In the book of ballymote, the invention of ogham was achieved when ogma sunface raised four pillars of equal length, and it was upon these pillars that the characters of the letters were etched. It was used by the druids and abandoned after the first few centuries of the christian era. The ogams of the sun temple by david j eccott by profession, david eccott is a professional musician living and working in the uk. It contains genealogical, topographical, biblical and hagiographical material, including lebor gabala book of the invasions, lebor na gceart book of rights, dindshenchas and a key to the ogham alphabet. A group of twenty sacred trees that give names to the letters of the ogham alphabet. The future is bright for ballymote artist independent. Geometric tattoo cool art tattoos tattoos and piercings timeless tattoo ogham tattoo tatt ink compass tattoo.
It is known only from fragments inscribed on stone in the ogham alphabet across ireland and western great britain beginning around the 4th century. Mar 03, 2011 all the props to michael kelly for such an in depth study on so many different aspects of the ogham. Much of the information available on ogham has come from this manuscript currently housed in the royal irish academy in dublin. In it multiple books are combined including lebor ogaim the book of ogams, also known as the ogam tract, which an old irish treatise on the ogham alphabet. Catalogue of irish manuscripts in the royal irish academy dublin, 1943, fasc. Contact us ballymote heritage group ballymote heritage group. Ogham text was written in ad, the old irish early medieval alphabet and the language from the book of ballymote, named for the parish of ballymote, county sligo. Sligo is now more than a quarter century in existence. Feb 14, 2015 on 5th 6th february, a group of 120 academics, students, members of local history groups, and interested members of the public, gathered at the royal irish academy for a twoday conference on the late fourteenthcentury irish manuscript, the book of ballymote. 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. For some reason, in my minds eye, a line of ogham finished these perfectly. The druids of yore were said to be very efficient at ogham writing and signing. Even the younger futhark are introduced as a kind of viking ogham nrs. A calendar of thirteen months named for certain sacred trees.
The mini triple ogham wishes are handpainted on a single piece of handmade paper and framed in a sleek black frame. Ogorman deciphered the ogham script and translated it. The norman ballymote castle dates from the 0s and the book of ballymote was written in or near the town in the 90s. There are 33 recordings of this tune this tune has been recorded together with the kesh a few times, the swaggering jig a few times, the flower of the flock a few times, the flowers of edinburgh a few times and follow me down to carlow a few times. In lebor ogaim the book of ogams, also known as the ogam tract, is an old irish treatise on the ogham alphabet. Book of ballymote leabhar bhaile an mhota royal irish academy. We admire the rawness of this ogham tattoo presentation. Ogham archaic irish script posted on march 26, 2012 updated on april 15, 2012. Jan 14, 20 nice enough reel here, keeps to the lower key, which makes it a good tune for improvers. A short walk from the castle will bring you to ballymote abbey.
The book of leinster 12th century the book of ballymote 91 the book of lecan 1416. The following image 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. The bc government has announced its intention to kill over 180 wolves in a lastditch effort to protect endangered caribou herds. Other articles where book of ballymote is discussed. It also includes a fascinating set of ogham symbols known as the sacred branch thought to have been used in magic. Ive always had a love of the irish ogham letters probably. The art deco theatre ballymote sligo home facebook.
Lecture sligos archaeology history and folklore as revealed through caves, speaker. Official opening and lecture irish legal history at the turn of the century with a focus on county sligo, speaker. It also contains treatises on metre and the profession of a poet, on the ogham writing and language. Heres a guide to the source materials for the ancient irish writing system. Shortly after canon denis tighe became parish priest of ballymote in 1848, he set about planning for a new church for the parish. Like many of its kind, has made history by its wanderings.
Book of ballymote historical manuscript britannica. The knowledge of the trees the father of ogham is ogma, the mother of ogham is the hand or knife of ogma. Jul 11, 2019 ballymote gave an overview of each letter, its meaning, and its particular plant, mostly trees, so the ogham has also been called the tree alphabet. Ogham alphabet celtic tree alphabet get a tattoo in this and let people make weird guesses ogham is ancient writing used by celts in britain, named after ogma legendary inventor of this alphabet, found inscribed on the corner of stones. The scholars primer, being the texts of the ogham tract from the book of ballymote and the yellow book of lecan, and the text of the trefhocul from the book of leinster 1917.
It also has versions from latin of the destruction of troy and the history of philip and alexander of macedonia. Ogham alphabet newer version this would make a wonderful and simple way to sign a quilt. This 500 page document includes sections on the invasions of ireland, the creation of the world, and a study of ogham writing. Sources for the ogham tree alphabet include the ogham tract and 14th century book of ballymote transcribed by george calder as auraicept na neces named after the opening lines meaning primer of the poets or beginning of the lessons. Since that date it has met without fail each month and has continued to devote itself to its stated aim of raising awareness of all matters of heritage and in particular promoting knowledge of and interest in all aspects of local history, archaeology. The original ballad battle of the trees or cad goddeu is found in the 14th century medieval welsh book of poetry the book of taliesin v111. Nion, ashtree, a check on peace is nion for of it are made the spearshafts by which the peace is broken. Online shopping from a great selection at books store.
