OATH, Kasm, Half, Sogund, Ham, is a re ligious affirmation, an appeal to witness of the Supreme God. The British races have, in Eng land and Ireland, the custom of kissing the book, pronouncing the words 'so help me God.' The French custom raises the hand, as in Genesis xiv. 22, Deuteronomy xxxii. 40. Jeremiah v. 7 forbids swearing by idols ; and in 1 Samuel i. 26, the soul (or life) of the exalted man is invoked. The Greeks and Romans swore by their tutelary gods, and the mediaeval Christians by their guardian saints. The oath taken by the servant of Abraham (Genesis xxiv. 2-9) was completed by the servant passing his hand under Abraham's thigh, and Arabs still swear so. The oath administered to the person who erects the boundary pillars, if a Hindu, is the ganga-jul, or the chour or raw hide of the cow, or swearing by his son. By Hindus, the leaves of the tulsi and water are swallowed after an oath. A Muhammadan is sworn on the Koran, or by placing his hands on his son's head. To a Hindu, the chour, and swearing by his own child, are the most binding. The Gao, a cow oath, is by a Hindu swearing while holding a cow's tail ; Brahmani oath by swearing while touching the feet of a Brahman.
Among the Kandh race of Orissa peacocks' feathers are used. They are also sworn on the skins of tigers or lizards, also on an ant-hill.
The oath of the Pahari in the Bhagulpur ranges was by planting two arrows in the ground, in the form of the letter A reversed, and the person swearing took in his hand the blade of one and the feather of the other. On solemn
occasions salt was put on the blade of a sword, and, after the words of the oath are repeated, the blade being placed on the under lip of the person sworn, the salt is washed into his mouth by the person administering it.
In the Book of the Oath, which a Burmese witness places on his head in swearing, one of the numerous imprecations which it contains is, All such as do not speak truth, . . . if they travel by water, whether in ships or boats, may they sink, or may they be bitten or devoured by crocodiles.' Amongst the Abor, the Sengmung, an inter change of meat food inviolably cements an oath. Dyak and Kyan races in Borneo cement an oath by the parties tasting each other's blood.
The Ojla clan of the Bhil will not use as food any animal with a white skin or white feathers, and their most sacred oath is to swear by a white ram. All Hindus, in British courts of justice, are sworn by placing in their hands a leaf of the Oeimum sanctum, and a few drops of water from the Ganges, which they transfer to their mouths and swallow.—Heber, i. p. 281 ; Mist. of Panjab, i. 151 ; Yule, p. 24.