thoughts on the Ogham Tract

     The Ogham Tract is one of the most interesting and useful texts to study for those interested in Irish mythology and divination. Within the text the mythological origins of Ogham are outlined and several different types of Ogham are discussed, although only the Tree Ogham and Word Oghams are gone into with any depth. The sections detailing these two types of Ogham are invaluable, however, for those who seek to use the Ogham for divination since they attach significant meaning to each letter, and these meanings can be used as the basis for a system of symbolism.

     The first section looks at the mythological history of the Ogham, using the typical question and answer style so often seen in Irish texts. The first question asks about the place, time, inventor and cause of the creation of the Ogham and the answer, while apocryphal, are illuminating. We learn that the Ogham was created in Ireland during the time that Bres ruled the Tuatha de Danann, before mortals came to Ireland, and that it was invented by the god Ogma to prove his inventiveness and to give the educated something the uneducated didn’t have. This tells us not only that the Ogham is believed to have divine origins, but also that it is believed to have been created as something to be reserved for a select few. The second questions asked relate to why it is called Ogham, who are the “father” and “mother” of the Ogham, what was first written in it and why “b” is the primary letter. The name is explained as a play on words from og-uaim meaning perfect alliteration and is an allusion to the poets’ art and possibly the very mnemonics that are used to remember the meanings of each letter in each type of Ogham. The father of Ogham is, of course, Ogma, and the mother is said to be his hand or blade; this is a beautiful description of the balanced act of creation involving both passive design and active carving.  The final answer contains another fascinating bit of mythology, that is that the first thing written was “b” and that it was written as a warning to the god Lugh that his wife was about to be kidnapped to Faery. Interestingly it is said that “b”, which in tree Ogham is associated with birch, was written seven times on a switch of birch; this not only reinforces the connection between the letter and the tree but also offers a possible magic charm to be used.

     After this section the divisions of Ogham are discussed, with the idea of dividing the Ogham into four groups of five. It also mentioned that they can be separated into three groups of eight based on the Tree Ogham, divided by chieftain  trees, peasant trees, and shrub trees. A second origin of Ogham is mentioned, the school of Fenius, which adds three dipthongs to the twenty consonants and vowels. Then a brief outline of the Tree Ogham is given, followed by the more in-depth description of the Tree and Word Oghams, and then very brief descriptions of many other types of Ogham.

     By studying the trees associated with each letter and then the descriptions given for each correspondence to the Word Ogham a clear pattern of symbols can be developed for use in divination. Using the Ogham for divination can be effective and useful if the symbolism of each letter is fully understood. Many people err in only looking to the Tree Ogham for meaning when divining with the letters, when in fact the other types of Ogham reinforce and add detail and depth of meaning providing clearer readings. Ogham can easily be used as the primary means of divination for both personal daily use and at ritual, but it is important to understand the meanings of each letter as fully as possible. Interestingly the “Boy Ogham” is actually a method of divination in and of itself that uses the mother’s name written in Ogham to predict the gender of her unborn child by dividing the name at a certain point, which is unfortunately not specified in the text.

     The Ogham Tract may at first seem of interest only to those seeking to learn about divination since that is what Ogham is most known for these days, yet the tract contains valuable mythology as well. Studying this text is useful to anyone because it expands our knowledge of Irish mythology with small details and also highlights the exclusive place of Ogham literacy when the Tract was written. And of course it is invaluable for those seeking to use the Ogham for divination as well. No matter what your focus is, if you are interested in studying the Ogham, this text is useful and should be studied.

 further reading on the Ogham:

