Ogham inscription

The vast majority of inscriptions consists of personal names and use a series of formula words, usually describing the person's ancestry or tribal affiliation.

Formula words used include the following:

• MAQI ᚋᚐᚊᚔ – 'son' (Modern Irish mac)
• MUCOI ᚋᚒᚉᚑᚔ – 'tribe' or 'sept'
• ANM ᚐᚅᚋ – 'name' (Modern Irish ainm)
• AVI ᚐᚃᚔ – 'descendant' (Modern Irish uí)
• CELI ᚉᚓᚂᚔ – 'follower' or 'devotee' (Modern Irish céile)
• NETA ᚅᚓᚈᚐ – 'nephew' (Modern Irish nia)
• KOI ᚕᚑᚔ – 'here is' (equivalent to Latin HIC IACIT). KOI is unusual in that the K is always written using the first supplementary letter Ebad.

In order of frequency, the formula words are used as follows:

• X MAQI Y (X son of Y)
• X MAQI MUCOI Y (X son of the tribe Y)
• X MAQI Y MUCOI Z (X son of Y of the tribe Z)
• X KOI MAQI MUCOI Y (here is X son of the tribe Y)
• X MUCOI Y (X of the tribe Y)
• X MAQI Y MAQI MUCOI Z (X son of Y son of the tribe Z)
• Single name inscriptions with no accompanying formula word
• ANM X MAQI Y (Name X son of Y)
• ANM X (Name X )
• X AVI Y (X descendant of Y)
• X MAQI Y AVI Z (X son of Y descendant of Z)
• X CELI Y (X follower/devotee of Y)
• NETTA X (nephew/champion of X)

The nomenclature of the Irish personal names is more interesting than the rather repetitive formulae and reveals details of early Gaelic society, particularly its warlike nature.

For example, two of the most commonly occurring elements in the names are CUNA ᚉᚒᚅᚐ – 'hound' or 'wolf' (Modern Irish cú) and CATTU ᚉᚐᚈᚈᚒ – 'battle' (Modern Irish cath).

These occur in names such as (300) CUNANETAS ᚉᚒᚅᚐᚅᚓᚈᚐᚄ – 'Champion of wolves'; (501) CUNAMAGLI ᚉᚒᚅᚐᚋᚐᚌᚂᚔ – 'prince of wolves'; (107) CUNAGUSSOS ᚉᚒᚅᚐᚌᚒᚄᚄᚑᚄ – '(he who is) strong as a wolf'; (250) CATTUVVIRR ᚉᚐᚈᚈᚒᚃᚃᚔᚏᚏ – 'man of battle'; (303) CATABAR ᚉᚐᚈᚐᚁᚐᚏ – 'chief in battle'; IVACATTOS ᚔᚃᚐᚉᚐᚈᚈᚑᚄ – 'yew of battle'.

Other warlike names include (39) BRANOGENI ᚁᚏᚐᚅᚑᚌᚓᚅᚔ – 'born of raven'; (428) TRENAGUSU ᚈᚏᚓᚅᚐᚌᚒᚄᚒ – 'strong of vigour'; and (504) BIVAIDONAS ᚁᚔᚃᚐᚔᚇᚑᚅᚐᚄ – 'alive like fire'.

Elements that are descriptive of physical characteristics are also common, such as (368) VENDUBARI ᚃᚓᚅᚇᚒᚁᚐᚏᚔ – 'fair-headed'; (75) CASONI ᚉᚐᚄᚑᚅᚔ – 'curly headed one'; (119) DALAGNI ᚇᚐᚂᚐᚌᚅᚔ – 'one who is blind'; (46) DERCMASOC ᚇᚓᚏᚉᚋᚐᚄᚑᚉ – 'one with an elegant eye'; (60) MAILAGNI ᚋᚐᚔᚂᚐᚌᚅᚔ – 'bald/short haired one' and (239) GATTAGLAN ᚌᚐᚈᚈᚐᚌᚂᚐᚅ – 'wise and pure'.

Other names indicate a divine ancestor. The god Lugh features in many names such as (4) LUGADDON ᚂᚒᚌᚌᚐᚇᚑᚅ, (286) LUGUDECA ᚂᚒᚌᚒᚇᚓᚉᚐ and (140) LUGAVVECCA ᚂᚒᚌᚐᚃᚃᚓᚉᚉᚐ, while the divine name ERC (meaning either 'heaven or 'cow') appears in names such as (93) ERCAIDANA ᚓᚏᚉᚐᚔᚇᚐᚅᚐ and (196) ERCAVICCAS ᚓᚏᚉᚐᚃᚔᚉᚉᚐᚄ.

