Eclectic
Information about Celtic Culture including history, myths, heraldry, Saints, etc.
The Idad (Yew) tends to be a solitary tree and can live for thousands of years. To the Celts, Idad’s longevity was associated with wisdom and introspection.
The Ogham symbol for Idad (Yew) appears in the accompanying illustration. It translates as an “I” in English.
The Hawthorn (Huath to the Celts) with its beautiful white spring blossoms and unpleasant smell is a study in contrast. It has beautiful blossoms and seems delicate from a distance, but anyone trying to pass through a Hawthorn thicket knows its thorns are far from delicate. The Celts used the Hawthorn for medicinal purposes but also felt it was a bad omen to bring the plant indoors (some say the blossoms smell like decaying flesh). Thus, the bush is a symbol of duality (life/death).
In Ireland, it is considered to be a Fairy Tree and thought to be very bad luck to cut one down. They even reroute highways to avoid disturbing a Fairy Tree!
In Ogham writing the Hawthorn (Huath) translates as the letter “H”. The Ogham symbol for Huath is in the accompanying illustration.
Vines (Muin) with their interlocking stocks were signs of interconnectedness, eternity, and diversity to the Celts (by the way the ancient Celts viewed any plants with woody stocks as Trees and this particular Vine was probably the blackberry).
The Ogham symbol for “M” (Muin) in our alphabet appears in the accompanying graphic. Messages starting with this letter conveys a sense of connectedness and perhaps protection (the thorns on blackberries) depending upon the context.
Gorse (Onn) is an early blooming bush (tree to the Celts). It is a sign that winter is on its way out and the growing season about to begin. In the blooming stage, it is often swarming with bees because it is one of the few sources of nectar at that time of year. These things did not go unnoticed by the Celts. The bush was a sign of renewal and energy…a time to get on with it.
The Ogham sign for Onn (Gorse) appears in the accompanying graphic. It is equivalent to “O” in the English alphabet.
The Ash (Nion in Gaelic) can grow to great heights (200 feet or more). To sustain that height, an Ash tree must have a massive root system. To the Celts, the tree is/was related to the need to be well grounded in order to seek spiritual enlightenment. Wood from the ash burns with great intensity helping Celts in a variety of ways. Its massive size is comforting in a certain sense and may be why the Ash is a symbol of protection…especially for children.
The N for Nion (Ash) in Ogham script appears in the accompanying illustration. As we work our way through the 20 letters in the Ogham alphabet, one gets a sense of how these characters are linked to the trees they are associated with. When a reference to the Ash appears in a story for instance, one might expect a need for protection to arise in subsequent sections of the story.
The Willow (Sail) is a tree of consequence to Celts. To them, the ever shifting branches gives/gave the willow quite different qualities than other trees. Such shifting patterns suggest change and difference. Thus, Sail is/was associated with imagination and thought to enhance psychic properties.
The willow or Sail is associated with the English letter “S” in Ogham script. It bears the characteristics noted above and is shown in the accompanying graphic.
The Elder (Ruis) is a useful tree. Its blossoms tend to ward off insects and various aspects of the tree can be used medicinally. Thus, the Elder became associated with renewal, rebirth, and death.
The Ogham sign associated with the Ruis (Elder) appears below. It translates as an “R” in the English alphabet.
The Luis (Mountain Ash) with its crisp spring flowers and 5 pointed star at its base is/was of considerable symbolic value to the Celts. Sacred objects were formed from its wood and used in various rituals. The tree represents a connection to the hereafter and is linked to protection and connection.
The Ogham letter L was linked to this tree. Luis is the Ogham word for Rowan.
Straif or Blackthorn was a sign of challenge or difficulty to the Celts. The thorns on the bush make it very difficult to pass through which may have led to the Blackthorn being associated with challenge and its counter part discipline/control (the best way to meet a serious challenge is with preparation, discipline, and control). At the same time, the Blackthorn’s berries are sweet but sweetest after a hard frost…suggesting that if you persist when challenged, the outcome will be worth it.
The Ogham symbol for Straif (Blackthorn) and translates as a “St” in the English alphabet
Holly (Tinne) with its bright red berries was thought to rule winter as the Oak ruled summer. It was used to decorate ones home for protection and as a reminder to put your best foot forward.
Holly (Tinne) was the bush associated with T in our alphabet. As we noted earlier, to the Celts the symbol associated with Holly was more than a mere letter, the symbol carried with it the properties of Holly associated with it. In this way, Celts communicated on two levels…the level of the message and a meta level having to do with properties of the tree associated with the symbol. It is thought that Druids for instance used the first letter of a message to convey the meta message so a message beginning with T might have to do with protection at the meta level.
