The Oathbreaker: Difference between revisions

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* In ''[[The Sandman|Sandman]]'' by Neil Gaiman: "As this blood is shed, so spills your blood, Ruthven Sykes, adept of the 33rd, whose secret name is Ararita... Traitor and Oath-Breaker." Cue skull implosion.

== Literature ==

== [[Literature]] ==

* Jaime Lannister from ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''; the broken oath and consequences thereof define large chunks of his character, as well as earning him the nickname "The [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Kingslayer]]". He killed Aerys II Targaryen after swearing to protect him, and even though Aerys had a nickname of his own ("The [[The Caligula|Mad]] [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|King]]") he is treated like the lowest of the low by most of the nobility, even in a [[Crapsack World]] where people like [[Complete Monster|Gregor Clegane]], [[Torture Technician|Qyburn]], [[Ax Crazy|Joffrey Baratheon]], and [[Psycho for Hire|the Bolton family]] exist.

** Those that leave the Night's Watch are condemned to death for breaking their vows and deserting The Wall. Ned Stark tells his son that there's nothing more dangerous than an oath breaker whose life is now forfeit. They will do anything to survive.

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* In ''[[The Dresden Files]],'' Harry has a ''literal'' [[Fairy Godmother]]. But... [[Oh Crap|this is The Dresden Files]]. It's not what you think. {{spoiler|He made a deal with her a long time ago that says that she can now do with him as she pleases - and it turns out that that is to transform him into one of her hunting dogs.}} He's had to dodge her attempts to collect on his debt. However, it turns out that {{spoiler|she really ''does'' want to him safe since she made a deal with his mother, and part of her reason for wanting to transform him is to keep him safe at her side.}}

* Nick Seafort from the ''[[Seafort Saga]]'' broke an oath to save his ship from a [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]]. Although other people see nothing wrong in his actions, he considers himself damned to hell for it.

* In the ''Discworld'' novel ''[[~~Discworld/Jingo|~~Jingo]]'', "71-hour" Ahmed got his nickname from violating [[Sacred Hospitality]] and killing his host (Klatchian [[Sacred Hospitality]] lasts for three days, or 72 hours). He wears the nickname proudly as a way of inspiring fear and distrust, {{spoiler|which is a good thing for him since he's a [[Cowboy Cop]] and being feared by criminals is a definitive bonus. As for the man he killed, he was an admitted mass-murderer.}}

* In the ''Discworld'' novel ''[[Jingo]]'', "71-hour" Ahmed got his nickname from violating [[Sacred Hospitality]] and killing his host (Klatchian [[Sacred Hospitality]] lasts for three days, or 72 hours). He wears the nickname proudly as a way of inspiring fear and distrust, {{spoiler|which is a good thing for him since he's a [[Cowboy Cop]] and being feared by criminals is a definitive bonus. As for the man he killed, he was an admitted mass-murderer.}}

* The man who's name is not Jack Bannister apparently got quite rich by being one of these, according to Fisk in the ''[[Knight and Rogue Series]]''.

* In the ''[[Chronicles of Prydain]]'', breaking oaths is one of [[Big Bad|Arawn]]'s most infamous habits. If this guy makes a deal, he WILL break it. [[Chaotic Evil|No matter how little it might cost him to keep it]]. [[Stupid Evil|Or how much more dangerous NOT keeping it could be]]. And SOMEHOW, there are always more idiots willing to make [[Deal with the Devil|deals]] with him.

== [[Oral Tradition|Oral Tradition, Folklore, Myths and Legends]] ==

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* As [[The Other Wiki]] says, the most commonly accepted etymology derives the word "warlock" from the Old English ''waerloga'' meaning "oathbreaker" (from ''waer'' "promise, agreement" and ''loga'' "deceiver").

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* Ironically, Oathbreaker is one of the names of Odin,{{verify}} head of the [[Norse Mythology|Norse gods]]. Given that intangible things like vows are supposed to be impossible for gods and the like to break{{verify}} (the god wolf Fenrir was bound by a ribbon made from such ingredients as the root of a mountain and the beard of a woman), the fact that Odin can do that is rather frightening, especially when he can extract vows from everything else in the world and expect them to be kept{{verify}} (like when he{{verify}} made all the things in the world, save one, give an oath to never hurt his son Balder).

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

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* ''[[Changeling: The Dreaming]]'' featured Oaths quite heavily. Characters who made oaths gained sizable bonuses, but those who broke their oaths lost far more. An oathbreaker was also heavily ostracized, and an entire noble house of [[The Fair Folk]] were treated as pariahs because they had broken a forgotten oath in ages past.

** ''[[Changeling: The Lost]]'' also puts heavy weight on oaths, but for different reasons. Breaking an oath earns you a measure of disrespect in changeling society, likely has tertiary consequences if you swore it on something important (e.g., your faith or your fortune), is a sin against [[Sanity Meter|Clarity]]... oh, yeah, and [[The Fair Folk|your Keeper]] is perfectly aware that you did it, and may likely be hobbled by the conditions of the broken pledge.

== Mythology ==

⚫

* As [[The Other Wiki]] says, the most commonly accepted etymology derives the word "warlock" from the Old English ''waerloga'' meaning "oathbreaker" (from ''waer'' "promise, agreement" and ''loga'' "deceiver").

⚫

* Ironically, Oathbreaker is one of the names of Odin, head of the [[Norse Mythology|Norse gods]]. Given that intangible things like vows are supposed to be impossible for gods and the like to break{{verify}} (the god wolf Fenrir was bound by a ribbon made from such ingredients as the root of a mountain and the beard of a woman), the fact that Odin can do that is rather frightening, especially when he can extract vows from everything else in the world and expect them to be kept{{verify}} (like when he{{verify}} made all the things in the world, save one, give an oath to never hurt his son Balder).

== [[Video Games]] ==