Other names indicate sept or tribal name, such as (156) DOVVINIAS ᚇᚑᚃᚃᚔᚅᚔᚐᚄ from the Corcu Duibne sept of the Dingle and Iveragh peninsulas in Co. Kerry (named after a local goddess); (215) ALLATO ᚐᚂᚂᚐᚈᚑ from the Altraige of North Kerry and (106) CORIBIRI ᚉᚑᚏᚔᚁᚔᚏᚔ from the Dál Coirpri of Co. Cork.

Of particular interest is the fact that quite a few names denote a relationship to trees, such as (230) MAQI-CARATTINN ᚋᚐᚊᚔ ᚉᚐᚏᚐᚈᚈᚔᚅᚅ – 'son of rowan'; (v) MAQVI QOLI ᚋᚐᚊᚃᚔ ᚊᚑᚂᚔ – 'son of hazel' and (259) IVOGENI ᚔᚃᚑᚌᚓᚅᚔ – 'born of yew'.

The content of the inscriptions has led scholars such as McNeill and Macalister to argue that they are explicitly pagan in nature. They argue that the inscriptions were later defaced by Christian converts, who deliberately removed the word MUCOI ᚋᚒᚉᚑᚔ on account of its supposedly pagan associations and added crosses next to them.

Other scholars, such as McManus, argue that there is no evidence for this, citing inscriptions such as (145) QRIMITIR RONANN MAQ COMOGANN ᚛ᚊᚏᚔᚋᚔᚈᚔᚏ ᚏᚑᚅᚐᚅᚅ ᚋᚐᚊ ᚉᚑᚋᚑᚌᚐᚅᚅ᚜, where QRIMITIR is a loan word from Latin presbyter or 'priest'. McManus argues that the supposed vandalism of the inscriptions is simply wear and tear, and due to the inscription stones being reused as building material for walls, lintels, etc. (McManus, §4.9). McManus also argues that the MUCOI formula word survived into Christian manuscript usage. There is also the fact the inscriptions were made at a time when Christianity had become firmly established in Ireland. Whether those who wrote the inscriptions were pagans, Christians, or a mixture of both remains unclear.

Ireland has the vast majority of inscriptions, with 330 out of 382. One of the most important collections of orthodox ogham inscriptions in Ireland can be seen in University College Cork (UCC) on public display in 'The Stone Corridor'. The inscriptions were collected by antiquarian Abraham Abell 1783–1851 and were deposited in the Cork Institution before being put on display in UCC. He was a member of the Cuvierian Society of Cork whose members, including John Windele, Fr. Matt Horgan and R.R. Brash, did extensive work in this area in the mid-19th century.

Another well-known group of inscriptions, known as the Dunloe Ogham Stones, can be seen at Dunloe near Killarney in Co. Kerry. The inscriptions are arranged in a semicircle at the side of the road and are very well preserved.

The orthodox inscriptions in Wales are noted for containing names of both Latin and Brythonic (or early Welsh) origin, and are mostly accompanied by a Latin inscription in the Roman alphabet (Ecclesiastical and Late Latin remained the language of writing in Wales throughout the post-Roman period). Examples of Brythonic names include (446) MAGLOCUNI ᚋᚐᚌᚂᚑᚉᚒᚅᚔ (Welsh Maelgwn) and (449) CUNOTAMI ᚉᚒᚅᚑᚈᚐᚋᚔ (Welsh cyndaf).

Wales has the distinction of the only ogham stone inscription that bears the name of an identifiable individual. The stone commemorates Vortiporius, a 6th-century king of Dyfed (originally located in Clynderwen).[24] Wales also has the only ogham inscription known to commemorate a woman. At Eglwys Cymmin (Cymmin church) in Carmarthenshire is the inscription (362) AVITORIGES INIGENA CUNIGNI ᚛ᚐᚃᚔᚈᚑᚏᚔᚌᚓᚄ ᚔᚅᚔᚌᚓᚅᚐ ᚉᚒᚅᚔᚌᚅᚔ᚜ or 'Avitoriges daughter of Cunigni'. Avitoriges is an Irish name while Cunigni is Brythonic (Welsh Cynin), reflecting the mixed heritage of the inscription makers. Wales also has several inscriptions which attempt to replicate the supplementary letter or forfeda for P (inscriptions 327 and 409).

England has seven or eight ogham inscriptions, five in Cornwall and two in Devon, which are the product of early Irish settlement in the area (then the Brythonic kingdom of Dumnonia). A further inscription in Silchester in Hampshire is presumed to be the work of a lone Irish settler.

