SEMANTIC GROUPS OF FOLKLORIC OATHS

Abstract

The oath, like other genres of oath-related folklore (curse, blessing, wishing), has been used for magical purposes since ancient times.
We distinguish between two main groups of oaths: oath with a curse and oath with a reference to testimony.
The main thematic groups of oaths with curses reflect various types of punishment, ranging from dying in the most brutal ways, suffering from various physical and mental illnesses, to social and religious-moral consequences.
In the main categories of oaths with a reference to testimony beliefs and veneration of the Christian religion, God, and saints, as well as the material objects and items related to the church, are reflected on one hand, and ancient folk beliefs and mythical concepts emerge on the other, which, naturally, arise from the veneration of the particular phenomenon or object in question.