Ogham: Ireland's Early Inscription Script​
A clean, stemline-and-stroke writing system used mainly between the 4th–6th centuries CE to carve names and short texts along stone edges in Ireland and western Britain.
What is Ogham?​
Ogham (pronounced roughly OH-um or OG-um) is an early medieval Irish script composed of short strokes grouped around a central line, the stemline. On stone monuments the stemline is often the edge of the stone itself, and the text is read from the bottom up. The script’s simplicity made it ideal for carving personal names, lineage formulas, and territorial markers.
The core alphabet has 20 letters arranged in four families called aicmĂ, each defined by how many strokes appear and on which side of the stemline. Later manuscripts introduce additional signs called forfeda, whose values and uses vary.​
How it's read on stones
Ogham in Unicode
History & Context
Most ogham inscriptions date from the 4th to 6th centuries CE. They are concentrated in southern and western Ireland, with notable clusters in Kerry, Cork, and Waterford, and appear in western Britain (Wales, Cornwall, Devon) where Irish communities settled.
The language of the earliest stones is Primitive Irish, ancestral to Old Irish. Inscriptions are typically commemorative—recording a person’s name and lineage—though a handful reference boundaries or church contexts. By the later Middle Ages, ogham survives chiefly in manuscripts as a subject of scholastic interest and creative word-lists.
Note: The popular “tree alphabet” is a medieval scholastic gloss—beautiful and meaningful, but not a feature of the original lapidary system.
Explore the Letters
First aicme. 5 characters marked to the right of the stemline
Second aicme. 5 characters marked to the left of the stemline
Third aicme. 5 characters crossing the stemline (diagonal)
Fourth aicme. 5 characters on, or through the stemline.
Spiritual Usage & Divination
In modern Druid practices, ogham serves as a tool for reflection: drawing or casting marked sticks (or tiles) to reveal patterns, highlight qualities, and guide actions. This approach is contemporary and spiritual, influenced more by later traditions than by ancient stone carvings.
Readings consider symbols (glyphs, aicme positions, sounds), traditional meanings (like medieval tree associations), and your personal connection with nature and stories. View results as reflections and prompts, not fixed outcomes, similar to the use of tarot cards.
Short ritual flow
- Ground & center (breath or tree‑root meditation).
- Frame a clear, open question (“What supports X?” vs. “Will I get Y?”).
- Cast or draw your staves; note order and orientation if relevant.
- Interpret via sound, family (aicme), stroke direction, and any tree gloss you use.
- Journal one actionable insight to carry into the day.
Ethics & boundaries
Use divination for self‑reflection and decision support. Avoid medical, legal, or third‑party questions. Keep consent, care, and humility at the center.
Three simple methods
Single Ogham: draw one fid for the day; ask “What quality wants expression?”
Three Staves: Past • Present • Next Step.
Crossroads (5): Center (theme), North (challenge), South (ally), East (emergence), West (release).
Make your own staves
- Gather ~25 small sticks or tiles; mark the feda clearly.
- Optionally color‑edge the four aicmà for quick sorting.
- Consecrate with breath, smoke, or simple blessing.
Images provided by Wikimedia CommonsÂ