The Ogham & The Celtic Tree Alphabet

   This short essay is not meant to be a definitive on the topic of Ogham, but rather some random thoughts that I pose for people to think about when contemplating the Ogham. It is my thought that the Ogham and the Celtic tree alphabet though similar, are different from each other.

   Could it be possible that it was created by Irish scholars (Ollamh) or Druids for political, military or religious reasons to provide a secret means of communication in opposition to the authorities of Roman Britain. The Roman Empire, which then ruled over neighbouring Britain, represented a very real threat of invasion to Ireland, which may have acted as a spur to the creation of the alphabet if we look when it erupts the landscape in stone. Alternatively, in later centuries when the threat of invasion had receded and the Irish were themselves invading the western parts of Britain, the desire to keep communications secret from Romans or Romanised Britons would still have provided an incentive.

   Or perhaps, another thought; The Ogham scholar R.A.S. Macalister was influential at one time, but he finds little favour with scholars today. Macalister believed that Ogham was first invented in Cisalpine Gaul around 600 B.C. by Gaulish Druids as a secret system of hand signals, and was inspired by a form of the Greek alphabet current in Northern Italy at the time. According to this theory, the alphabet was transmitted in oral form or on wood only, until it was finally put into a written form on stone inscriptions in early Christian Ireland. Later scholars are largely united in rejecting this theory however primarily because a detailed study of the letters show that they were created specifically for the Primitive Irish of the early centuries AD. The supposed links with the form of the Greek alphabet that Macalister proposed can also be disproved.

   Macalister's theory of hand or finger signals as a source for ogham is a reflection of the fact that the signary consists of four groups of five letters, with a sequence of strokes from one to five. A theory popular among modern scholars is that the forms of the letters derive from the various numerical tally-mark systems in existence at the time. This theory was first suggested by the scholars Thurneysen and Vendryes, who proposed that the ogham script was inspired by a pre-existing system of counting based around the numbers five and twenty, which was then adapted to an alphabet form by the first ogamists. Though, if we look at the Ogham tract, and the book of Ballymote carefully we will see even in that time period captured on vellum for us to see today there is a secret communication and use of hand, foot, and nose for ogham communication. So the truth could be somewhere in the middle here. 

   This second theory seems to have much to be disproved by its various inconsistencies. All conjecture aside, whatever the case, it seems that this Ogham uses a language by its inscription that pre-dates the common spoken language of the people who were crafting it! Why would an educated class of people use an older variant of their language that was unspoken in their time to carve stone for a mundane purpose? I feel if we take a look at what we have from surviving texts, given to us from the oral tradition some light might be shed on some earlier roots of Ogham usage.

First let us examine the tale of Lugh coming to Tara:

From "The Second Battle of Mag Tured(Moytura) Now as to the Tuatha De, this is what they were doing. After Bres, Nuada was again in sovereignty over the Tuatha De. At that time he held a mighty feast at Tara for them. Now there was a certain warrior on his way to Tara, whose name was Lug Samildanach. And there were then two doorkeepers at Tara, namely Gamal son of Figal and Camaall son of Riagall. When one of these was on duty he saw a strange company coming towards him. A young warrior fair and shapely, with a king's trappings, was in the forefront of that band. They told the doorkeeper to announce their arrival at Tara. The doorkeeper asked:"Who is there?"

"Here there is Lug Lamfada (i.e. Lugh Long-Arm) son of Cian son of Diancecht and of Ethne daughter of Balor. Fosterson, he, of Tailltiu daughter of Magmor king of Spain and of Eochaid the Rough son of Duach."

The doorkeeper asked of Lug Samildanach: "What art dost thou practice?" Said he; " for no one without an art enters Tara."

Lugh: "Question me," said he; I am a wright."

The doorkeeper answered:"We need thee not. We have a wright already, even Luchta son of Luachaid."

He said: " Question me, O doorkeeper! I am a smith."

The doorkeeper answered him:"We have a smith already, Colum Cualleineach of the three new processes."

He said:" Question me: I am a champion."

