There is slight evidence of the use of ogham as divination in irish myth, and this is what ogham is used for today by many celtic pagans and druids. Fionns window, an oracular map most probably used as a design upon which ogham sticks were cast for divination, was discovered in the 14th century book of ballymote and like the ogham can also be used as a magical symbol in its own right as well as a mandala for contemplation and meditation. However, there is no direct evidence that the ogham alphabet was used in antiquity for divination or any other magical purposes. Book of ballymote project gutenberg selfpublishing.
Mar 18, 20 tumblr is a place to express yourself, discover yourself, and bond over the stuff you love. Within todays practice of the celtic hearth culture, ogham is often used in divination and magical workings. Each ogham is listed by its ancient gaelic name, then its modern irish name and then its welsh counterpart. The book of ballymote ogham alphabet, ancient writing, ogham. The middleworld or landearth aspects of the system use the tree ogham as arranged around the diagram known as fionns wheel from the book of ballymote. In lebor ogaim the book of ogams, also known as the ogam tract, is an old irish treatise on the ogham alphabet.
The equinox project reproduces this article by barry fell from the epigraphical society occasional papers vol. Another important document that contains detailed descriptions of ogham is the 14 th century in lebor ogaim the book of ogams, the ogam tract, which is mentioned. May 07, 1999 of a ogham wheel is a segment from the 14thcentury book of ballymote, a manuscript that contains a collection of irish sagas, law texts, and genealogies, as well as a guide to the ogham alphabet. About the beginning of the 16 th century, it fell into the possession of the odonnells with whom it remained until the flight of the earls in 1603. The book of ballymote 901 is chiefly written in middle irish by manus oduignan. Additional to the ogham alphabet the book of ballymote contains the classic irish source texts most mythology and more.
The knowledge of the ogham was passed down orally until it was recorded in dome medieval manuscripts the book of leinster in the 12 th century, the book of ballymote in 91 see picture below and the book of lecan in 1416. Introduction to the celtic ogham witches of the craft. For over a hundred years it was a treasured possession of the mcdonaghs of corran. The ogham tract is independent of the auraicept, and is our main source for the briatharogaim. The ogam tract also gives a variety of some 100 variant or secret modes of writing ogham 92 in the book of ballymote, for example the shield ogham ogam airenach, nr. More important than the presentation is the content. It also includes a fascinating set of ogham symbols known as the sacred branch thought to have been used in magic. The scholars primer, the values of the forfeda and the book of ogham. It opens the doors to the authentic understanding of ancient celtic cosmology and psychology in ways that have never been done before. Apr 03, 2020 a page from the book of ballymote beithluisnin ogham pronounced ohum is the alphabet attributed to an ancient form of the irish language referred to as primitive irish, which later on in the 6th century was superseded by old irish.
In this case, ive provided a print version ms word you can print and cut into small cards if you wish to try a simpler way of divining with ogham. The differing theories are unsurprising considering that it has similarities to ciphers in germanic runes, latin, and the greek alphabet. Ogham is the mysterious and magical alphabet of the ancient irish and british. A 15th century treatise on ogham, the book of ballymote, confirms that ogham was a secret, ritualistic language. Ian corrigan has shared a way of making sigils using the fionns window corrigan 236237.
The first group of 5 is from the north on fionns wheel. The ogham letters were usually inscribed on trees, sticks, and stakes. Jul 11, 2019 two of the earliestprinted mentions of the ogham alphabet appears in irish monastic works. While there is no record of a stone list, i developed this list using the same rules that would have been used to create the lists that are recorded. Sunface, as a proof of his ingenuity, and that this speech should belong to the learned apart, to the exclusion of rustics and herdsmen.
The following table gives the characters of the and their modern divinatory. A 15th century treatise on ogham, in the book of ballymote, confirms that ogham was a secret, ritualistic language. The book of lecan 1416, book of ballymote 91 and book of leinster 12th century are some medieval manuscripts that record the use of ogham as an alphabet system. Knowledge of ogham is thought to have passed down the generations orally until the medieval times. The druids were the shaman of the celtic clans though they did not actually refer to themselves as shaman, as far as well know today. The knowledge of the trees the father of ogham is ogma, the mother of ogham is the hand or knife of ogma. The ogham tract is independent of the auraicept, and is our main source for the. Irish bardic texts provide evidence for the use of ogham in magic and divination. Today ogham are used much like runes a similar written script from northern europe, for divination. There is very little known about ogham divination as the ancie. Fionns wheel is a diagram found in the book of ballymote. Like many of its kind, has made history by its wanderings. Some of the irish manuscripts used as references on druids are.
