolical, but in origin the stone is itself the god, an idea which later religion expressed in the cult-title specially used in this connection, <i>Iuppiter Lapis</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p></blockquote> <p>The punisher of broken oaths was the <a href="/wiki/Hell" title="Hell">infernal</a> deity <a href="/wiki/Orcus" title="Orcus">Orcus</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Hindu_tradition">Hindu tradition</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Hindu tradition"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Bheeshma_oath_by_RRV.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Bheeshma_oath_by_RRV.jpg/250px-Bheeshma_oath_by_RRV.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="300" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Bheeshma_oath_by_RRV.jpg/330px-Bheeshma_oath_by_RRV.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Bheeshma_oath_by_RRV.jpg/500px-Bheeshma_oath_by_RRV.jpg 2x" data-file-width="780" data-file-height="1065" /></a><figcaption>Devarata taking his <i>bhishama pratigya</i></figcaption></figure> <p>In <a href="/wiki/Hindu_epics" class="mw-redirect" title="Hindu epics">Hindu epics</a>, like the <a href="/wiki/Ramayana" title="Ramayana">Ramayana</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Mahabharata" title="Mahabharata">Mahabharata</a>, oaths, called <i>pratigya</i>, are taken seriously. It is mentioned that people would give up their lives, but not break a vow. Due to this, King <a href="/wiki/Dasharatha" title="Dasharatha">Dasharatha</a> took an oath for his Queen <a href="/wiki/Kaikeyi" title="Kaikeyi">Kaikeyi</a> (on her maid, <a href="/wiki/Manthara" title="Manthara">Manthara</a>'s insistence) and thus had to exile his favorite son, Lord <a href="/wiki/Rama" title="Rama">Rama</a> along with his wife Devi <a href="/wiki/Sita" title="Sita">Sita</a> and brother <a href="/wiki/Lakshmana" title="Lakshmana">Lakshmana</a> for fourteen years in the forest. </p><p>In the Mahabharata, <a href="/wiki/Bhishma" title="Bhishma">Devrata</a> took an oath of <a href="/wiki/Celibacy" title="Celibacy">celibacy</a> so that <a href="/wiki/Satyavati" title="Satyavati">Satyavati</a>'s father would marry her to Devrata's father, King <a href="/wiki/Shantanu" title="Shantanu">Shantanu</a>. He also took an oath to not rule the <a href="/wiki/Kuru_Kingdom" class="mw-redirect" title="Kuru Kingdom">kingdom</a> and remain loyal to the king, who would be a descendant of Satyavati. Thus, Devavrata got the name <i>Bhishma</i>, which means someone who has taken a terrible oath. Many others also took oaths that they fulfilled. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Greek_tradition">Greek tradition</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Greek tradition"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Walter_Burkert" title="Walter Burkert">Walter Burkert</a> has shown that since <a href="/wiki/Lycurgus_of_Athens" title="Lycurgus of Athens">Lycurgus of Athens</a> (d. 324 BCE), who held that "it is the oath which holds democracy together", religion, morality and political organization had been linked by the oath, and the oath and its prerequisite altar had become the basis of both civil and criminal, as well as international law.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In traditional Greek folk songs, such as The Dead Brother's Song, the significance of the oath is highlighted. The power of an oath is such that it transcends death, as the deceased brother arises from the grave to fulfill his oath to his mother.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Christian_tradition">Christian tradition</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Christian tradition"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Various religious groups have objected to the taking of oaths, most notably the <a href="/wiki/Religious_Society_of_Friends" class="mw-redirect" title="Religious Society of Friends">Religious Society of Friends</a> (Quakers) and <a href="/wiki/Anabaptism" title="Anabaptism">Anabaptist</a> groups, like <a href="/wiki/Mennonite" class="mw-redirect" title="Mennonite">Mennonites</a>, <a href="/wiki/Amish" title="Amish">Amish</a>, <a href="/wiki/Hutterite" class="mw-redirect" title="Hutterite">Hutterites</a> and <a href="/wiki/Schwarzenau_Brethren" title="Schwarzenau Brethren">Schwarzenau Brethren</a>. This is principally based on Matthew 5:34–37,<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> the <a href="/wiki/Antithesis_of_the_Law" class="mw-redirect" title="Antithesis of the Law">Antithesis of the Law</a>. Here, Christ is reported as having said: "I say to you: '<a href="/wiki/Swear_not_at_all" class="mw-redirect" title="Swear not at all">Swear not at all</a><span style="padding-right:.15em;">'</span>". <a href="/wiki/James_the_Just" class="mw-redirect" title="James the Just">James the Just</a> stated in 5:12<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> "Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your 'Yes' be yes, and your 'No', no, or you will be condemned." Beyond this scriptural authority, Quakers place importance on being truthful at all times, so the testimony opposing oaths springs from a view that "taking legal oaths implies a double standard of