The doorkeeper answered: We need thee not. We have a champion already, Ogma son of Ethliu."

He said again:"Question me: I am a harper."

"We need thee not. We have a harper already, Abcan son of Bicelmos whom the Tuatha De Danann chose in the fairy mounds."

Said he:"Question me I am a hero."

The doorkeeper answered:" We need thee not. We have a hero already, even Bresal Etarlam son of Eochaid Baethlam."

Then he said:" Question me, O doorkeeper! I am a poet and I am a historian."

"We need thee not. We have already a poet and historian, even En son of Ethaman."

He said," Question me: I am a sorcerer." "We need thee not. We have sorcerers already. Many are our wizards and our folk of might."

He said:" Question me; I am a leech."

"We need thee not. We have for a leech Diancecht."

"Question me,"said he; I am a cupbearer."

"We need thee not. We have cupbearers already, even Delt and Drucht and Daithe, Tae and Talom and Trog, Glei and Glan and Glesi."

He said: "Question me: I am a good brazier."

"We need thee not. We have a brazier already, Credne Cerd."

He said again, "Ask the king." Said he, "whether he has a single man who possesses all these arts, and if he has I will not enter Tara."

Then the doorkeeper went into the palace and declared all to the king. "A warrior has come before the enclosure," said he. "His name is Samildanach (many-gifted), and all the arts which thy household practice he himself possesses, so that he is the man of each and every art."

The king said then that the chess-boards of Tara should be taken to Samildanach, and he won all the stakes, so that then he made the Cro of Lug. (But if chess was invented at the epoch of the Trojan war, it had not reached Ireland then, for the battle of Moytura and the destruction of Troy occurred at the same time) So we mean the game Fidchell (wood-sense)

then that was related to Nuada. "Let him into the enclosure," says he; " for never before has man like him entered this fortress."

Then the doorkeeper let Lug pass him, and he entered the fortress and sat down in the sage's seat, for he was a sage in every art.

Then the great flag-stone, to move which required the effort of four-score yoke of oxen, Ogma hurled through the house, so that it lay on the outside of Tara. This was a challenge to Lug. But Lug cast it back, so that it lay in the center of the palace and made it whole.

"Let a harp be played for us,"said the company. So the warrior played a sleep-strain for the hosts and for the king the first night. He cast them into sleep from that hour to the same time on the following day. He played a wail-strain, so that they were crying and lamenting. He played a laugh-strain, so that they were in merriment and joyance.

Now Nuada, when he beheld the warrior's many powers, considered whether Samildanach could put away from the bondage which they suffered from the Fomorians. So they held a council concerning the warrior. The decision to which Nuada cam was to change seats with the warrior. So Samildanach went to the king's seat, and the king rose up before him till thirteen days had ended. Then on the morrow he met with the two brothers, Dagda and Ogma, on Grellach Dollaid. And his brothers Goibniu and Diancecht were summoned to them. A full year were they in that secret converse, wherefore Grellach Dollaid is called Amrun of the Tuatha De Danann.

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   There seems to be a very formal way of speaking, that goes on and on throughout this myth at different sections. This special way of dialoguing is an important feature often overlooked. I feel it is clearly a ritualistic style in communication. Note that every time Lugh asks a question to the doorkeeper he propositions a question in a demanding fashion by stating, "Question me". We notice the doorkeeper never does, and instead always responds with a negative statement in return, by saying; "We do not need you..." Let us look deeper by examining the doorkeepers words carefully. Why does he say they only have one champion and one warrior, when later in the legend we come to find that Tara has many warriors.  Why is it that nine cup bearers are mentioned by name, and yet the powerful and more important Druids (wizards) are not named at all? I feel that this could possibly suggest a greater implication of some sort of magical, formalized ritualistic way of speaking.

If we examine the dialogue of the Two Sages; Feircheirdne and Neidhe. We see Feircheirdne tries to challenge Neidhe for his use of the poets chair. We will again glimpse at this style of communication.

