Several ancient peoples considered trees as portals to another dimension, links between the visible and the non-visible world. It is the living being that unites earth and sky, indicating the path of the gods.
The tree could be considered as the axis of the world – “axis beat“—for around her the life of the community found its sacred identity. It also expressed the ideal of youth, immortality, wisdom.
The olive tree was considered sacred in Greece, carrying attributes such as wisdom, peace, fecundity, beauty and dignity. In Norse mythology, the huge tree Yggdrasil was positioned at the very center of the universe, supporting it; the god Odin hung from it for nine days and nine nights, to unlock the secret of the runes (magical symbols that, like the ogham, could be used as writing or oracle).
In the ancient Celtic myths about the creation of the world, trees are the ancestors of Humanity, beings of infinite wisdom who granted the alphabet, the calendar and access to the world of the Gods. From them came food, work tools and weapons, shelter and fuel for cooking and heating. Each tree also had specific magical properties. We find these myths in other cultures, such as those of the Germanic peoples.
The oak's roots were the sacred portal to the "Other World", the realm of the Fairies. The oak represented the center of the world. This tree was considered so important that the word “druid” (“connoisseur of the oak”) is formed by the words “oak” and “sage” – after all, the Druid obtained magical wisdom through the trees and was their guardian.
According to Celtic mythology, the Ogham (created by the Celtic god of eloquence and learning, Ogma) is an alphabet for ritual and oracular use. The Druids used carved tablets as a divinatory oracle.
Ogham was also used in inscriptions and wood carvings between the XNUMXst and XNUMXrd centuries AD as notations corresponding to the Latin alphabet.
There are several inscriptions that have survived until today, engraved on stones. The order of the letters is a mystery, as it does not correspond to the Roman alphabet or the Runic alphabet. Apparently, the order appears to have a phonetic basis. The direction of writing can be vertical or horizontal; reading can be from right to left or vice versa, when horizontal; vertically, the inscription is read only from the bottom to the top.
Some scholars believe that the Ogham is much older, according to inscriptions found in Spain and Portugal, dating back to 500 BC As usual, there is much controversy on the subject.
According to the symbolism attributed to each letter-tree, contact with the Divine can be established. Seen as sacred creatures, the Celts believed that trees possess spirit and vast wisdom, which they are always willing to share with us – as long as we are sensitive enough to hear and understand their message.
Tree species were chosen for the qualities they appeared to possess. They were classified into three groups, according to their importance – not their actual size – to the Druids: commanders (or chiefs), villagers and bushes.
References
"The Ogham Stone"
“Every Ogham Thing On The Web”
"Ogham"