truthfulness"<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> suggesting that truthfulness in legal contexts is somehow more important than truthfulness in non-legal contexts and that truthfulness in those other contexts is therefore somehow less important. </p><p>Not all <a href="/wiki/Christianity" title="Christianity">Christians</a> interpret this reading as forbidding all types of oaths, however. Opposition to oath-taking among some groups of Christian caused many problems for these groups throughout their history. <a href="/wiki/Quaker" class="mw-redirect" title="Quaker">Quakers</a> were frequently imprisoned because of their refusal to swear <a href="/wiki/Loyalty_oath" title="Loyalty oath">loyalty oaths</a>. Testifying in court was also difficult; <a href="/wiki/George_Fox" title="George Fox">George Fox</a>, Quakers' founder, famously challenged a judge who had asked him to swear, saying that he would do so once the judge could point to any <a href="/wiki/Bible" title="Bible">Bible</a> passage where Jesus or his apostles took oaths — the judge could not, but this did not allow Fox to escape punishment. Legal reforms from the 18th century onwards mean that everyone in the <a href="/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a> now has the right to make a solemn <a href="/wiki/Affirmation_(law)" title="Affirmation (law)">affirmation</a> instead of an oath. The <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a> has permitted affirmations since it was founded; it is explicitly mentioned in the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Constitution" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Constitution">Constitution</a>. Only President <a href="/wiki/Franklin_Pierce" title="Franklin Pierce">Franklin Pierce</a> has chosen to affirm rather than swear at his inauguration. </p><p>As late as 1880, <a href="/wiki/Charles_Bradlaugh" title="Charles Bradlaugh">Charles Bradlaugh</a> was denied a seat as an MP in the <a href="/wiki/Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom" title="Parliament of the United Kingdom">Parliament of the United Kingdom</a> because of his professed <a href="/wiki/Atheism" title="Atheism">atheism</a> as he was judged unable to swear the <a href="/wiki/Oath_of_Allegiance_(UK)" class="mw-redirect" title="Oath of Allegiance (UK)">Oath of Allegiance</a> in spite of his proposal to swear the oath as a "matter of form".<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (March 2023)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Islamic_tradition">Islamic tradition</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Islamic tradition"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Islam takes the fulfillment of oaths extremely seriously, as directed by the Qur'an: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712" /><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>God does not hold you responsible for the mere utterance of oaths; He holds you responsible for your actual intentions. If you violate an oath, you shall atone by feeding ten poor people from the same food you offer to your own family, or clothing them, or by freeing a slave. If you cannot afford this, then you shall fast three days. This is the atonement for violating the oaths that you swore to keep. You shall fulfill your oaths. God thus explains His revelations to you, that you may be appreciative.</p><div class="templatequotecite">— <cite>Quran <a href="/wiki/Al-Ma%27ida" class="mw-redirect" title="Al-Ma'ida">Chapter 5</a>: <a href="/wiki/%C4%80yah" title="Āyah">Verse</a> 89</cite></div></blockquote> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Germanic_tradition">Germanic tradition</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Germanic tradition"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951" /><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Symbel" title="Symbel">Symbel</a> and <a href="/wiki/Feudalism" title="Feudalism">Feudalism</a></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Germanic_tribes" class="mw-redirect" title="Germanic tribes">Germanic</a> <a href="/wiki/Warrior_culture" class="mw-redirect" title="Warrior culture">warrior culture</a> was significantly based on oaths of fealty. </p><p>A prose passage inserted in the eddic poem <i><a href="/wiki/Helgakvi%C3%B0a_Hj%C3%B6rvar%C3%B0ssonar" title="Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar">Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar</a></i> relates: Hedin was coming home alone from the forest one <a href="/wiki/Yule" title="Yule">Yule</a>-eve, and found a <a href="/wiki/Troll" title="Troll">troll</a>-woman; she rode on a wolf, and had snakes in place of a bridle. She asked Hedin for his company. "Nay," said he. She said, "Thou shalt pay for this at the <i>bragarfull</i>." That evening the great vows were taken; the <a href="/wiki/Sonarg%C3%B6ltr" title="Sonargöltr">sacred boar</a> was brought in, the men laid their hands thereon, and took their vows at the <i>bragarfull</i>. Hedin vowed that he would have Sváva, Eylimi's daughter, the beloved of his brother Helgi; then such great grief seized him that he went forth on wild paths southward over the land, and found Helgi, his brother. </p><p>Such Norse traditions are directly parallel to the "bird oaths" of late medieval France, such as the <a