Utgard issue 5 The Holy Oath Ring

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Issue #5 June 1999-5102

The Holy Oath Ring
by IG Yens

The oath-rings are the most legendary of the golden arm-rings which exist in prehistory. The name comes from the Icelandic sagas, which tell us that these rings were worn or held at the swearing of oaths, marriages, and other important events, and that when given freely to another they create a bond stronger than that of blood. These same sagas also describe temple rings or oath-rings which had been used by the Gydhjur and Godhar, and keep these and other words and deeds of our Elder Troth alive so we may remain true to the ways of our honoured ancestors before us. The Hammer itself is a sign of this faithfulness, a remnant of when our ancestors strove to keep their own cultural identity whole during the Kristjan onslaught. It is a sigil of all who follow the god/desses of the North, with its own oath-ring firmly attached through the handle. Whichever your choice, hammer or arm-band, this ring of precious metals is the holy oath-ring, which is also the sign of our equally holy fellowship with our ancestral deities.

The ring from the Parish of Södra Ving in Västergötland is cast in solid gold and weighs just under three ounces, but arm-rings were/are just as often made out of a thin gold foil folded to a tubular shape and then firmed up with a bronze filling. This was a technique often used by the goldsmiths to supplement the precious metal. Another widely used cost-effective method was/is to twist several strands of precious wire together and then simply bend them into a circular shape which is closed off by twisting the ends back into loops, or even by soldering end pieces on. These ancient arm-rings show traces of wear from prolonged use, and there are some more than a thousand years older than the oath-rings mentioned of in the Icelandic sagas. You may also spiral several feet of eighteen gauge pure silver wire round and round until it becomes a visibly seamless whole, which should always consist of windings in three's - truly symbolizing a ring of Holy Troth, and preferably weigh no less than one ounce.

The pattern of the thrice-wound oath-ring also calls on those three great oath-gods, UllR (Wulthur), Tyr (Tiw), and Thor (Thunar), or, the triad of "Freyr (Yngvi), NjördR (Nerthus), and the almighty Áse (thought to be of your choosing)." Yet these are not the only Gods of the Oath, some of the more prominent to be known are: Vidar, Keeper of Secrets and Holder of Oaths; Oðin, All-Father and Observer of Troth; Freyja, Mistress of SeidhR and Keeper of Mysteries; Bragi, God of Eloquence and Smooth of Tongue; Vár, Goddess of Love and Observer of Marital Vows. To be sure, there are many that I have failed to list, and those that I have listed may have different traits that you would prefer to call upon, but this should inspire you to seek on your own for ever more input.

One of the best and most holy times to make oaths is to state them over the horn during sumble, or to make them on the boar during the Yule blot. The BaugeidhR, or ring-oath, is the holiest of oaths, but less common in practice, because of the rather ritualized manner, if not full ceremony called for, although oaths may be given at any time. You must realize that these oaths, or Statements of Truth, are an essential part of the Northern Traditions. It is through the composing and then honouring of our boasts, vows, and oaths which enables the full development of our own self-worth and increases the true comraderie with our fellows, for it is our words, closely followed by our deeds, which enables us to be most remembered, fondly or otherwise, by others. There are known to be in fact, three main styles in which to make/take an oath.

The first variety of oath is the boast. This term covers both the fact of swearing to do something, as well as the relating to others that you have succeeded in what you set out to do. There is a four round Sumbel which is most appropriate for this style of oath. The first round is to Principles, a statement of what you think is personally important. Next round is to Heroes, either living or dead, who have personally inspired you, (must be a real person here folks!). Third round is that of the actual Boasting, stating your own personal successes, (no matter how tawdry they may be!). The final round is that of Oaths, to set an attainable goal which is within your personal control. At the completion of this fourth round, the entire affair can then begin again, or the group may give thanks to the gods and thus end this particular style.

The second variety of oath is that in which one swears to adhere to certain set standards of behavior, the act of solemnly giving an oath of kinship and allegiance, up to and including the exclusion of others, which is common upon joining some groups and upon taking certain offices or official positions. These oaths may in fact only last until the individual leaves the group and/or the held position, although often there is no set limit on when the oath ends, and it can continue indefinitely. Such an oath of this calibre is The Profession of Adoption unto the Gods of the North, the Aesir and Vanir. It is a simple ceremony usually done in the presence of a Gothi or Gythia and the rest of the HópR, Kindred, Hearth or Garth. It should be considered a life-altering act to swear an Oath of Allegiance to the Holy Gods of AsgardR. It is taken/given upon some sacred object, and is the sort of thing which is very appropriate for the use of an oath-ring. One's progress concerning this style of oath should be regularly reported on in sumble.

The third variety of oath is of the style of personal relationships. Either between individuals, or between an individual and a group, this sort of vow is very important to the maintenance of society and to the keeping of frith. The common practice of holding the ring during the exchange of wedding vows attests to this simple fact. This oath of the Sacred Promise can be stated and justly consecrated during any ceremony by calling on your god/dess while in front of those present at the time. It is now a common practice to incorporate oath-swearing into modern Trú wedding ceremonies as well. You should keep in mind that there is no major difference between contracts, whose terms you may well swear to uphold, and oaths, which should be deliberate and carefully worded. Although traditionally the marriage contract, which joins two together in society, is simply less strict than that of the Oath of Blood, which bonds two together in sibling-hood, any oath once sworn is to be considered as carved in stone.

There are many things you need to consider before making and/or taking an oath. You should be sure to take careful thought and consideration to be certain that an oath does not interfere with any previously made affirmations. Plus, you should decide whether you can sufficiently handle the responsibility which you are about to take upon yourself, as well as how any others involved in the oath, no matter how directly or indirectly, will be affected by, or even handle said declaration. Realize that for you to be able to keep your sworn statement also requires the ability to have confidence in yourself, and it may be best to start off with small relatively minor oaths, for none are simple, before jumping into truly life-changing ones. You should also be aware of any repercussions, for both self and community, if the oaths are not fulfilled.

Though you should indeed be cautious about making and taking any oath, it becomes even more important when you realizes that they affect not only the self, but also the highly involved community, which today is all around each individual. If you have thought carefully about what it is that you are about to undertake, and think that it can be accomplished, it is very much to your own benefit to do so. However, you should not let the responsibilities, and any possible dangers of oaths prevent you from making and/or taking them. Remember, the might of the individual does indeed actually help to shape the main of the self and of the community as a whole.

Thus it is when someone fails any boast, oath, or vow, they diminish the energies of those around them which, in turn, negatively shapes the community's örlog. Although we should indeed hold those considered as oath-breakers accountable for what they do because their actions affect everyone who is directly and/or indirectly involved, no matter how trivial the oath may seem, we should be willing to help them change their behavior and thus in turn honour their oaths. For this action will then add to their own positive energies, and also to the community's as well, for the good of all involved.

Now that you hopefully understand a little better about the Oath-Ring and its vital significance to the Northern Traditions, will you willingly choose to make and/or take an oath before our Gods?

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

Credit is given unto: Thad Horrell, Horrell Maegdhred, & Stanland Hall for the article "Oaths"; and also to Edred Wodanson Oðin's Goði, for inspiring this page to be risted.

Skertru
IG Yens
from The Kewel Ristar @
http://members.tripod.com/~runwita/

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