Scotland has only three orthodox inscriptions, as the rest are scholastic inscriptions made by the Picts (see below).

The Isle of Man has five inscriptions. One of these is the famous inscription at Port St. Mary (503) which reads DOVAIDONA MAQI DROATA ᚛ᚇᚑᚃᚐᚔᚇᚑᚅᚐ ᚋᚐᚊᚔ ᚇᚏᚑᚐᚈᚐ᚜ or 'Dovaidona son of the Druid'.

• CISP KMICH/1,[51] an 11th-century combined Runic and Ogam inscription in Kirk Michael churchyard, Kirk Michael, Isle of Man

  ᚛ᚁᚂᚃᚄᚅᚆᚇᚈᚉᚊᚋᚌᚍᚎᚏᚐᚑᚒᚓᚔ᚜

  ᚛ᚋᚒᚒᚉᚑᚋᚐᚂᚂᚐᚃᚔᚒᚐᚋᚒᚂᚂᚌᚒᚉ᚜

  ᛘᛅᛚ᛬ᛚᚢᛘᚴᚢᚿ᛬ᚱᛅᛁᛋᛏᛁ᛬ᚴᚱᚢᛋ᛬ᚦᛁᚾᛅ᛬ᛁᚠᛏᛁᚱ᛬ᛘᛅᛚ᛬ᛘᚢᚱᚢ᛬ᚠᚢᛋᛏᚱᛅ᛬ᛋᛁᚾᛁ᛬ᛏᚭᛏᛁᚱᛏᚢᚠᚴᛅᛚᛋ᛬ᚴᚭᚾᛅ᛬ᛁᛋ᛬ᛅᚦᛁᛋᛚ᛬ᛅᛏᛁ᛭

  ᛒᛁᛏᚱᛅᛁᛋ᛬ᛚᛅᛁᚠᛅ᛬ᚠᚢᛋᛏᚱᛅ᛬ᚴᚢᚦᛅᚾ᛬ᚦᛅᚾ᛬ᛋᚭᚾ᛬ᛁᛚᛅᚾ᛭

  Transcription:

  blfsnhdtcqmgngzraouei

  MUUCOMAL LAFIUA MULLGUC

  MAL : LUMKUN : RAISTI : KRUS : ÞINA : IFTIR : MAL : MURU : FUSTRA : SINI : TOTIRTUFKALS : KONA : IS : AÞISL : ATI+
  [B]ITRA : IS : LAIFA : FUSTRA : KUÞAN : ÞAN : SON : ILAN +

  Translation:

  An ogham abecedarium (the whole ogham alphabet)

  "Mucomael grandson/descendant of O'Maelguc"

  "Mal Lumkun set up this cross in memory of Mal Mury her foster-son, daughter of Dufgal, the wife whom Athisl married,"

  "Better it is to leave a good foster son than a bad son"

  (The runic part is in Norse.)

•  ᚁᚐᚉ   ᚑᚉᚑᚔᚉᚐᚈᚔᚐᚂᚂ     or possibly  ᚐ  ᚋᚐᚊᚔᚋᚒᚉᚑᚔᚉᚐᚈᚔᚐᚂᚂ    

  ...BAC......OCOICATIALL possibly 'A thong (group) of fifty warriors'

  An ogham inscription in Old Irish discovered at the Speke Farm keeill (chapel) by the seventh fairway of the Mount Murray golf course five miles southwest of Douglas by a Time Team excavation.

  Has been defined as an 11th - 12th century inscription on stylistic grounds (use of bind ogham)[52]

  However there has been at least one proposed date of 6th - 8th century from the association of a 6-7th century grave nearby, with the possibility of the more familiar variant reading '..A...MACI MUCOI CATIALL[I]' '..., son of the tribe of Catiall[i].'[53]

• A 19th-century ogham inscription from Ahenny, Co. Tipperary (Raftery 1969)

  Beneath this sepulchral tomb lie the remains of Mary Dempsey who departed this life January the 4th 1802 aged 17 years

  ᚛ᚃᚐᚐᚅᚂᚔᚌᚄᚑᚅᚐᚂᚒᚐᚈᚐᚋᚐᚏᚔᚅᚔᚇᚆᚔᚋᚒᚄᚐ᚜ ᚛ᚑᚋᚁᚐᚂᚂᚔᚅᚐᚌᚉᚏᚐᚅᚔᚁᚆ᚜

  fa an lig so na lu ata mari ni dhimusa / o mballi na gcranibh

  "Beneath this stone lieth Mári Ní Dhíomasaigh from Ballycranna"