This one is at first glance, but might just prove to be the toughest of all the commandments. It has been said that ‘my word is my bond’ and it is for this reason that one must uphold their pledged word. Does this mean that all pledges and oaths are the same? Not exactly.
Life is nuanced, and has a rhyme and rhythm to it, it is for this reason that it is so flavourful and wondrous yet also so very terrible. It happens that some oaths such as caring for someone’s toy isn’t near as important as the care one should put into caring for one’s elders or children. Every oath has its own importance and its own degree of importance that is in part dependant on the situation.
Much in life is contextual, everything must be taken in context, though that does not mean that oaths should be broken lightly. Only that you should not make an oath you do not intend to keep. It is for this reason that if you make an oath, you make a promise you have given your word, you have also bound up your fate with that of those you have yourself to, or promised your word to.
It is for this reason that honour is important. By breaking your word, you break not only a sacred bond with another but with yourself. You have abjured something sacred within both of you so that you have failed yourself.
Oaths in the professional sphere are crucial and are what I like to call ‘oaths of the second degree of importance’ they are of course importance, they rank above all promises made in childhood, which are those of the third degree of importance. These oaths bind you to your employer and is of the utmost importance. You should only swear yourself insofar as you are capable of doing so.
An example of a promise that you cannot make is one that contradicts with things such as a daughter’s school play, or your son’s game, or a promise made to the wife. These are the most important oaths, hence why you must prioritise them above all else. Promises of this sort must always take priority over all others, as promises of the ‘first degree of importance’ (those made to family) are what a man is defined by. But should you promise anything at all to your employer or employees you have bound yourself to them, and must honour thy word to them. No exceptions.
Lying is wrong, this goes without saying and is wrong. To lie and spread falsehoods is to propagate ignorance and ignorance is the enemy of all men and women. Therefore, you must never defy truth. It is all powerful therefore do not defy it, but rather bend to its power and realise that as a knight you serve it and must always be subservient to it.
Truth is absolute, and this must be acknowledged at all times in a knight’s life. He must make it of the utmost importance, just as his first and second degree oaths must be. These oaths must not be broken if one can help it, as promises to friends, family and of the business variety are of the utmost importance.
Because though the rest of the world may worship liars, fools and clowns and oath-breakers you must not. Your life must not be ruled by promises and oaths, but rather by one’s own will, and the best means by which one may accomplish this is by maintaining self-discipline and keeping every promise one makes.
Keep always to your word and others shall do the same to you, this is known by all those who came before us. Certainly a great many did not keep their word, such as Henry VIII or Elizabeth I and both ended their reigns in misery, and were hated by their subjects towards the end. It is for this reason that one should keep one’s word and not give into untruth and lies, less they come to dominate your life.
Because to turn away from the truth is to make an enemy all those around you, who might seek to help you, and to continuously break thy word to them, is to foment poor relations with them and resentment. Resentment builds quicker than the most quickly built buildings in history, and inevitably bring all those connected to it down, therefore to honour one’s word is to honour others. Remember that the lone wolf dies, and the pack-animal thrives and that in ancient times the legates and centurions relied upon one another, so had to be truthful with one another and keep falsehoods at a minimum.
In literature, Guinevere with her many illicit affairs and many explicit ones gave way to untruth and took her word lightly. Think carefully on how Lancelot ended his days in ignominy and how he destroyed Camelot with his lies, his indifference to the importance of his own word and oaths to Arthur. In contrast compare him to Gawain who honoured his oaths, and was always full of goodness in the myths, and was faithful to his wife (unlike Lancelot), thus it should not be difficult which knight men should aspire after.
Those who hold up Lancelot ought to be avoided and scorned, for they have no honour, will not hold up their word, whereas those who revere, Arthur, Gawain and Galahad are meant to be respected, admired and treated with all due respect. This does not mean to do harm to those who love Lancelot, remember he is only a fictional character but rather elucidate to the ignorant the depths of his failures and unworthiness as a ‘Knight of the Round Table’.
I hold to my ethics: respect for individual/property rights. But yes, I would hold to my pledge since that pledge would never be given for something I could not support fully and with all my heart.
Woe unto the person who breaks an oath. We have a long history if distrusting such persons, while history rewards those who held true to their oaths even unto death.