href="/wiki/Voeux_du_faisan" class="mw-redirect" title="Voeux du faisan">voeux du faisan</a> (oath on the pheasant) or the (fictional) <a href="/wiki/Voeux_du_paon" class="mw-redirect" title="Voeux du paon">voeux du paon</a> (oath on the peacock). Huizinga, <i><a href="/wiki/The_Autumn_of_the_Middle_Ages" title="The Autumn of the Middle Ages">The Autumn of the Middle Ages</a></i> (ch. 3); Michel Margue, "Vogelgelübde" am Hof des Fürsten. Ritterliches Integrationsritual zwischen Traditions- und Gegenwartsbezug (14. – 15. Jahrhundert) </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Modern_law">Modern law</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Modern law"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951" /><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">"Under oath" redirects here. For the American rock band, see <a href="/wiki/Underoath" title="Underoath">Underoath</a>.</div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Officer_Natalie_Corona_swearing-in.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Officer_Natalie_Corona_swearing-in.jpg/250px-Officer_Natalie_Corona_swearing-in.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="206" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Officer_Natalie_Corona_swearing-in.jpg/330px-Officer_Natalie_Corona_swearing-in.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Officer_Natalie_Corona_swearing-in.jpg/500px-Officer_Natalie_Corona_swearing-in.jpg 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="726" /></a><figcaption>A new police officer in the US being sworn in, 2018.</figcaption></figure> <p>In the modern law, oaths are made by a witness to a court of law before giving testimony and usually by a newly appointed government officer to the people of a state before taking office. However, in both of those cases, an <a href="/wiki/Affirmation_(law)" title="Affirmation (law)">affirmation</a> can usually be replaced with a written statement, only if the author swears the statement is true. This statement is called an <i><a href="/wiki/Affidavit" title="Affidavit">affidavit</a></i>. This is in contrast to a <a href="/wiki/Statutory_declaration" title="Statutory declaration">statutory declaration</a>, where no sworn oath or affirmation is involved. The oath given to support an affidavit is frequently administered by a <a href="/wiki/Notary" title="Notary">notary</a>, who will certify the giving of the oath by affixing her or his seal to the document. Willfully delivering a false oath (or affirmation) is the crime of <a href="/wiki/Perjury" title="Perjury">perjury</a>. </p><p>There are some places where there is a confusion between the "oath" and other statements or promises. For example, the current <a href="/wiki/Olympic_Oath" title="Olympic Oath">Olympic Oath</a> is really a <a href="/wiki/Promise" title="Promise">pledge</a>, not properly an oath, since there is only a promise but there is no appeal to a sacred witness. Oaths may also be confused with <a href="/wiki/Vow" title="Vow">vows</a>, but vows are really just a particular kind of an oath. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Hand_gestures">Hand gestures</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Hand gestures"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Anjala.vaakuna.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Anjala.vaakuna.svg/250px-Anjala.vaakuna.svg.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="253" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Anjala.vaakuna.svg/330px-Anjala.vaakuna.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Anjala.vaakuna.svg/500px-Anjala.vaakuna.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="500" data-file-height="575" /></a><figcaption>"Hand on oath" used as a <a href="/wiki/Charge_(heraldry)" title="Charge (heraldry)">charge</a> on the <a href="/wiki/Coat_of_arms" title="Coat of arms">coat of arms</a> of <a href="/wiki/Anjala" title="Anjala">Anjala</a>, Finland.</figcaption></figure> <p>Instead of, or in addition to, holding one's hand upon an object of ceremonial importance, it can be customary for a person swearing an oath to hold a raised hand in a specific gesture. Most often the right hand is raised. This custom has been explained with reference to medieval practices of branding palms. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Schwurhand">Schwurhand</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Schwurhand"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951" /><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Schwurhand" title="Schwurhand">Schwurhand</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Serbian_custom">Serbian custom</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Serbian custom"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951" /><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Three-finger_salute_(Serbian)" title="Three-finger salute (Serbian)">Three-finger salute (Serbian)</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="International_customs">International customs</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: International customs"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Scout_Sign" class="mw-redirect" title="Scout Sign">Scout Sign</a> can be made while giving the <a href="/wiki/Scout_Promise" title="Scout Promise">Scout Promise</a>. In <i><a href="/wiki/Scouting_for_Boys" title="Scouting for Boys">Scouting for Boys</a></i> the movement's founder, <a href="/wiki/Robert_Baden-Powell" class="mw-redirect" title="Robert Baden-Powell">Robert Baden-Powell</a>, instructed: "While taking this oath the scout will stand, holding his right hand raised level with his shoulder, palm to the front, thumb resting on the nail of the digitus minimus (little finger) and the other three fingers upright, pointing upwards."