The book of ballymote indicates that there were a number of secret ways in which ogham could be used to communicate nonverbally. Sunface, as a proof of his ingenuity, and that this speech should belong to. The celtic alphabet known as ogham was invented, according to the medieval irish book of ballymote, by ogma sunface. Kelly gives us an ogham which is based largely on the wordoghams of the book of ballymote, rather than the.
In the ancient book of ballymote, an important reference for scholars of ogham, we are told that ogma, much skilled in dialects and poetry, as proof of his intellect, invented ogham for signing secret speech known only to the learned, to the exclusion of rustics and herdsmen. The book of ballymote leabhar bhaile an mhota, ria ms 23 p. Sep 22, 2011 colin murray, in the celtic tree oracle, made it no secret that he was using both the ogham tract book of ballymote and the crane bag and other disputed subjects as the two sources for his and lizs listings of the forfeda found in their book. The book of leinster 12th century the book of ballymote 91 the book of lecan 1416. The word fege means a ridgepole used to hold up a houses roof.
In lebor ogaim the book of ogams, also known as the ogam tract, is an old irish treatise. O concheanainn, the book of ballymote, celtica 14 1981, 1525. Two of the earliestprinted mentions of the ogham alphabet appears in irish monastic works. When used as a divination method, the letters are usually notched into straight twigs and used much like runes. This is mostly down to the author and poet robert graves and his book the white goddess. The ogham runes have been used for both mundane writings as well as magical script and divination. The first theory suggests that ogham was first created as a cryptic alphabet designed by the irish. These manuscripts mainly concern themselves with recording how the ogham was used as an alphabet system. Ogham, the mysterious language of the trees bealtaine fire. Book of ballymote leabhar bhaile an mhota royal irish academy. The book of ogham is a practical manual for divination using the ancient celtic characters of ogham writing.
The knowledge of the ogham is tree knowledge applied as symbols in the use of magick and divination. Scholars have been studying its contents ever since discovery in 1785. It comes from the book of ballymote, or in lebor ogaim the book of ogams, circa 90 c. However, the 14 th century book of ballymote leabhar bhaile an. Finger ogham equates the five letters of each pillar with the thumb and four fingers, such that the first letter of each pillar b, h, m, a are found from the tip to the base joint of the thumb, and so on. The book of oghams younger runes in manuscripts and early. The book of leinster, written circa 1160 and the book of ballymote. I found it was better for longterm divination than shortterm, but it did work, and it did provide insight for myself and. A deep exploration of celtic spiritualitythe book of ogham is a practical manual for divination using the ancient celtic characters of ogham writing. The book of armaugh, the book of ballymote a primary source for oghams, the tain bo.
The directional aspects and qualities for the various divisions of the land are those assigned to it by trefuilngidh treeochair within the tale of the settling of the manor of tara. Scribes solamh o droma, roibeard mac sithigh, maghnus o duibheannain. Aug 12, 2012 other uses of ogham have been found in manuscripts, and these provide more insight. Jan, 2017 later in the medieval period, ogham became a complex system that combined poetry, grammar, mnemonics, mythology, divination, musical notation, cyphers and coded speech. The book of leinster, written circa 1160 and the book of ballymote, an irish medieval manuscript written in 90 or 91. Its also the only ogham book with photos of the 122 different oghams in the book of ballymote and what they represent. The name of the pregnant woman is divided there unless she. Fionns window, an oracular map most probably used as a design upon which ogham sticks were cast for divination, was discovered in the 14th century book of ballymote and like the ogham can also be used as a magical symbol in its own right as. About the beginning of the 16th century, it fell into the possession of the odonnells with whom it.
Each aicme was named after its first character aicme beithe, aicme huatha, aicme muine, aicme ailme, the b group, the h group, the m group, the a group. Leabhar gabhala book of invasions, sex aetates mundi six ages of the world, leabhar na gceart book of rights, and of course, the dinnsheanchas. In the ancient book of ballymote, an important reference for scholars of ogham. The book of ballymote also includes nintytwo recorded secret modes of writing ogham written in 9091 ce. Book of ballymote ad 90 explaining ogham the book of ballymote leabhar bhaile an mhota, is an iconic and hugely important 14th century irish manuscript.
