The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-01-29

TAKING THE OATH ON THE BAYoNEr--
ON THE swoRD-AND ON THE

OS THE SWORD-AND ON THE
CROSS.
! A Writer in Al The Year ROun,
says
| Several oatbs of the Middle Age
were borrowed from the pagans, a
idols upon arms, the usual mode o
adjuration among Northern nations
upon the scabbard of the sword; con
firmation of the oath by joining
hands; by taking bold on the hem o.
the garment; swearing by the feet O
the abbot and monks; upon bracelets
and others Concerning the bracelet
oath, Sir Henry Ellis has observed
that Arngrim Jonas, in his work on
Iceland, describes bracelet oftwcn-
ty ounces weight, which was kept
upon the altar, and, being sprinkled
with the blood Of victims, was touch
ed by those who took any solemn
oaths. lie says il was either Of sill
yer, or Of silver and brass mixed He
adds, in another page, that for this
purpose it was worn on the Judges
arm during trial Sir Henry Ellis
was reminded by this of q very re-
markable passage In the Saxon
Chronicles, made under the year SIG,
where when the Danes made peace
with the English Alfred, at Ware
ham, in Wesses, they gave him the
nohlest among them as hostages, and
swore an oath to him on the holy
bracelet OF swearing on the sword,
we have an interesting instance in
the life of the great Gustavus Vasa,
of Sweden. In l540 he assembled
the States, 10 which it was decided
that the monarchy should be heredi.
tary; whereupon the King drew his
sword, and extended it before him,
saying:
in the name of the Holy Trinity.
and by the power of Almighty God,
who hath bestowed on US our child
reD, and hath caused them to be the
heirs Of the Swedish Empire, we
stretch over you the sword Of justice
as d testimony from Us and our heirs,
to you and all our subjects, faithfully
to guide, guard, aud rule you, and
for confirmation, stand forth each one
of you. and touching the sword with
your eorporeal fingers, thus repeat
the oath of truth and fidelity, that to
US aud our heirs you have freely Of
fered.' Hearing this, the State ap-
proached-Senatofs. mobiles, citizens,
peasants, all laid their hands on the
royal sword, and each took the oath
of allegiance and fidelity. Swearing
on the cross was practiced by the
Russians from early times; thus, 10
1851, on the conclusion of treaty Of
peace with Sweden, Ivan ratified it
by kissing the cross before the eyes
of the Ambassadors, ceremony that
was repeated by his representative at
Stockholm, in the presence of the
Swedish monarch. In the reform of
the stata,es of The Order of the Gar
ter by Henry VIII, the knights were
enjoined to make general oath up
on the Holy Gospels 10 obey the
statutes without irsnd or delusion,' ,
touching the book and kissing the
cross. Selden mentions al oath ta
ken By the Spaniards. which is very
curious. IfI first designedly fail Of
this oath oI that day, We Powers
above torment me my body in this
life, aud my soul in the next, with
horrid tcrtures. Make my strength
and nv words fail. In battle, let my
hoTss and arms and spurs and sub
jects fail me, when need is sorest.'
This oath was confirmed by the par.
ties sharing between them the eonse-
Grated wafer. The oath by the bo-
son. formerly observed in Germany,
had g curious and interesting origin.
Women and BOYS were generally ac-
eustomed to carry on their bosom,
suspended from the aeck, a small
copy of the Gospel; so the hand, when
laid upon the breast, was. in reality,
laid upon the Gospel. Chrysostom
mentions similar custom as prevail
ing in his time.