In orthodox inscriptions, the script was carved into the edge (
droim or
faobhar) of the stone, which formed the stemline against which individual characters are cut. The text of these "Orthodox Ogham" inscriptions is read beginning from the bottom left side of a stone, continuing upward along the edge, across the top and down the right side (in the case of long inscriptions). MacManus (1991) lists a total of 382 known Orthodox inscriptions. They are found in most
counties of Ireland but are concentrated in southern Ireland, with the highest numbers found in
County Kerry (130),
Cork (84), and
Waterford (48). Other counts are as follows:
Kilkenny (14);
Mayo (9);
Kildare (8);
Wicklow and
Meath (5 each);
Carlow (4);
Wexford,
Limerick, and
Roscommon (3 each);
Antrim,
Cavan,
Louth, and
Tipperary (2 each);
Armagh,
Dublin,
Fermanagh,
Leitrim,
Londonderry and
Tyrone (1 each). Other specimens are known from
Wales (ca. 40);
Pembrokeshire (16);
Breconshire and
Carmarthenshire (7 each);
Glamorgan (4);
Cardiganshire (3);
Denbighshire (2);
Powys (1), and
Caernarvonshire (1)). A few are known of from sites in the
Isle of Man (5), in England, such as
Cornwall (5),
Devon (2), and some doubtful examples from
Scotland (possibly 2).
Formula words 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 – 'son' (
Modern Irish ) • MUCOI – 'tribe' or 'sept' • ANM – 'name' (Modern Irish ) • AVI – 'descendant' (Modern Irish ) • CELI – 'follower' or 'devotee' (Modern Irish ) • NETA – 'nephew' (Modern Irish ) • KOI – 'here is' (equivalent to Latin ). 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)
Nomenclature 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 – 'hound' or 'wolf' (Modern Irish ) and CATTU – 'battle' (Modern Irish ). These occur in names such as: :(300) CUNANETAS – 'Champion of wolves' :(501) CUNAMAGLI – 'prince of wolves' :(107) CUNAGUSSOS – '(he who is) strong as a wolf' :(250) CATTUVVIRR – 'man of battle' :(303) CATABAR – 'chief in battle' :IVACATTOS – 'yew of battle' Other warlike names include: :(39) BRANOGENI – 'born of raven' :(428) TRENAGUSU – 'strong of vigour' :(504) BIVAIDONAS – 'alive like fire' Elements that are descriptive of physical characteristics are also common, such as: :(368) VENDUBARI – 'fair-headed' :(75) CASONI – 'curly headed one' :(119) DALAGNI – 'one who is blind' :(46) DERCMASOC – 'one with an elegant eye' :(60) MAILAGNI – 'bald/short haired one' :(239) GATTAGLAN – 'wise and pure' Other names indicate a divine ancestor. The god
Lugh features in many names such as: :(4) LUGADDON :(286) LUGUDECA :(140) LUGAVVECCA The divine name ERC (meaning either 'heaven or 'cow') appears in names such as: :(93) ERCAIDANA :(196) ERCAVICCAS Other names indicate sept or tribal name, such as: :(156) DOVVINIAS from the
Corcu Duibne sept of the
Dingle and
Iveragh peninsulas in County Kerry (named after a local goddess) :(215) ALLATO from the
Altraige of North Kerry :(106) CORIBIRI from the
Dál Coirpri of County Cork Of particular interest is the fact that quite a few names denote a relationship to trees, such as: :(230) MAQI-CARATTINN – 'son of
rowan' :(v) MAQVI QOLI – 'son of
hazel' :(259) IVOGENI – '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 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 where QRIMITIR is a loan word from Latin 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 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 County Kerry. The inscriptions are arranged in a semicircle at the side of the road and are very well preserved.
Wales 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 (Welsh
Maelgwn) and (449) CUNOTAMI (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). Wales also has the only ogham inscription known to commemorate a woman. At
Eglwys Cymmin (Cymmin church) in
Carmarthenshire is the inscription (362) INIGENA CUNIGNI AVITTORIGES 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, Isle of Man, Scotland 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 or 'Dovaidona son of the
Druid'. ==Scholastic inscriptions==