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The Ogham, sometimes called the Celtic Tree Alphabet, was
"in use" from about 600 BC to about 700 AD.
Each of the 25 letters has its own name, that of a tree,
plant, or element such as lightning or the sea. Each
of these had a meaning in the Celtic religion, and they were
also used for divination.
The Ogham was used by Druids and Bards as a
secretive language, especially during the Roman occupation,
often "spoken" with the fingers across the
forearm, nose, or shin. It was a symbolic alphabet,
each letter having a host of ideas and thoughts associated
with it.
According to legend, the Ogham was derived
by Ogma Sun Face, the archetypal Celtic father figure and
Sun God. Ogma is also the God of communication and
writing and is sometimes thought of as the patron deity of
Poets and Artists.
Examples of the Ogham can still be seen
today on various ancient stones, where it was carved using
the edge of the stone as the center line. Examples of
Ogham have also been found in this country in the New
England states and in southern West Virginia.
The sayings on these rings have been
translated into Gaelic and then to Ogham. Each piece also comes with a brochure showing the Ogham
alphabet and the meanings associated with each letter.
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