SAID NÉDE
10. An ancient one, O my senior, every sage is a corrective sage.
11. A sage is the reproach of every ignorant person.
12. (But) before he knows wrath against us he should see what reproach, what (evil) sap (is in us).
13. Welcome is even the piercing sense of wisdom.
14. Slight is the blemish of a young man, unless his art be (rightly) questioned.
15. Step, chief (a more lawful way).
16. Thou shewest badly, thou hast shewn badly.
17. Thou yieldest to me very meagrely the food of learning.
18. I have drained the dug of a man goodly, treasurous.

SAID FERCHERTNE
19. A question, O instructing lad, whence hast thou come ?

NÉDE ANSWERED
20. Not hard.(to say) from the heel of a sage,
21. from a confluence of wisdom,
22. from perfections of goodness,
23. from brightness of sunrise,
24. from the hazels of poetic art ,
25. from circuits of splendour,
26. out of which they measure truth according to excellences,
27. in which righteousness is taught,
28. in which falsehood sets,
29. in which colours are seen,
30. in which poems are freshened.
31. And thou, 0 my senior, whence hast thou come ?

FERCHERTNE ANSWERED
32. Not hard (to say): along the columns of age,
33. along the streams of Galion (Leinster),
34. along the Sídhe [W. Stokes said "Elfmound"] of Nechtan's wife,
35. along, the forearm of Nuada's wife,
36. along the land of the sun (science),
37. along the dwelling of the moon,
38 . along the young one's navel-string.
39. A question, O instructing lad, what is thy name ?

NÉDE ANSWERS
40. Not hard (to say): Very-small, very-great, very-bright (?), Very-hard.
41. Angriness of fire,
42. Fire of speech,
43. Noise of knowledge,
44. Well of wealth,
45. Sword of song,
46. Straight-artistic with bitterness (?) out of fire.
47. And thou , O my senior, what is thy name?

FERCHERTNE ANSWERS
48 Not hard (to say): Nearest in omens.
49. Explanatory champion for declaration, (for) interrogatory.
50. Inquiry of science
51. Weft of art,
52. Casket of poetry,
53. Abundance from a sea.
54. A question, O instructing lad, what art dost thou practise?

NÉDE ANSWERS
55. Not hard to say: reddening, a countenance
56. piercing flesh,
57. tingeing bashfulness,
58. tossing away shamelessness,
59. fostering poetry,
60. to searching for fame,
61. wooing science,
62. art for every mouth,
63. diffusing knowledge,
64. stripping speech,
65. in a little room,
66. a sage's cattle,
67. a stream of science
68. abundant teaching,
69. smooth tales, the delight of kings.
70. And thou , O my senior, what art dost thou practise?

FERCHERTNE ANSWERS
71. hunting for support,
72. establishing peace,
73. arranging a troop,
74. tribulation of young men,
75. celebrating art,
76. a pallet with a king,
77. .... ing the Boyne,
78. briamon smetrach,
79. the shield of Athirne,
80. a share of new wisdom from the stream of science
81. fury of inspiration,
82. structure of mind,
83. art of small poems,
84. clear arrangement,
85. ruddy tales,
86. a celebrated road
87. a pearl in setting (?)
88. succouring sciences after a poem.

FERCHERTNE SAID
89. "A question, O instructing lad, what is it that thou undertakest ? "

NÉDE ANSWERS
90. Not hard (to say) : (to go) into the plain of age,
91. into the mountain of youth,
92. into the hunting of age,
93. into following a king (death ?),
94. into an abode of clay,
95. between candle and fire,
96. between battle and its horror;
97. among the mighty men of Tethra
98. among the stations of...
99. among the streams of knowledge.
100. And thou, O my sage, what is it that thou undertakest ?

FERCHERTNE ANSWERS
100. (to go) into the mountain of rank;
101. into the communion of sciences,
102. into the lands of the men of knowledge,
103. into the breast of poetic revision,
104. into the inver of bounties ;
105. into the fair of the king's boar:
106. into the small respect of new men:
107. into the slopes of death (wherein is) abundance of great honours.
108. A question, O instructing lad, what is the path thou hast come ?'