 Ogam: Weaving Words of Wisdom by Erynn Rowan Laurie

 Ogam: the Celtic Oracle of the Trees by Paul Rhys Montfort

 Ogham, the Secret Language of the Druids by  Robert Ellison

 Celtic Tree Mysteries: Secrets of the Ogham by Steven Blamires

  The Book of Ogham by Edred Thorson

Gaelic Heathenry

   So what exactly do I mean when I say that I'm a Gaelic Heathen? Well, basically it means that I follow a syncretic Irish polytheist and Norse polytheist recon approach to my spirituality. My approach was born out of the gradual realization that, firstly, the two cultures have a great deal in common, and secondly that there is historical precedent for the blending and melding of Norse and Celtic tradition. The two cultures did historically interact and influence each other; the Norse invaded and settled parts of Ireland and the Irish were in Iceland. I was also in a situation where I had strong ties to both Irish and Norse spirituality, neither of which could easily be put aside. Still, I might never have reached the point I am now if not for a friend who is a Gaelic Heathen and allowed me to see the possibilities and break out of my rigid separation of the two and let go of my feelings of conflict.
    Just to clarify up front, syncretic practice is not the same as eclectic. Syncretic is the fusion or reconciliation of two different systems of belief into a single system, often heterogeneous, while eclectic is selecting and using a variety of elements from many different sources (Syncretic, 2012; Eclectic, 2012). Gaelic Heathenry is the syncretic union of Celtic and Norse polytheism, whereas eclectic practice would blend in anything and everything that might appeal to me. In many ways syncretic approaches to overlapping cultures such as these are inevitable; when I'm feeling brave enough I may start researching British material where Anglo-Saxon and Celtic syncretism has a long history.
   Syncretic practice is, in many ways, new territory for me and I am only slowly feeling my way into it, after years of very rigidly separated practice. I tend to divide the holy days of the year between the Irish and Norse, with the Fire festivals celebrated in an Irish manner and the equinoxes and solstices given to the Norse. I have not, so far, made any attempt to unify the two into a single ritual as I do feel that honoring the gods is best done separately, although I have a healing altar that I use for a variety of healing work that is mixed, with Eir beside Brighid and Airmed next to the Matronaes. The ritual structure itself is different between the two, although not radically so; both involve making offerings, for example, but the Norse faining tends to be more formally structured and patterned, while the Irish ritual has a more organic feel to it. In a faining I would follow the normative modern structure: gathering, hallowing, invoking the land vaettir, ancestors, and gods, describing the rite, passing the horn, making the offering, closing ritual. In the Irish I would begin by singing or reciting a poem for the occassion, then invoke the ancestors, daoine sidhe, and gods, discuss the rite and perhaps say a prayer of blessing, make the offering, consult a method of divination to see if the offering was accepted, close the ritual and then feast. I have two separate altars at home, one for the Norse gods I honor and another for the Irish. I read and study material from both cultures. I have found the worldview and values very similar; both believe in multiple Otherworlds, nine in the Norse and innumerable in the Irish, and these views are perfectly compatible. Both consist of Gods that represent civilization and Order that are at odds with, but also intermarried with, primordial beings of entropy and chaos. The Norse have a complex creation myth and eschatology story, but the Celts have none, so there is little conflict there. Both share similar views on honor, hospitality, courage, right action, and respect. Both also have similar views on the afterlife, in that the soul is immortal and may be reborn (the Norse see this as occuring within the family line) or may go to a variety of other places, although the Norse views on the nature of the soul are slightly different, seeing it as being divided into distinct parts. Again though the slight differences are easily reconciled. I have previously blogged about the similarities in oracular practices as well as Otherworldly beings and in these two areas I take a very blended approach, particularly in the way I relate to the daoine sidhe or vaettir. Honoring my ancestors is the same in both practices.
   On a daily basis I embrace both. I wake up and great the day with Sigdrifa's Prayer before making a small offering at my shrine and saying a prayer for Imbas. I study both Runes and Ogham. Throughout the day I may speak to Odin as easily as Macha, and I pour out a little bit of coffee for my ancestors as I place some food out for the Spirits - whether I call them daoine sidhe or vaettir doesn't matter. In practice some aspects are personal, of course, in which deity I may pray to or honor as there is no set pantheon, but I have found there is no conflict in calling on Odin for inspiration and Brighid for healing, Nuada for strength during suffering and hailing Thor when the thunder rolls, or calling on Macha for protection and Freya for guidance in seidhr work. And then of course there are the deities that are both Norse and Celtic, like Arto and the Matronaes.
   I am an American, part of the Celtic diaspora, but it goes without saying - I hope - that my views and approaches are shaped by being where I am and that they in turn shape my spirituality. While culture and cultural preservation are important to me, my experience of Irish, or German for that matter, culture is the experience of a second and third generation immigrant and I do not pretend that it is the same as if I lived in Ireland, or Germany. However it would be impossible to remove the influence that these cultures play in my life, as it is all part of who I am, from the languages to the music, from the food to the folklore. The gods of the Irish and Norse are the ones who call me most strongly and the worldview and beliefs are the ones that make the most sense; I also feel that honoring these cultures connects me to my ancestors in a deeper way.