<sup id="cite_ref-SfB_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-SfB-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Types_of_oaths">Types of oaths</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Types of oaths"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Lyndon_B._Johnson_taking_the_oath_of_office,_November_1963.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Lyndon_B._Johnson_taking_the_oath_of_office%2C_November_1963.jpg/250px-Lyndon_B._Johnson_taking_the_oath_of_office%2C_November_1963.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="174" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Lyndon_B._Johnson_taking_the_oath_of_office%2C_November_1963.jpg/330px-Lyndon_B._Johnson_taking_the_oath_of_office%2C_November_1963.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Lyndon_B._Johnson_taking_the_oath_of_office%2C_November_1963.jpg/500px-Lyndon_B._Johnson_taking_the_oath_of_office%2C_November_1963.jpg 2x" data-file-width="7750" data-file-height="6132" /></a><figcaption>Shortly after US president John F. Kennedy was shot, Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as the new president on board Air Force One</figcaption></figure> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath" title="Hippocratic Oath">Hippocratic Oath</a>, an oath historically taken by physicians and other healthcare professionals swearing to practice medicine honestly. <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Veterinarian%27s_Oath" title="Veterinarian's Oath">Veterinarian's Oath</a>, an oath taken by <a href="/wiki/Veterinarian" title="Veterinarian">veterinarians</a> as practitioners of <a href="/wiki/Veterinary_medicine" title="Veterinary medicine">veterinary medicine</a> in a manner similar to the Hippocratic Oath.</li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oath_of_allegiance" title="Oath of allegiance">Oath of allegiance</a>, an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to monarch or country.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oath_of_citizenship" title="Oath of citizenship">Oath of citizenship</a>, an oath taken by immigrants that officially naturalizes immigrants into citizens.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oath_of_office" title="Oath of office">Oath of office</a>, an oath or affirmation a person takes before undertaking the duties of an office. <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Juror%27s_oath" title="Juror's oath">Juror's oath</a>, an oath taken by jurors at the beginning of jury selection or trial</li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pauper%27s_oath" title="Pauper's oath">Pauper's oath</a>, a sworn statement or oath by a person that he or she is completely without any money or property.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Military_oath" title="Military oath">Military oath</a>, delivered on enlistment into the military service of the state military.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Decisory_oath" title="Decisory oath">Decisory oath</a>, an oath that conclusively resolves a factual dispute</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notable_oaths_in_history_and_fiction">Notable oaths in history and fiction</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: Notable oaths in history and fiction"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>The oath of <a href="/wiki/Bhishma" title="Bhishma">Bhishma</a> in Hindu culture.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hittite_military_oath" title="Hittite military oath">Hittite military oath</a>, a Hittite text on two cuneiform tablets.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ironclad_Oath" title="Ironclad Oath">Ironclad Oath</a>, promoted by Radical Republicans and opposed by President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lw%C3%B3w_Oath" title="Lwów Oath">Lwów Oath</a>, by Polish king John II Casimir.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oath_Against_Modernism" title="Oath Against Modernism">Oath Against Modernism</a>, required of clergy and others in the Catholic Church from 1910 until 1967.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oaths_in_Freemasonry" class="mw-redirect" title="Oaths in Freemasonry">Oaths in Freemasonry</a>.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oath_More_Judaico" title="Oath More Judaico">Oath More Judaico</a> or Jewish Oath, rooted in antisemitism and accompanied by certain ceremonies.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oaths_of_Strasbourg" title="Oaths of Strasbourg">Oaths of Strasbourg</a>, a military pact made in 842.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hitler_Oath" title="Hitler Oath">Hitler Oath</a>, sworn by German soldiers of the <a href="/wiki/Wehrmacht" title="Wehrmacht">Wehrmacht</a> and the German civil service, pledging allegiance to <a href="/wiki/Adolf_Hitler" title="Adolf Hitler">Adolf Hitler</a> personally.