CHAPTER XLI. 



THE OATH AND ORDEAL. 



Sanctity of the oath Manner of taking the oath Oath upon the Bible adopted 

 with Christianity Oaths sworn by objects The oath of truce Oath by 

 witnesses Purifying oath Its various forms Perjury Different forms 

 of ordeal Passing under sods Ordeal of boiling water Walking on red- 

 hot irous. 



THE law of the people was much influenced by their religion. 

 Great stress was laid upon the sanctity of the oath, which, like 

 a vow, was considered most binding. No other literature 

 points out so clearly and so often the sacredness of an oath 

 and the loathing in which oath-breakers were held. Let the 

 youth of every land learn this noble trait of the character of 

 the Norsemen. No one could absolve a man for breaking his 

 oath, no matter how great might have been the splendour of 

 his achievements. The higher born the man was, the more 

 did he consider himself bound to keep his oath. 



History teaches us that the avenging fates have never been 

 slow to smite low to the dust oath-breakers, as well as nations 

 which, in a moment of hallucination showing the moral disease 

 of the mind of their people, have absolved the men who had 

 committed this crime. 



The proofs used to clear a man were " witnesses," " oath" 

 and " ordeal." The taking of an oath was looked upon as a very 

 sacred and holy ceremony. He who violated it sooner or later 

 incurred the enmity of the gods. Many examples were remem- 

 bered by the people showing how an oath was kept, in spite of 

 the greatest provocation or temptation. What any one had 

 sworn was considered sacred, and could not be broken with 

 impunity. 



The oath was taken at the Thing, or Temple, by placing the 

 hand on a ring which had been consecrated by having been 

 dipped in the blood of the sacrificial ox. This ring, which was 



