The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-07-21
TAKING THE OATH:
VARIOUS METHODS THAT PREVAIL IN
CERTAIN COUNTRIES.

In Some Instances Solemn and in others
Laughabie- Substitutes for the Bible
Used In Ipdia-The Terrible Norwegian
Oath-Revsroncs OF the Moham m sdans.
There Is mere than q touch of the
grotesque, as well as of the solemn, 10
the modes OF administering oaths 10
certain countries. When a Chinaman
swearS to tell the truth he kneels down
and a china saucer is given to him.
This he proceeds to break in pieces,
and the following oath is then admin
istered: you shall tell the truth and
the whole truth. The saucer is cracked
and If you do not tell the truth your
soul will be crackei like tho snurnrp
OtlIer symbolic variations of the
Chinese oath are the eXunguiShing OF
candle, or cutting off of a cocks
head, the light of the candle repre-
senting the witnesses soul and the fate
of the cock symbolzing the fate of
periurcr.
In certain parts of India tigers and
lizards skins take the place of the
Bible Of Christian countries, and the
penalty of breaking the oath is that 10
one case the witness will become the
prey of Il tiger. and in the other that
his body will be covered with scales
like a lizards.
one of the most Gerrihle Of European
oathS is that administered in Nurweg-
ian courts of law. The prelude to tho
oath proper is a long homily ON the
sanctity of the oath ami the terrible
consequences of not keeping it. Part
of this lengthy sermon takes this forml
"If you swear false oath tie good
ness and mercy of God will not avail
you, but You will be punished etern-
ally in hell as pervcrse and hardened
sinner. If you swear falsely all your
possessions will be cursed: your land
and meadows, SO that they will Weld
you no fruit your cattle and sheep
will be barren, and all that you enjoy
in this world will become curse to
you."
When the witness is duly crushed by
the sense of his fearful responsibility,
the oath is administered. while he
holds aloft his thumb and fore and
middle fingers, as an emblem of the
/ Trinity.
/ 1t is Il little curious that the express
/ sion, the truth the whole truth and
nothing but the truth" in very slightly
varied forms. runs through almost all
the oaths administered in European
/ courts
In an Italian court the witness with
/ his right hand resting on an open
Bible, declares. II win swear to tell
the truth, the whole truth aud nothing
but the truth
The Mohammedan takes the oath
with his forehead reverenrly resting
on the open Koran. He takes his
"bible" in his hands, and, STOPPING
lowAas if in the presence of a higher
power, slowly bows his head until it
touches the book, which to him is in
spired. In the reverence of his acts
and the unswcrving loyalty to an oath
many Europeans have much to learn
from a follower of Mohammed.
In certain parts of Spain the witness
when taking an oath crosses the
thumb of one hand over the foreiinger
Of the other and kissing this symbolic,
il primitive, cross. says, by this cross
| swear to tell the truth"
In the more usual form of adminS-
tering the oath in Spain. the witness
knCelS solemnly before the Bible and
places his right hand rcvcnently upon
it, The Judge then asks hlm, "Mill
you swear, in the name of God and
His holy Book, to speak the truth in
answer to all questions that may be
asked you?" The witness answers. II
swear The Judge then concludes,
IF you do this God will reward you"
An Austrian takes his oath in front
Of crucifiX, tauked by lighted can
dies. With upraised right hand he
says, Il swear by the all powerful and
all wise God that I will speak the
whole and clean truth aud nothing
but the truth, in answer to any ques-
tions that may be asked in this court"