The ogham and the universal truth of the trees as above, so below the ogham and the universal truth of the trees as above, so below by montalbano, dean a. Media in category book of ballymote the following 11 files are in this category, out of 11 total. During the 14th century the ogham were recorded by scribes in the ogam tract, which listed various words, ogham alphabets and cryptic ways of writing. Closely related to the futhark runes of scandinavia, the originator of the ogham based his language around trees. Art deco theatre and cinema ballymote, hosts birthday parties for kids, local bingo on wednesdays, concerts, plays and many. For over a hundred years it was a treasured possession of the mcdonaghs of corran. The book of ballymote indicates that there were a number of secret ways in which ogham could be used to communicate nonverbally. Other uses of ogham have been found in manuscripts, and these provide more insight. The bard taliesin lived towards the end of the 6th century the book also contains poems which date to the 10th century. Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content. The book of ballymote became ogormans property when he purchased it for. I wrote a poem way back then called witches wheel, using the trees on the wheel of the year. At any rate the following pieces have excerpts from the book of ballymote, in which the priests during the dark ages tried to record what knowledge and history they could preserve.
Things can get confusing when youre trying to look at the original ogham source materials, but you dont know what you. Barry fell esop volume 22 page 87 next page return to epigraphy return to ogam scales. Ogham is an early medieval alphabet used primarily to represent the. Leabhar bhaile an mhota book of ballymote 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. Mar 26, 2012 posts about book of ballymote written by graecomuse. I have been working with the trees and the strange alphabet based on them, and reputed to be one of the only things to have come to us from the druids, since the mid 1980s. The book of ballymote leabhar bhaile an mhota, is an iconic and hugely important 14th century irish manuscript. Ogham an introduction so i may be dutch, but theres interesting things to learn from all over the world and from all kinds of cultures. Many fine churches were being built around the diocese at this time under the guidance of the bishop, dr.
Founded on may 30th 1984, ballymote heritage group co. One of the stranger ancient scripts one might come across, ogham is also known as the celtic tree alphabet. Baile an mhota, meaning town of the mottemound is a market town in southern county sligo in the province of connacht, in the west of ireland. 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. Many of these alphabets are also found written and drawn in the lebor oghaim, the book of oghams, in the late 14th or early 15thcentury book of ballymote, which is available to view on the website irish script on screen, run by the dublin institute for advanced studies. The roman language soon replaced ogham and this led to the emergence of a newer type of irish. A 15th century treatise on ogham, the book of ballymote, confirms that ogham was a secret, ritualistic language.
Leabhar na huidhre and the books of ui mhaine, ballymote, lecan and fermoy in bernadette cunningham and siobhan fitzpatrick eds, treasures of the royal irish academy library dublin, 2009, 1731. 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. The famous book of ballymote was partly compiled in ballymote castle about 91. Included in the book were several diagrams using the ogham fews, but the purpose of these diagrams is a mystery. 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. Part of the work is devoted to sagas of finn and brian boru, while the book of rights, which odonovan translated and edited in 1847, is taken entirely from the book of ballymote. Even the younger futhark is introduced as a kind of viking ogham nrs. It comprises three sets of five consonants and one set of five vowels, a total of twenty letters. Barry fell click on the small image to enlarge to readable size. The celtic alphabet known as ogham was invented, according to the medieval irish book of ballymote, by ogma sunface. The book of ballymote is an iconic and hugely important 14th century irish manuscript. It comprises three sets of five consonants and one. Oct 20, 2008 the book of ballymote a collection of pieces prose and verse in the irish language, compiled about the beginning of the fifteenth century. The book of ballymote ogham alphabet, irish language, celtic.
It documents 150 different versions of the ogham alphabet which must be learned during the first three years of a bards training. However, there is no direct evidence that the ogham alphabet was used in antiquity for divination or any other magical purposes. The book of ballymote, which recorded the mythologies and culture of the celts also recorded the ogham. Ogham resources the ancient gaelic alphabet lora o. Book of ballymote conference at the royal irish academy. Clive brights work poets day was chosen from 215 entries entered in the new online art competition, which offers an overall prize fund of. 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. The secret code of our ancestors aliisaacstoryteller. Ogam scales from the book of ballymote ogam scales of the book of ballymote by dr.
The book of ballymote illustration ancient history. The book of ballymote leabhar bhaile an mhota ria ms 23 p 12 written on vellum, probably around 91, the book of ballymote was produced by the scribes manus oduignan, solomon odroma, and robert mcsheedy, for tonnaltagh mcdonagh, whose clan kept the manuscript until the early 16th century, when it came into the hands of the odonnell clan. Primitive irish is a celtic language and the ancestor of all the modern goidelic gaelic languages. The trees, the magick and the battle eco enchantments. Ogam scales from the book of ballymote equinox project. 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. The ogham runes runes, ancient characters used in teutonic, anglosaxon, and scandinavian inscriptions. The move has been called scientifically unsound, as it fails to consider the real causes of the herds decline, as well as whether or not the small number of remaining animals are capable of recovering in the wild.
The equinox project reproduces this article by barry fell from the epigraphical society occasional papers vol. Ogham source materials for the ogham alphabet youtube. 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. Small love family happiness ogham wishes the small love family happiness triple ogham wish combination is a unique and affordable gift, perfect for birthdays, new home owners and new parents. 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. This online exhibition takes a look at some of the scholarly works undertaken on the book of ballymote.
Ive been studying and practicing druidry for a little over a decade now and this is the most well rounded book i have found on the ogham. He asked gabriel beranger, a dutch artist interested in illustrating irish antiquities, to copy some of its illustrations. Since it was presented to the academy in 1785 many scholars have worked to decipher, disseminate and debate its content and form. He has won prizes in international composition competitions, and is also a member of the examining panel for.