Cover art is by an unknown artist, public domain
Notes
This text presents three sets of Briatharogam — kenning-lists that give a poetic or descriptive name to each letter of the Ogham alphabet, followed by the tree or plant associated with it. Each entry follows the pattern: letter → poetic kenning → gloss/identification. Three authorial traditions are given: those of Morann mac Máin, Mac ind Óic (the Young Son, i.e. Óengus), and Cú Chulainn.
1. The Word-Oghams of Morann mac Máin
- B — Finest of hair — i.e. a white, fair leg, and beautiful at its tip (birch)
- L — Lustre of the eye — i.e. elm or pine
- F — Shield of warrior-bands — i.e. on faces, i.e. a shield (alder)
- S — Pallor of the lifeless — i.e. the colour of the dead (willow)
- N — Establishing of peace — i.e. ash of Garmna; it is not seized except in peace (ash)
- H — Pack of hounds — i.e. it is there the hunting hound gives its cry (hawthorn)
- D — Highest of bushes (oak)
- T — Third of wheels — i.e. of a chariot (holly)
- C — Sustainer of men — i.e. everyone eating its nut (hazel)
- Q — Shelter of a lunatic — i.e. a doe or wild one (apple)
- M — Highest of beauty — i.e. the vine, because it grows upward (vine)
- G — Greenest of pastures — i.e. ivy (ivy)
- GG — Physician’s strength — i.e. broom, for the abundance of its healing (broom)
- ST — Watchman of the riverbank — i.e. blackthorn (blackthorn)
- R — Fierceness of blush — i.e. rowan or elder fire (rowan)
- A — Highest of shouts — i.e. fir or fern (fir)
- O — Horse’s friend — i.e. gorse or horse-whip (gorse)
- U — Most handsome at assembly — i.e. heather (heather)
- E — Saddening of men or wood — i.e. aspen; foul in scent or weak its rod (aspen)
- I — Oldest of woods — i.e. yew (yew)
- EA — Swimming one of men — i.e. aspen (aspen)
- OI — Most venerable of structures — i.e. spindle-tree (spindle-tree)
- UI — Fragrant of men — i.e. man-tree or elbow (pine)
- PIN — Sweetest of wood — i.e. gooseberry (gooseberry)
- X — Groan of a sick man — i.e. the weak thin-necked one; middle (uncertain)
2. The Word-Oghams of Mac ind Óic
- B — Greenest of skin — i.e. fair shoots, or wounds, or cold (birch)
- L — Strength of cattle — i.e. elm or pine
- F — Guarding of milk — i.e. alder
- S — Strength of bees — i.e. willow-blossom (willow)
- N — Boast of women — i.e. weaving-beam (ash)
- H — Blanching of faces — i.e. hawthorn
- D — Craftsman’s work — i.e. oak
- T — Marrow of the shoulder — i.e. iron (holly)
- C — Friend of cracking — i.e. hazel
- Q — Strength of the weak person — i.e. ragwort (apple)
- M — Stain of dishonour — i.e. vine (vine)
- G — Measure of strength — i.e. field, ivy
- GG — Wounder of physicians — i.e. broom
- ST — Magnifying of secrets — i.e. sloe or blackthorn (blackthorn)
- R — Reddening of faces — i.e. rowan or elder
- A — Beginning of an answer — i.e. a (fir)
- O — Shelter of a craftsman (gorse)
- U — Propagation of children — i.e. earth (heather)
- E — Duty of a friend — i.e. a fish-trick of water, i.e. salmon (aspen)
- I — Lamentation of the old or nourishment of age — i.e. yew (yew)
- OI — Most venerable of structures — i.e. gold (spindle-tree)
- UI — Fragrant of men — i.e. man-tree or elbow (pine)
- PIN — Sweetest of wood — i.e. gooseberry (gooseberry)
- CC — Groan of a sick man — i.e. the cold one (uncertain)
Finit.
3. The Word-Oghams of Cú Chulainn
- B — Beauty of brow — i.e. birch bark (birch)
- L — Strength of cattle — i.e. elm
- F — Shelter of the heart — i.e. shield (alder)
- S — Beginning of honey — i.e. willow
- N — Boast of beauty — i.e. weaving-beam (ash)
- H — Most dreaded at night — i.e. hawthorn
- D — Bowing in craftwork — i.e. brightness of craft (oak)
- T — Third of weapons — i.e. iron bar (holly)
- C — Sweetest of wood — i.e. nut (hazel)
- Q — Shelter of thickets — i.e. covering (apple)
- M — Path of the voice — i.e. through vine (vine)
- G — Satiation of multitudes — i.e. grain, corn (ivy)
- GG — Beginning of healing — i.e. broom
- ST — Seeking of clouds — i.e. the two gods upward (blackthorn)
- R — Heat of anger — i.e. reddening (rowan)
- A — Beginning of a shout — i.e. á (fir)
- O — Vigour of warrior-bands — i.e. heather (gorse)
- U — Shroud of the lifeless — i.e. earth (heather)
- E — Brother of birch — i.e. é (aspen)
- IO — Vigour or joy of the sick — i.e. age (unknown)
- EA — Fairest lament — i.e. salmon (aspen)