For use in courts of law the practice is often cited as going back to 17th century London courts, but in the Bible it goes back 2000 years or more. The explanations I’ve found generally are “so-and-so did it” but they never why so-and-so did it. The only tangential explanation I can find for using the right hand/arm is somehow indicative of God’s power/goodness.
So, why raise an arm to indicate sincerity?
To show that you are unarmed?
To show that you don’t have your fingers crossed?
Well, you’ve got to sign somehow and it beats holding one foot in both hands.
Because your left hand, the one closest to your heart, is rested on The Bible.
The Romans did it too.
It doesn’t.
The point about an oath is that it’s public. You’re calling on the community and the gods to witness the obligation you are undertaking, and to hold you to it. So you raise your arm to take an oath for the same reason that you stand up to take an oath; it’s an attention-seeking device. The point is to call attention to yourself and to what you are saying.
I asked a teacher this once, and she said that people used to hold one hand up to the deity. I don’t know if that’s true. I heard lots of things from teachers that turned out to be BS. But there you are. It’s at least as likely as showing that your fingers are uncrossed.
This is the reason except for non-Christians substitute applicable “book of the Law.”
I like this. I can see you in grade school even when pinky-cross swearing: “Hands! Let’s see 'em or no deal.”
Always an appropriate response, for this kind of question.
Since the Dope has people familiar with so many different cultures, what are other customs regarding formal and informal oaths?
Within English-speaking countries for example, some very serious vows are not taken with raised hands: marriage vows. And in Spain we don’t pinky-cross, or raise our hand in the air “why is he raising his hand? It can’t be to check for rain, they’re indoors!” (<— my grandma catching a glimpse of an American movie as she moved between rooms).
For informal oaths, we’d either make no gestures, place our right hand over our heart or kiss the tips of one or two fingers; in this last case the line te lo juro por ésta (“I promise on this one”, ‘this one’ meaning the Cross that you are forming with fingers and lips) may be said. Taking oath is generally frowned upon (Matthew 5:37, “let your yes be yes and your no be no; anything beyond that is evil”); people who offer oath that hasn’t been requested and who aren’t doing it as a joke are viewed as untrustworthy.
The protocol for members of the government taking oath calls for the Minister of Justice to go first, as that makes him the First Notary and therefore the main witness to the swearing-ins of every other minister (including the President). There are two books on the table: the Constitution on the right, opened to Chapter VI (“of Government”), upon which the right hand will be placed when taking oath or promise (some won’t take oath because of the aforementioned biblical injunction; others because they view it as a religious thing to do). On the left, a Bible owned by Carlos IV, opened to Numbers 20 (about oaths). And between them, a Crucifix. I don’t know what would happen if someone asked to have different or no religious symbols; the details of the protocol have been updated before so I expect that they would. For example, Felipe VI has added a personal greeting to each minister at the beginning of the ceremony; I was surprised to find out that there didn’t use to be one, it was “walk in, swear or promise, take the pics, then talk in groups”.
I administer oaths “under penalty of perjury.”
And I learned to pay at least enough attention to the person I’m swearing in after an occasion on which I instructed the individual to raise his right arm - only to realize he didn’t have a right arm. :smack:
Didn’t (at least some) Romans “testify” by holding their testicles?
I’ve never actually witnessed a civil ceremony, but in religious ceremonies, the couple joins hands to show that while each is taking the vows as an individual, they are also a couple.