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Omert%C3%A0" title="Omertà">Omertà</a>, a Southern Italian code of silence and code of honor and conduct.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Scout_Oath" class="mw-redirect" title="Scout Oath">Scout Oath</a> or Scout Promise.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tennis_Court_Oath" title="Tennis Court Oath">Tennis Court Oath</a>, taken on 20 June 1789 by members of the French Third Estate.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oath_of_F%C3%ABanor" class="mw-redirect" title="Oath of Fëanor">Oath of Fëanor</a>, in the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oath_of_the_Peach_Garden" title="Oath of the Peach Garden">Oath of the Peach Garden</a>, a fictional event in the 14th century Chinese historical novel <i>Romance of the Three Kingdoms</i> by Luo Guanzhong.</li> <li>The <a href="/wiki/Baljuna_Covenant" title="Baljuna Covenant">Baljuna Covenant</a>, an oath sworn by <a href="/wiki/Genghis_Khan" title="Genghis Khan">Genghis Khan</a> and a small group of companions</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1266661725">.mw-parser-output .portalbox{padding:0;margin:0.5em 0;display:table;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:175px;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portalborder{border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);padding:0.1em;background:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa)}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-entry{display:table-row;font-size:85%;line-height:110%;height:1.9em;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-image{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-link{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .portalleft{margin:0.5em 1em 0.5em 0}.mw-parser-output .portalright{clear:right;float:right;margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em}}</style><ul role="navigation" aria-label="Portals" class="noprint portalbox portalborder portalright"> <li class="portalbox-entry"><span class="portalbox-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Balance,_by_David.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/40px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/60px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/120px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="606" data-file-height="558" /></a></span></span><span class="portalbox-link"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Law" title="Portal:Law">Law portal</a></span></li></ul> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/ACLU_of_N.C._%26_Syidah_Matteen_v._State_of_North_Carolina" class="mw-redirect" title="ACLU of N.C. & Syidah Matteen v. State of North Carolina">ACLU of N.C. & Syidah Matteen v. State of North Carolina</a></i> a court case in a state of the United States about taking oaths by different scriptures. The results have reversed several times.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Australasian_Police_Multicultural_Advisory_Bureau" title="Australasian Police Multicultural Advisory Bureau">Australasian Police Multicultural Advisory Bureau</a> has several publications for Australia dealing with multi-faith issues and <i><a href="/wiki/A_Practical_Reference_to_Religious_Diversity_for_Operational_Police_and_Emergency_Services" title="A Practical Reference to Religious Diversity for Operational Police and Emergency Services">A Practical Reference to Religious Diversity for Operational Police and Emergency Services</a></i> covers oaths as well as many other topics (in review as of 12/2/2006 but the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050619070219/http://www.apmab.gov.au/guide/religious2/religious_guide.pdf">2nd Edition</a> is available.)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Confirmation" title="Confirmation">Confirmation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ephebic_Oath" class="mw-redirect" title="Ephebic Oath">Ephebic Oath</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Performativity" title="Performativity">Performativity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/So_help_me_God" title="So help me God">So help me God</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Statutory_declaration" title="Statutory declaration">Statutory declaration</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sworn_declaration" title="Sworn declaration">Sworn declaration</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vow" title="Vow">Vow</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=18" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/oath#etymonline_v_2402">"oath (n.)"</a>. <i>Etym. online</i>. 17 March 2019.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Etym.+online&rft.atitle=oath+%28n.%29&rft.date=2019-03-17&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etymonline.com%2Fword%2Foath%23etymonline_v_2402&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOath" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Metsudah Chumash and Rashi, KTAV Publishing House, 1991. page 88</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFBailey1907" class="citation book cs1">Bailey, Cyril (1907). