The oath breaker was put on the same par as the murderer. To put it simply, swear few oaths, and break none. In the story of the Jomsvikings, it gives us two examples concerning oaths that we should take well to heart. The first is that oaths should never be sworn lightly or when intoxicated. At a feast they attended, each of their leaders swore oaths that would turn out be their undoing and many of their number would find their deaths as a result. They had been so drunk when they swore their oaths that some could not even remember having sworn them the next day. It is to their great praise that they lived up to those oaths despite the fact they had been sworn unwisely. We can learn two things then, from the Jomsvikings. First is the praise and honor that one earns from keeping their oaths. The second is that we should swear oaths few and wisely.

“Let another's wounds be your warning. (Sögumál 2)

Again, as we might expect, the sagas give us many examples of the praise earned by those who kept their oaths and the ignominy gained by those who broke them.

“It is better to keep one's oath.” (Sögumál 60)

“Alone is it seemly to hold truly to troth given.” (Sögumál 62)

“Never swear false oaths; great and grim is the reward for the breaking of troth.” (Sögumál 21)

“Befell erelong
that the laggards in war the wood had left,
trothbreakers, cowards, ten together,
fearing before to flourish a spear
in the sore distress of their sovran lord.
Now in their shame their shields they carried,
armor of fight, where the old man lay;
and they gazed on Wiglaf. Wearied he sat
at his sovran's shoulder, shieldsman good,
to wake him with water.” (Beowulf 39)

“At home I bided
what fate might come, and I cared for mine own;
feuds I sought not, nor falsely swore
ever on oath. For all these things,
though fatally wounded, fain am I!” (Beowulf 37)

“I am unwilling to sacrifice so much to break my oaths for the life of Thorer: for both of us, king Njorfe and I, have sworn to be faithful and trust to each other, both in private and public matters. These oaths he has kept in all matters. Now I will not, therefore, show myself worse than he has been; but this I would do if I should fight against him, for there was a time when king Njorfe was as dear to me as my own sons, and it needs not be hinted at that I should give Thorer any help; he must leave, and never more come before my eyes.” (TVS, c.10)

“Said the king: Truly is Viking unlike most other men, on account of his high-mindedness and all his bravery, and now, my son Jokul, I speak the truth when I solemnly forbid any war to be waged against Viking form this time forward. Answered Jokul: I cannot bear to have the slayers of my brothers in the garth next to me, and in a word, I declare that Viking and his sons shall never live in peace so far as I am concerned and I shall never cease persecuting them before they are all sent to Hel (the goddess of death). Answered the king: Then I shall try and see who of us two is the more blest of friends, for with all those who are willing to follow me I will go and help Viking; it seems to me to be of great weight that you do not become the bane of Viking, for it that should follow, I would be forced to one of two things, either to have you killed, and that would be the cause of evil talk, or to break my oaths which I have sworn, namely, that I would avenge Viking if I should outlive him.” (TVS, c.15)

"Speak in no such wise, daughter!" said he, "for great shame will it be to him, yea, and to us also, to break troth with him, he being sackless; and in naught may we trust him, and no friendship shall we have of him, if these matters are broken off; but he will pay us back in as evil wise as he may; for that alone is seemly, to hold truly to troth given." (VS, c.4)

“Then said Brynhild, 'I swore an oath to wed the man who should ride my flaming fire, and that oath will I hold to, or die.'" (VS, c.29)

“Hogni answers, 'Ill it behoves us to break our oaths with wrack and wrong, and withal great aid we have in him; no kings shall be as great as we, if so be the King of the Hun-folk may live; such another brother-in-law never may we get again; bethink thee how good it is to have such a brother-in-law, and such sons to our sister! But well I see how things stand, for this has Brynhild stirred thee up to, and surely shall her counsel drag us into huge shame and scathe.'" (VS, c.30)

"Such a dream I had, Gunnar, as that my bed was cold, and that thou didst ride into the hands of thy foes: lo now, ill shall it go with thee and all thy kin, O ye breakers of oaths; for on the day thou slayedst him, dimly didst thou remember how thou didst blend thy blood with the blood of Sigurd, and with an ill reward hast thou rewarded him for all that he did well to thee; whereas he gave unto thee to be the mightiest of men; and well was it proven how fast he held to his oath sworn, when he came to me and laid betwixt us the sharp-edged sword that in venom had been made hard. All too soon did ye fall to working wrong against him and against me, whenas I abode at home with my father, and had all that I would, and had no will that any one of you should be any of mine, as ye rode into our garth, ye three kings together; but then Atli led me apart privily, and asked me if I would not have him who rode Grani; yea, a man nowise like unto you; but in those days I plighted myself to the son of King Sigmund and no other; and lo, now, no better shall ye fare for the death of me." (VS, c.32)

“Hakon advised him not to speak to any man so that this should be known; 'for,' said he, 'it concerns thy life: and rather consider with thyself what thou art man enough to undertake; for to accomplish such a purpose requires a bold and firm man, who will neither stick at good nor evil to do that which is intended; for to take up great resolutions, and then to lay them aside, would only end in dishonour.'” (OT, c.9)

“Hrafnkel said, 'Why did you ride this one horse which was forbidden to you, when there were plenty of other horses you were free to ride? I'd have forgiven this single offence if I'd not sworn so great an oath. You've made a frank enough confession, but my faith tells me that nothing good can happen to people who break their solemn vows.'” (HR, c.6)

 It was held praiseworthy to always honor the Oaths of Bonding (marriage vows). Adultery was considered to be one of the greatest crimes Northfolk could commit. As we saw in the strophes from Völuspá above, oath breakers, adulterers and murderers were considered to be equally as vile. The oath of bonding is, at its heart, the very foundation of kinship, and to disregard it can only bring disaster.

5. I rede thee, Loddfafnir!         and hear thou my rede,-
Profit thou hast if thou hearest,
Great thy gain if thou learnest:
Seek never to win        the wife of another,
Or long for her secret love. (Loddfafnismal 5)

21. I rede thee, Loddfafnir!         and hear thou my rede,-
Profit thou hast if thou hearest,
Great thy gain if thou learnest:
I bed thee be wary,        but be not fearful;
(Beware most with ale        or another's wife,
And third beware        lest a thief outwit thee.) (Loddfafnismal 21)

8. Ale-runes learn,

 that with lies the wife
Of another betray not thy trust;
On the horn thou shalt write,

  and the backs of thy hands,
And Need shalt thou mark on thy nails.
Thou shalt bless the draught,

 and danger escape,
And cast a leek in the cup;
(For so I know

 thou never shalt see
Thy mead with evil mixed.)
(Ed. Need here stands for nauthiz, and 'leek', laguz.) (Sigdrifumal 8)

32. Then eighth I rede thee,

 that evil thou shun,
And beware of lying words;
Take not a maid,

 nor the wife of a man,
Nor lure them on to lust. (Sigdrifumal 32)