The following text was written by Frank Ottosson, a board member of the Nordic Asa-Community, for a Facebook group associated with the Nordic Asa-Community.
Oaths and Oath Rings – The Bonds of Honor and Law in the Old Norse Society
In Old Norse society, an oath was one of the most binding actions a person could undertake. A promise was not merely a verbal assurance but a sacred obligation, a bond between individuals, the gods, and örlög (fate) itself. Swearing an oath meant placing one’s life, honor, and future in the hands of the gods, and breaking it was to defy both human and divine laws.
Oaths permeated all aspects of society and were used in legal proceedings, alliances, trade, warfare, and daily life. At the thing (assembly), an oath could decide a dispute when evidence was lacking. The one swearing an oath before the legal assembly often had to place their hand on an oath ring, a sacred object made of silver or iron, which was kept in temples or carried by chieftains and jarls. These rings were not merely symbolic—archaeological finds from Uppsala, Uppåkra, and Torsbjerg bog show that such rings were indeed used in ritual and legal contexts. In Njál’s Saga, the law-speaker Hrut swore an oath before the thing to assert his right to an inheritance, and in Eyrbyggja Saga, an accused man attempted to prove his innocence through oath-taking. The oath functioned as a legal guarantee, and anyone who lied under such an oath risked not only their reputation but also the wrath of the gods.
But oaths were not sworn only in court. In war, the oath was a way to bind men to one another and to their chieftain. Warrior bands swore oaths of loyalty by touching an oath ring, a custom mentioned in the Kings’ Sagas. Breaking such an oath was an insult to both men and gods and could lead to blood vengeance. In the Völsunga Saga, Sigurd swore loyalty to King Gunnar but broke his oath through deceit and manipulation, setting off a chain of vengeance and bloodshed. Similar themes appear in The Lay of Atli, where betrayal and broken oaths are described as the cause of King Atli’s downfall.
For a Norseman, oaths were also part of everyday life. In marriage, vows of fidelity were made; in trade, oaths were sworn regarding the quality of goods; and between friends and foster brothers, oaths could seal eternal loyalty. In Laxdæla Saga, a broken oath of loyalty led to a prolonged feud where honor demanded bloody retribution. Those who broke their word risked being labeled a níðingr, an outcast with no rights or protection in society. Being called a níðingr was one of the worst insults a person could suffer, and there were few ways to restore one’s honor after such a disgrace.
The gods do not look kindly upon oath-breakers. Loki, who once swore a blood-brother oath with Odin but later betrayed the gods, is destined to be bound in a cave while venom from a serpent slowly drips onto him. His fate reflects the inevitable justice that befalls those who break their oaths. The gods demand loyalty and honor, and those who violate their oaths can expect divine wrath to find them sooner or later.
The oath was not only a promise between people but also a connection between humans and the gods. In the Landnámabók, an oath ring in the temple at Uppsala is mentioned, used in religious ceremonies and legal proceedings. Similar finds have been made in Norway, where large silver and iron rings connected to temples and chieftain seats have been discovered. In Heimskringla, it is told how kings and chieftains carried such rings and had their men swear oaths of loyalty by placing their hands upon them.
Thus, oaths were more than just words. They were a link between people and gods, between the past, present, and future. Archaeological finds, sagas, and legal texts show how deeply rooted oath-taking was in Old Norse society. To swear an oath was to take örlög (fate) into one’s own hands, to place one’s life in the scales of the gods. Keeping one’s oath was to preserve one’s honor, one’s rights, and one’s place in the world. Breaking it was to lose everything. And even today, the gods watch over the oaths that are sworn, and those who break them do so to their own ruin.
How do you view oaths today? How seriously do you take the promises you make?
And what does it truly mean to keep one’s word in a world where oaths and promises have, in many ways, lost their value?
Read more The following text was written by Frank Ottosson, a board member of the Nordic Asa-Community, for a Facebook group associated with the Nordic Asa-Community.
Oaths and Oath Rings – The Bonds of Honor and Law in the Old Norse Society
In Old Norse society, an oath was one of the most binding actions a person could undertake. A promise was not merely a verbal assurance but a sacred obligation, a bond between individuals, the gods, and örlög (fate) itself. Swearing an oath meant placing one’s life, honor, and future in the hands of the gods, and breaking it was to defy both human and divine laws.
Oaths permeated all aspects of society and were used in legal proceedings, alliances, trade, warfare, and daily life. At the thing (assembly), an oath could decide a dispute when evidence was lacking. The one swearing an oath before the legal assembly often had to place their hand on an oath ring, a sacred object made of silver or iron, which was kept in temples or carried by chieftains and jarls. These rings were not merely symbolic—archaeological finds from Uppsala, Uppåkra, and Torsbjerg bog show that such rings were indeed used in ritual and legal contexts. In Njál’s Saga, the law-speaker Hrut swore an oath before the thing to assert his right to an inheritance, and in Eyrbyggja Saga, an accused man attempted to prove his innocence through oath-taking. The oath functioned as a legal guarantee, and anyone who lied under such an oath risked not only their reputation but also the wrath of the gods.
But oaths were not sworn only in court. In war, the oath was a way to bind men to one another and to their chieftain. Warrior bands swore oaths of loyalty by touching an oath ring, a custom mentioned in the Kings’ Sagas. Breaking such an oath was an insult to both men and gods and could lead to blood vengeance. In the Völsunga Saga, Sigurd swore loyalty to King Gunnar but broke his oath through deceit and manipulation, setting off a chain of vengeance and bloodshed. Similar themes appear in The Lay of Atli, where betrayal and broken oaths are described as the cause of King Atli’s downfall.
For a Norseman, oaths were also part of everyday life. In marriage, vows of fidelity were made; in trade, oaths were sworn regarding the quality of goods; and between friends and foster brothers, oaths could seal eternal loyalty. In Laxdæla Saga, a broken oath of loyalty led to a prolonged feud where honor demanded bloody retribution. Those who broke their word risked being labeled a níðingr, an outcast with no rights or protection in society. Being called a níðingr was one of the worst insults a person could suffer, and there were few ways to restore one’s honor after such a disgrace.
The gods do not look kindly upon oath-breakers. Loki, who once swore a blood-brother oath with Odin but later betrayed the gods, is destined to be bound in a cave while venom from a serpent slowly drips onto him. His fate reflects the inevitable justice that befalls those who break their oaths. The gods demand loyalty and honor, and those who violate their oaths can expect divine wrath to find them sooner or later.
The oath was not only a promise between people but also a connection between humans and the gods. In the Landnámabók, an oath ring in the temple at Uppsala is mentioned, used in religious ceremonies and legal proceedings. Similar finds have been made in Norway, where large silver and iron rings connected to temples and chieftain seats have been discovered. In Heimskringla, it is told how kings and chieftains carried such rings and had their men swear oaths of loyalty by placing their hands upon them.
Thus, oaths were more than just words. They were a link between people and gods, between the past, present, and future. Archaeological finds, sagas, and legal texts show how deeply rooted oath-taking was in Old Norse society. To swear an oath was to take örlög (fate) into one’s own hands, to place one’s life in the scales of the gods. Keeping one’s oath was to preserve one’s honor, one’s rights, and one’s place in the world. Breaking it was to lose everything. And even today, the gods watch over the oaths that are sworn, and those who break them do so to their own ruin.
How do you view oaths today? How seriously do you take the promises you make?
And what does it truly mean to keep one’s word in a world where oaths and promises have, in many ways, lost their value?