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18564/18564-h/18564-h.htm#CHAPTER_II"><i>The Religion of Ancient Rome</i></a>. London: Archibald Constable & Co. Ltd. p. 7<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2015-08-18</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Religion+of+Ancient+Rome&rft.place=London&rft.pages=7&rft.pub=Archibald+Constable+%26+Co.+Ltd.&rft.date=1907&rft.aulast=Bailey&rft.aufirst=Cyril&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gutenberg.org%2Ffiles%2F18564%2F18564-h%2F18564-h.htm%23CHAPTER_II&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOath" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Burkert, <i>Greek Religion</i>, trans. Raffan, Harvard University Press (1985), 250ff.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFΠολίτης2002" class="citation book cs1">Πολίτης, Λίνος (2002). <i>Ιστορία της Νεοελληνικής Λογοτεχνίας</i>. Αθήνα: Μορφωτικό Ίδρυμα Εθνικής Τραπέζης.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=%CE%99%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%B1+%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82+%CE%9D%CE%B5%CE%BF%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%B7%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE%CF%82+%CE%9B%CE%BF%CE%B3%CE%BF%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%87%CE%BD%CE%AF%CE%B1%CF%82&rft.place=%CE%91%CE%B8%CE%AE%CE%BD%CE%B1&rft.pub=%CE%9C%CE%BF%CF%81%CF%86%CF%89%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C+%CE%8A%CE%B4%CF%81%CF%85%CE%BC%CE%B1+%CE%95%CE%B8%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE%CF%82+%CE%A4%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%AD%CE%B6%CE%B7%CF%82&rft.date=2002&rft.aulast=%CE%A0%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AF%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82&rft.aufirst=%CE%9B%CE%AF%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%82&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOath" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Matthew%205:34–37&version=nrsv">Matthew 5:34–37</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=James%205:12&version=nrsv">James 5:12</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>Faith and Practice</i>, Baltimore Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (1988) p. 19.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-SfB-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-SfB_9-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222" /><cite id="CITEREFRobert_Baden-Powell1908" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Robert_Baden-Powell,_1st_Baron_Baden-Powell" title="Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell">Robert Baden-Powell</a> (1908). <a href="/wiki/Scouting_for_Boys" title="Scouting for Boys"><i>Scouting for Boys</i></a> (Part I ed.). Windsor House, Bream's Buildings, London E.C.: Horace Cox. p. 40.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Scouting+for+Boys&rft.place=Windsor+House%2C+Bream%27s+Buildings%2C+London+E.C.&rft.pages=40&rft.edition=Part+I&rft.pub=Horace+Cox&rft.date=1908&rft.au=Robert+Baden-Powell&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOath" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=19" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>Bailey, Cyril (1907). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18564/18564-h/18564-h.htm"><i>The Religion of Ancient Rome</i></a>. London, UK: Archibald Constable & Co. Ltd. (Source: <a href="/wiki/Project_Gutenberg" title="Project Gutenberg">Project Gutenberg</a>. Accessed: March 16, 2011)</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oath&action=edit&section=20" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output 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style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Oaths" class="extiw" title="commons:Category:Oaths">Oaths</a></span>.</div></div> </div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100613085537/http://al-mawrid.org/pages/browse_art_ques_eng.php?cid=353">Oaths in the Qur'an</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ndcourts.com/court/rules/ndroc/rule6.10.htm">Courtroom oaths</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070911075208/http://www.ndcourts.com/court/rules/ndroc/rule6.10.htm">Archived</a> 2007-09-11 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> from the <a href="/wiki/North_Dakota" title="North Dakota">North Dakota</a> Supreme Court website (jury oath, witness oath and so on)</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.archives2005.ghazali.net/html/faith_leaders_support.html">North Carolina faith leaders supporting Quran oath</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070304015638/http://www.archives2005.ghazali.net/html/faith_leaders_support.html">Archived</a> 2007-03-04 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2006_11_26-2006_12_02.shtml#1164997373">Comments about <i>John Quincy Adams' Oath of Office</i></a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003wtk7">The Oath</a>, BBC Radio 4 discussion with Alan Sommerstein, Paul Cartledge & Mary Beard (<i>In Our Time</i>, Jan. 5, 2006)</li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist 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