The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1899-11-22
TAKING THE OATH:
VARIOUS METHODS THAT PREvAIl. IN
CERTAIN COUNTRIES.

In somo INSTANCES SOLEMN and In Othors
Laughablo- ---Substitutos for tho niblo
Usod In Indin--Tho Torribla Nnrweeia..
There Is more than touch OF tho
grotesquc, as well as OF the solemn, In
the modes Of administering oaths In
certain countries. When Chinnman
swears to tell tho truth hc knccls down
and y china saucer is given to him.
Ihis he proceeds to break in pieces,
nnd tho following oath is then admin
istercd: "You shall tell tho truth and
the whole truth. Tie saucer Is cracked
and if you do not tell tho truth your
soul will be cracked like tho saucer"
Other symbolic variations OF tho
Chinese oath are the eXtlnguishing Of
candle, or cutting Off o. cocks
head, the light Of the candle repre-.
senting the witnesses soul and the fnto
OF the cock symbolzing the fate OF q
perjurer.
In certain parts Of india tigers and
lizards skins take the place Of tho
BiDlc OF Christian countries, and the
penalty Of breaking the onth Is that in
one case the witness will become tho
prey Of tiger, and III the other that
his body will be covered with scales
like Il lizards.
one Of the most terrible Of European
oatiis is that administered IN Norwcg-
ian courts OF law. The prelude to tho
oath proper is long homlly on the
sanctity Of the oath and the terrible
consequences or not keeping 1t. Part
OF TINS lengthy sermon takes this form:
''lf you swear Il false oath tic good
ness ana mercy OF God will not avail
you, but you will be punished etcrn-
any III hell as q pcrycrse and hardened
sinner. If YOU swear falsely all your
possessions will be cursed; your land
anu meadows, SO that they will yield
you no fruit; your cattle and sheep
VIII be barren, and all that you enjoy
In this world will become a curse to
YOU"
when the witness Is duly crushed by
the sense Of his fearful rcsponsibility,
the oath Is administered, while lie
holds aloft his thumb and fore and
middle fingers, as an emblem Of the
Trinity.
IL Is n little curious that the expires.
sion, "thc 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
no iiSHC manu- IcSllHS on an open
Bible, declares, 81 will swear to tell
the truth, the whole truth and nothing
but the truth"
The Aohammcdan takes the oath
with his forehead rcvcrcntly resting
on the open Koran. lie takes his
bible" In his hands, and. STOPPING
low, rs If in the presence OF Il higher
power, slowly bows his head until it
touches the book, which to him is in
spircd. In the reverence OF his acts
and the unsw1rylng loyalty to M oath
many Europeans have much to learn
from follower OF NIohammcd.
In certain parts Of Spain the witness
when taking m oath crosses the
thumb Of one hand over the forcfinger
Of the other, and kissing this symbolic,
II primitive, cross, says, "By this cross
swear to tell the truth"
IN the more usual form Of admins
tcring the oath in Spain the witness
knccls solcmnly before the Bible and
places his right hand reyenently upon
It. The Judge then asks him, "yYill
you swear, In the name Of God md
Ills holy Book, TO speak the truth in
answer to all questions that NAV be
asked your" The witness answers, ''I
swear" The Judge then concludes.
"If you do this God will reward you.,
AN Austrian takes his oath in front
1 - scriicifix, finnlscd by lighted can.
dies. With upraiscd right hand he
says, II swear by the nll powerful and
all wise God that I Will speak the
whole and clean truth, and nothing
but the truth, III answer to any uucs.
tionS that may be asked in this court.n