NÉDE ANSWERS
109. Not hard (to say) on the white plain of knowledge,
110. on a king's beard:
111. on a wood of age:
112. on the back of the ploughing-ox :
113. on the light of a summer-moon:
114. on goodly cheeses (mast and fruit):
115. on dews of a goddess (corn and milk)
116. on scarcity of corn
117. on a ford (?) of fear
118. on the thighs of a goodly abode.
119. And thou, O my- senior, on what path hast thou come ?

FERCHERTNE ANSWERS
120. Not hard (to say) : on Lugh's horserod (?).
121. on the breasts of soft women:
122. on the hair of a wood:
123. on the head of a spear:
124. on a gown of silver:
125. on a chariot-frame without a tyre (?)
126. on a tyre without a chariot:
127. on the three ignorances of the Mac ind Óc.
128. And thou, 0 instructing lad, of whom art thou son ?

NÉDE ANSWERS
129. Not hard (to say): I am son of Poetry,
130. Poetry son of Scrutiny,
131. Scrutiny son of Meditation,
132. Meditation son of Lore,
133. Lore son of Enquiry,
134. Enquiry son of Investigation,
135. Investigation son of Great-Knowledge,
136. Great-Knowledge son of Great-Sense,
137. Great-Sense son of Understanding,
138. Understanding son of Wisdom,
139. Wisdom, son of the three gods of Poetry.
140. And thou, 0 my senior, whose son art thou ?

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   The dialogue continues for much time after this, but we can see again this style of ritualized communication. The topics discussed as the above with Lugh, I feel are just as important as the kind of style being used. We can see the replies all start with a statement used throughout Celtic legends, "Not hard". 

   This was done so that no ordinary person would understand what information was being passed as well as understood. Only such a person like a Druid, poet, magician, or bard with an education into the mystery tradition would be able to decipher this coded speech. One had to have the knowledge of poetic allusion to know what deeper meanings of people, places and things, were being mentioned in a symbolic nature. To the mundane world, this conversation would have appeared to be full of nonsense.

   I would suggest this type of ritualized dialoguing was the 1st style of Ogham used before the much later usage of a written/carved mundane Ogham. This later Ogham was used for boundary markers, property, gravestones, law, etc.

   Later even, comes the Christian period where Ogham was being written in various vellum manuscripts such as the famous Irish grammars like the Book of Ballymote. This style of Ogham was a very strict method for the Poets and Bards of the day to memorize and learn their craft. It mentions much on syntax, grammar, and use of word combinations as well a means of memorizing by way of mnemonics. It is from here that we have what many people call today the Celtic Tree alphabet. 

   The outstanding question is, if Irishmen were learning to use the Latin and the Roman alphabet for matters of ecclesiastical use, perhaps another educated men of that culture within that place were developing a system of Celtic "writing" at the same time for a similar and yet different purpose all together? Not hard...

  For these carved stones show use an Irish language that predates their spoken tongue of the time of its carving. So, who was it that held the tradition of language as sacred in those lands at that time period, it wasnt the Christian monks for sure.

   It is interesting to note that in Ogham the letters are called feda, and the consonants are referred to as taebomnai. A series of notches, or letters grouped together is called a flesc. These old names of letters, groups, and consonants give us this connection to the trees. The word flesc means twig, whereas feda means wood, or trees, and the word taebomnai means side of the trunk of a tree. Was it not a game of Fidhcell that Lugh played at Tara in his ritualistic poetic conversation; A game of Ogham trees on a board. For Fidchell even translates to wood-sense, wood intelligence, or wood wisdom.  Not hard to see where we have a Celtic tree language of sorts. Who then, in those times before the carving of Ogham stones were the keepers of language, tree-lore, the older use of a non-spoken hand language, and those who held a sacred form of poetic communication? Yes the Druids social and political role seems stamped out, or better yet replaced from the Druid (Draoi) to the Ollamh during this time, but look at what is still being taught; Poetry, language, communication & divination, etc.