OGHAM LETTERS
This is an attempt to reproduce the inscription style letter
used in the Ogham writings.
It is to be understood that there are four groups of carved
line letters that were originally developed. Later another
group of five signs were added to accommodate phonics encountered
by contact with Latin and Greek languages.
The signs are made by drawing a based line (i.e. ________)
and then marking the desired sign from that, either downward or to
the right for B L N F S or B L F S N (see the note on Ogham
order); upward or to the left for H D T C (Q/P); angled across the
base line for M G NG (Ss/Z) R. The vowels A O U E I were marked
by a vertical line across the base line.
In addition to the original letter the foreign phonics sounds
Kh/Ch (sounded in Celtic as Ea), Th (Oi), P (Ia), Ph (Ui), and X
(Ae) were more drawn entirely differently. Kh was a St. Andrew's
cross, Th was a diamond shape (a lozenge), P was a piece of latice
work consisting of two crossong line in each direction, Ph was a
spiral, and X was a portcullis (basicly a tic-tac-toe sign in a
box) which surrounds the outside).
Liz and Colin Murry give these letter names and meanings as
Letter: Name: Translation:
Kh/Ch Koad Grove
Th Oir Spindle
P/Pe Uilleand Honeysuckle
Ph Phagos Beech
X/Xi Mor Sea.
Now to make the matter even more interesting or curious,
(and Goddess knows Celtic mythology and mysteries are certainly
that), there are two other items of importance about the letters.
Two of the standard consonsants were add to the letter list but
in order to preserve the calendary attributions of the existing
system neither was assigned a month. These are P/Q and Ss/Z.
First the easy one, Ss/Z is placed between NG (Ngethal) and
R (Ruis). The name of the letter is 'Straif' and the associated
tree is the Blackthorn.
On to the good one - Q/P! To imitate J.C. (Julius Caeser,
not the other one):All Celtic language is divided into two parts.
Q-Celts and P-Celts were an early division of the Celtic tribes
which occured prior to the invasion to Britian by the Goidelic
people (or Q-Celts) in about 600 B.C.E. Their form of the
language included the letter Q. They are identified by their
'frill-comb-smear' pottery and had adopted the 'Hallstadt'
Iron-age culture. These are the people who force the Picts
and other Stone-age people to withdraw into the hills and forests.
The letter Q is named 'Quert' and the tree is the Apple. It is
placed between C (Coll) and M (Muin) in the series.
The P-Celts are the continental Belgic tribe of the 'La Tene'
Iron-age culture and there are the ruling Britians that the
Romans encountered. One of the main deities is 'Beli' and
probably it is this change in control in about 400 B.C.E. that
the 'Battle of the Trees" celebrates. In their version of the
Celtic language there is no Q sound, but instead the phonic-letter
P appears. P is named 'Pethboc' and the tree is the Dwarf or Water
Elder. This letter is substituted in the series on consonants
in the place of NG (Ngethal).
In an attempt to mark the letters I am going draw a horizontal
baseline and append the markings to it.
________________________________________________
I II III IIII IIIII
B L F S N or
B L N F S
I II III IIII IIIII
----------------------------------------------------
H D T C (Q)
____/_______//________///_____////__________/////________
/ // /// //// /////
M G NG (P) (Ss/Z) R
__I________II_______III______IIII__________IIIII_________
I II III IIII IIIII
A O U E I
Also according to Murry Hope, "The old Irish Beth-Luis-Nion
did not apperar to include Q, SS or Y, as it only consisted of
thirteen consonants, and five vowels. Quert and Straif were later
add by Graves, who also effected a connection between the Boibel-
Loth 'Idra', the letter Y, and the hallowed Mistletoe which was
considered too sacred to be accorded a written name."
Hope, Murry; Practical Celtic Magic; p.140
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