Ogham: The Ancient Irish Script

Origins and Usage

Orthodox Ogham, or monumental Ogham, is the script used to write the earliest known form of the Irish language, known as Primitive or Archaic Irish. This script is most commonly found on Ogham stones, with around 400 known examples scattered across Ireland, particularly in counties Cork and Kerry.

The Orthodox Ogham script consists of groups of parallel lines and notches, carved along the natural edge of a stone. Inscriptions typically begin at the bottom left-hand side, reading upwards and, in longer inscriptions, extend across the top of the stone and down the right-hand side. The vast majority of these inscriptions record a person's name, often along with their ancestors’ or tribal name, functioning as memorials or territorial markers. Ogham stones date from around 350 AD to 650 AD, although the script itself may have developed much earlier.

The word 'Ogham' is believed to originate from the Irish phrase ‘og-úaim’ (point-seam), referring to the mark made by a sharp weapon's point. While all surviving Ogham inscriptions are on stone, it is likely that the script was more commonly inscribed on sticks, stakes, and trees—though no examples of these have survived.

The Ogham Alphabet

The original Orthodox Ogham alphabet consisted of twenty distinct characters (feda), arranged into four families (aicmí). Later, five additional letters were introduced, known as forfeda, including the sounds: EA, OI, UI, IA, and AE. Another later addition was the symbol for the letter P, which does not appear in Primitive Irish.

The origins of Ogham are uncertain, but it is thought to date back to the 1st Century AD, potentially developed when the Irish encountered the Latin script used in Roman Britain. Some suggest Ogham was initially created as a cryptic alphabet, designed by the Irish to be incomprehensible to those familiar with Latin.

Ogham may have also drawn influence from the Germanic runic script, which could explain the presence of letters such as "H" and "Z," not found in Primitive Irish, and "U" and "W," which are absent in Latin writing. The term "Rune" is related to the Proto-Celtic *rūna ('secret, magic'), which is echoed in the Old Irish 'rún' ('mystery, secret’).

Mythology and Ogham

According to Irish mythology, Ogham was invented by Ogma, the Irish god of speech, language, eloquence, and learning. Numerous references to Ogham appear throughout Irish mythology, though these mostly describe Ogham being written on wood, rather than stone. A notable exception is found in the epic 'Táin Bó Cúailnge’ (The Cattle Raid of Cooley), where a stone pillar bears an Ogham inscription.

Another mythical reference appears in ‘Baile in Scáil’ (The Phantom’s Frenzy), where the god Lugh recites a poem detailing the names and deeds of all future Kings of Ireland. The poem is so long that Conn's druids cannot memorize it, so they write it down in Ogham on four octagonal rods of yew, each twenty-four feet long.

Legend also tells that the first Ogham message was seven b's inscribed on birch wood, sent as a warning to Lugh, meaning: "your wife will be carried away seven times to the otherworld unless the birch protects her". This led to the letter b being associated with the birch tree, which later inspired the interpretation of some Ogham letters as names of trees or shrubs. However, only five of the twenty primary letters have tree names, and the notion of Ogham as an 'ancient tree alphabet' is a more recent, imaginative interpretation.

Decline and Legacy

The carving of Orthodox Ogham inscriptions onto stones largely ceased in the early 8th Century, as manuscript writing became established. However, Scholastic Ogham continued to be used in manuscripts, written horizontally, with the addition of new letters (forfeda), until the 16th Century. 

It is the scholastic inscriptions which are most likely to be cut into the faces of the stones, rather than along their edges.

Ogham also remained important for teaching the rules of poetry to the ‘filí,’ an elite class of poets in Medieval Irish society, as the Ogham alphabet was well-suited to the Irish language.

Ogham Beyond Ireland

Outside Ireland, most Ogham stones are found in Pembrokeshire, Western Wales. During the early 5th Century, the Deise people moved across and settled there, leaving behind carved stones like the Bridel stone in North Pembrokeshire. The tallest of the Welsh Ogham stones is the Nettasagrus stone, standing at 2.5 meters, and it is unique as a tribal tribute rather than a father-to-son dedication.

Ogham inscriptions were deciphered using both the Book of Ballymote and stones bearing both Latin and Ogham inscriptions. Initially, it was thought that Irish and Welsh Ogham stones were distinct, but it was later realised that Irish settlers in Western Wales were responsible for the Ogham inscriptions, as evidenced by the use of the term "Maq(c)" rather than the Welsh "Mab" in their dedications.

Ogham stones have also been discovered in Celtic Cornwall, where Irish settlers may have established communities similar to those in Wales. These findings, along with those in parts of Irish-settled Gaelic Scotland, underscore the widespread influence of this ancient script. In Scotland, particularly in regions inhabited by the Picts, there is evidence that they began carving their own Ogham stones. These Pictish Ogham stones often feature unique symbols and designs, indicating that the Picts not only adopted the Ogham script but also adapted it to reflect their cultural and artistic traditions. This adaptation highlights the script's broad reach and versatility across different Celtic cultures, showcasing its significance beyond Ireland.