Swearing on the horns

From Traditional Witchcraft Wiki Project

Swearing upon the Horns is an old English custom were a visitor of the public who wished admisstion of membership to several pubs during 17th-19th century. The oath consists of a series of statements and rules read by a clerk or landlord, which after confirming one's dedication to merriment; thus being sworn to agree to each statement, and would then kiss or salute a set of horns in order to be accepted into a local pub. Such English custom was most commonly used in the london suburb of Highgate up until the late 19th century.

The earliest mention of this custom is in a burlesque routine performed in Haymarket Theatre in 1742. The 1785 edition of Grose's Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue held that the oath had been invented by a landlord of one of the public houses, to entertain guests and con newcomers out of some money. According to Grose, the custom had fallen into disuse at that time, which—considering its wide popularity in the early 1800s— indicates that swearing on the horns came in and out of fashion over the centuries.

At one time, members of all social classes took part in the swearing in. In Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Lord Byron alludes to it:

Italic text"Many to the steep of Highgate die; Ask, ye Baeceotian shades! the reason why? 'Tis to the worship of the solemn Horn, Grasped in the holy hand of Mystery, In whose dread name both men and maids are sworn, And consecrate the oath with draught and dance till morn."Italic text

—Byron

Althrough this custom was used in more modern times, it is said to have its origins well back in per-history considered to hold within it ancient Pagan antiquity which in some English traditions has adopted in there rituals durning intuition,thus acting as admisstion into coven or family tradition.

See also horning