Ogham Runes: Ancient Wedding Band Symbolism

Ogham is an ancient Celtic alphabet, also known as the Celtic tree alphabet, that was used primarily to write the early Irish language. The term Ogham is derived from the word Ogma, which refers to the Celtic God of Elocution or eloquence. The Ogham alphabet consists of groups of one to five lines arranged vertically over a stem line, with each group representing a distinct letter. The letters are named after various trees, and the alphabet is divided into four groups, or aicme, each containing five letters. The Ogham alphabet is often used in wedding bands, where it creates a very distinctive pattern that is unique to each ring.

Ogham is an ancient alphabet

Ogham was designed to write Primitive Irish and was possibly intended as a secret form of communication. It is thought to have been modelled on or inspired by the Roman, Greek or Runic scripts. While all surviving Ogham inscriptions are on stone, it was probably more commonly inscribed on sticks, stakes and trees. The more ancient examples are standing stones, where the script was carved into the edge of the stone. The letters are linked together by a solid line and the alphabet is read from bottom to top.

Ogham is written vertically and consists of twenty distinct characters, arranged in four series aicmí (plural of aicme, meaning group or class). Each aicme is named after its first character. Later, five additional letters were introduced, known as the forfeda.

Ogham is commonly used for wedding rings, where it creates a very distinctive pattern. Each cluster of lateral lines crossing a central line represents a letter of the alphabet. The pattern is unique for each ring created.

It was used to write the early Irish language

Ogham is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the early Irish language (in the "orthodox" inscriptions, 4th to 6th centuries AD) and later the Old Irish language (6th to 9th centuries). It was also used to write Old Welsh, Pictish and Latin. There are roughly 400 surviving orthodox inscriptions on stone monuments throughout Ireland and western Britain, the bulk of which are in southern Munster. The largest number outside Ireland are in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

The earliest known form of Gaelic, Primitive Irish was written with the Ogham alphabet long before the arrival of the Latin script to Ireland. It is thought to have been modelled on or inspired by the Roman, Greek or Runic scripts. It was designed to write Primitive Irish and was possibly intended as a secret form of communication.

The more ancient examples are standing stones, where the script was carved into the edge of the stone. The text of these "Orthodox Ogham" inscriptions is read beginning from the bottom left-hand side of a stone, continuing upward along the edge, across the top and down the right-hand side.

Ogham was added to the Unicode Standard in September 1999.

It's also known as the Celtic tree alphabet

Ogham, pronounced "Oh-um", is an ancient alphabet of 20 letters that can be found on over 400 stone monuments in Ireland and the UK. It is also referred to as the "Celtic Tree Alphabet" because each of its 20 characters, or "trees", is made out of a vertical reference line, or "stem", with one or more slashes, or "twigs" that make up the sounds of the Irish language. It is read vertically from the bottom to the top, "up the tree".

Each letter is associated with a tree, often one that starts with the sound the letter represents. For example, the "B" sound is called "Beith", or birch tree. Ogham was used to write Old Irish and other Brythonic/Brittonic languages (such as Pictish, Welsh) from around the 3rd century CE.

The Ogham alphabet is thought to have been conjured up by the Celtic god of eloquence, Ogma, as a secret code for the learned. Other speculation suggests it was invented as a secret language by humans rather than a god, to be indecipherable to neighbouring British tribes.

Ogham creates a very distinctive pattern around a wedding ring, and the pattern is 100% unique for each ring created. A message or names can be translated into Ogham and then applied by laser engraving before the ring is polished or satin-finished.

It's thought to have originated in southwest Ireland

Ogham is an ancient script that was used primarily to write the early Irish language. It is thought to have originated in southwest Ireland, likely in Cork or Kerry, and was widely used from the 4th to 9th centuries, mostly for ceremonial inscriptions.

Ogham is an Early Medieval alphabet consisting of groups of one to five lines arranged vertically over a stem line, with each group representing a distinct letter. The letters are named after various trees, and for this reason, Ogham is sometimes known as the Celtic tree alphabet. The term Ogham is derived from the word Ogma, which refers to the Celtic God of Elocution or eloquence.

The earliest examples of Ogham are standing stones, where the script was carved into the edge of the stone, forming a stemline against which individual characters are cut. The text of these "Orthodox Ogham" inscriptions is read beginning from the bottom left-hand side of a stone, continuing upward along the edge, across the top, and down the right-hand side.

The Ogham alphabet originally consisted of twenty distinct characters, arranged in four series, with each series named after its first character. Five additional letters were later introduced, mainly in manuscript traditions.

The more ancient Ogham inscriptions are found predominantly in Ireland and western Britain, with the bulk of them in southern Munster. The largest number outside Ireland are in Pembrokeshire, Wales. There are roughly 400 surviving orthodox inscriptions on stone monuments, and researchers have found about 400 Ogham stones in existence, with the majority (roughly 360) located in Ireland.

The vast majority of the inscriptions consist of personal names and marks possibly indicating land ownership. The earliest inscriptions in Ogham are thought to date to about the 4th century AD, but some scholars believe its origin is within the 1st century BC.

There are two main schools of thought among scholars as to the motivation for the creation of Ogham. The first suggests that Ogham was first created as a cryptic alphabet, designed by the Irish to hide their meaning from writers of the Latin alphabet. The second suggests that Ogham was invented by the first Christian communities in early Ireland, out of a desire for a unique alphabet to write short messages and inscriptions in Irish.

Ogham is used in modern jewellery

Ogham is an ancient Celtic alphabet that appeared in Ireland between the 4th and 10th centuries AD. It was used to write Primitive and Old Irish, Old Welsh, Pictish, and Latin. Ogham is also known as the Tree Alphabet, as each letter represents a different natural Irish tree. For example, B stands for Beith, which is the birch tree.

Ogham is a cryptic written language that links the ancient beliefs of the Celts to the beauty of trees. The markings are centred around a long vertical reference line, known as the 'stem', which is then crossed by characters made up of lines or slashes, known as 'twigs', representing the branches of trees.

Ogham jewellery is often handcrafted and made to endure in solid silver and gold, bearing a special sentiment inscribed in ancient Ogham. It combines Irish tradition with modern style and is a mysterious and unique writing that is buried in the Irish landscape.

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