  Another key part of my approach to spirituality is reconstruction. I have found nothing as effective, personally, for deepening my connection to the Gods, ancestors, and spirits of the Otherworld than using a reconstructionist approach. I research and piece together the ancient pagan beliefs and look with a pagan eye at the modern cultural practices to form a picture of what I think that paganism would have looked like had it never stopped being practiced. I have no interest in recreating the past or in imitating a distant time period, but I truly connect to the idea of bringing the old ways forward, of using the resources at hand - archaeology, anthropology, mythology, folklore - to understand what was done and how as well as what the beliefs were and then finding ways to revitalize and modernize them. Or in the case of more recent folk beliefs, to envision the pagan applications. It's like fitting together a fascinating puzzle that creates a picture of what might have been had polytheism continued uninterrupted. Reconstruction has provided me with a wide array of daily and seasonal practices, of oracular practices, of beliefs, and has allowed me to connect to the gods in profound and meaningful ways.
  Much of what I study involves looking at separate sources, a wide variety of both Celtic, Irish, and Norse material that only occasionally overlaps. The main sources that I use to understand how the cultures interacted and effected each other involve looking at Celtic areas with strong Norse influence that have been preserved, including the Orkney Islands and some Scottish material, such as McNeill's Silver Bough series. Although my own focus is Irish I find the Scottish and Orkney material easier to access and it provides a useful template to understand the pattern of cultural interaction. I have also found books like Lady with a Mead Cup, Beyond Celts, Germans, and Scythians, and In Search of the Indo-Europeans helpful in understanding the ancient roots that the two cultures share.
   I also focus on the Viking presence in Ireland. Viking influence in Ireland began around 800 CE and by 950 CE there were established Viking settlements in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Wexford (Viking Answer Lady, 2012). For most of this period the Viking invaders and settlers were still pagan, although the Irish at this point had converted to Christianity. There is significant archaeological evidence of the Norse presence in Ireland during this period, including burials (Fischer, 2012). Evidence also indicates that the Norse settlers assimilated to life in Ireland by adopting the lifestyles of the Irish (Preet, 2010). There is some evidence that surviving Irish customs surrounding midwinter are Norse in origin, the result of Irish assimilation of practices brought over by Norse settlers (Preet, 2010). Certainly such cultural "sharing" is seen in Scotland where the Norse also raided and settled, so it's reasonable to assume that the same would occur in Ireland. Similarly, Iceland shows Irish influences with many examples of Irish names and nicknames recorded; equally influential   many of the slaves were Irish and were the mothers of later generations (Clements, 2005).
     Interestingly I found out that my grandfather's surname, McSorley, meant "son of the summer sailor" and was a reference to the Norse presence in Celtic lands; in fact the name itself in Gaelic, Somhairle, is the Gaelicized version of the Norse word Sumarlithr "summer warrior or sailor" (http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Mcsorley) Although listed as a Scottish name, McSorley is actually both Scottish and Irish; my grandfather was from a section of the McSorley's in Cork, not the Dalriada Scotland branch. I found this information very serendipitous given my religious focus. 
   For me Gaelic Heathenry makes sense, but it is also a continuously evolving process. I am only slowly getting comfortable looking at the two cultures holistically and using the knowledge and material from one to fill in gaps in the other. It certainly helps that my main focuses - the spirits of the Otherworld and magical practices often termed "witchcraft" - are very similar between the two cultures and provide a sense of continuity for me in actual practice. Of course being a witch in either Norse or Irish culture (or modern recon) is not without contraversy, but that might be an entirely separate blog topic. In actual practice I have found that my role as Druid within Irish polytheism and my role of Gythia in my kindred are simply two names for the same function, which also helps. For many people one culture or the other is what calles them, but for me giving up either one would mean giving up a part of myself. In that sense Gaelic Heathenry is, ultimately, where I belong becuase it allows me to be fully myself.

Further reading:
http://dunsgathan.net/tns/what.htm
http://www.nthposition.com/norseireland-anation.php
http://www.ncte.ie/viking/vikage.htm
http://www.vikingage.mic.ul.ie/resource_learn_about_viking_age.html
http://www.orkneyjar.com/
http://www.muramasaindustries.com/fact/vikings/irishiniceland.html

References:
Viking Answer Lady (2012). Vikings in Ireland http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/Ireland.shtml
Fischer, L., (2012). Evidence of Vikings by County http://www.vikingage.mic.ul.ie/resource_vikings-by-county.html
Preet, E., (2010) Slainte! Ireland's Viking Heritage http://www.irishcentral.com/IrishAmerica/Irelands-Viking-Heritage-110976559.html
Clements, J., (2005) The Vikings
Syncretic (2012) Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/syncretic
Eclectic (2012) Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/eclectic