Ogham characters are often boasted as a form of divination for modern druids. Even the younger futhark are introduced as a kind of viking ogham nrs. About the beginning of the 16th century, it fell into the possession of the odonnells with whom it remained until the flight of the earls in 1603. A 15th century treatise on ogham, the book of ballymote, confirms that ogham. The ogham tract also gives a variety of around 100 variant or secret modes of writing ogham 92 in the book of ballymote, for example the shield ogham ogam airenach, nr. The book of ballymote leabhar bhaile an mhota, is an iconic and hugely important 14th century irish manuscript. Each tally is given with pronunciation, a list of correspondences not just trees, quotes from old irish about the tree associated with the tally, and skips own divinatory meanings, gleaned from his years of practice. Ogham there are four academic theories regarding the origin of ogham which means language and is pronounced oum, or ochum. Ill upload some info on each symbol or group of 5 symbols and show what their meanings are.
The book of ogham kindle edition by kelly, michael. Ogham is an ancient irish alphabet dating to the 1st century ad, consisting of twenty characters formed by parallel strokes on either side of or across a continuous line. Ogam scales from the book of ballymote equinox project. Although graves work was historically inaccurate and largely based on folklore and fairy tales, there is still a certain mystique surrounding the ogham. Nion, ashtree, a check on peace is nion for of it are made the spearshafts by which the peace is broken. There is slight evidence of the use of ogham as divination in irish myth, and this is what ogham is used for today by many celtic. There are roughly 400 surviving orthodox inscriptions on stone monuments throughout ireland and western britain.
Its where your interests connect you with your people. Page from the book of ballymote explaining ogham script. An introduction to the forfeda extra letters living library. The book of ballymote 14th century, ireland the ogham alphabet consists of symbols chosen to represent different types of trees, sounds, ideas and images from ancient druidic lore. Fionns window the feige find is a graphic representation of the celtic underworld.
Ogham the ancient celtic alphabet i free chat with 100%. The book of ballymote 91 the book of lecan 1416 these manuscripts refer to older sources. Even the younger futhark is introduced as a kind of viking ogham nrs. The druids of yore were said to be very efficient at ogham writing and signing. The book of ballymote shows many forms of the script, including the beth, luis, nion ogham in the form of a wheel, known as fionns window. Kelly gives us an ogham which is based largely on the wordoghams of the book of ballymote, rather than the treeoghams which had dominated the field since the work of robert graves, as well as proper translations of the names of the oghams themselves. Fionns window, contains the five groups of five letters of the ogham, in five circles. The book of ballymote, like many of its kind, has made history by its wanderings. An introduction to the forfeda extra letters living.
It is also known as the ogam tract, an old irish treatise on the ogham alphabet. Thesemanuscripts mainly concern themselves with recording how the ogham was used as an alphabetsystem. The eleventh century lebor gabala erenn tells that ogham was invented soon after the fall of the tower of babel, as does the fifteenth century auraicept na neces text. Much of the information available on ogham has come from this manuscript currently housed in the royal irish academy. Ogma was a sun god, known as ogma grianaineac sun face or ogma cermait honeytongued whom irish mythology tells us is the inventor of ogham. There is very little known about ogham divination as the ancient druids were. These divination cards are based on the mnemonic lists, as found in the book of ballymote. The knowledge of the ogham was passeddown orally until it was recorded in dome medieval manuscripts the book of leinster in the 12thcentury, the book of ballymote in 91 see picture below and the book of lecan in 1416. Dec 18, 2020 the book of ballymote also includes ninetytwo recorded secret modes of writing ogham written in 9091 ce. Meroney, a druidic liturgy in ogam bricrend, modern language notes 62 1947, 1879. Dec 26, 2018 the ogham tract also gives a variety of around 100 variant or secret modes of writing ogham 92 in the book of ballymote, for example the shield ogham ogam airenach, nr.
It comprises three sets of five consonants and one set of five vowels, a total of twenty letters. Copies of letters about book of ballymote 176190 and notes ria ms ordnance survey 14 b 1. History the ogham alphabet was created and used by the celts. Ogham oham is an ancient alphabet used to write old irish and other. However, the 14th century book of ballymote leabhar bhaile an. The book of ballymote leabhar bhaile an mhota the book of ballymote, royal irish academy ms. It shows all 25 oghams arranged around a series of concentric circles this diagram can be used to divine paths necessary for pathworking, a very powerful shamanicmagical technique. According to the highland society of scotlands dictionary of the gaelic language 1828 ce, ogham is the occult manner of writing used by the ancient irish. This is a technique for divining the sex of an unborn child. Kelly gives us an ogham which is based largely on the wordoghams of the book of ballymote, rather than. One part is datable to the last years of the 14th century. In it multilple books are combined amo ng others also lebor ogaim the book of ogams, also known as the ogam tract, is an old irish treatise on the ogham alphabet. Book of ballymote 170r the book of ballymote also contains older manuscripts which contain ogham script, such as the 11 th century lebor gabala erenn the book of the taking of ireland and the 7 th century auraicept na neces the scholars primer.
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