Much has been written and many theories formulated about Ogmios and Oghma, especially with reference to the power of the spoken word. It is not at all certain that the form Oghma is the regular Irish reflex of a Celtic Ogmios, but, nevertheless, the consensus of opinion is that the two names must be identified in terms of mythology and some have resolved the linguistic problem by assuming that Oghma is a borrowing from Gaulish Ogmios rather than a cognate.
So why is Oghma, sometimes known as Oghma Grianainech (of the sun-like countenance), and Oghma Milbél (honey-mouth) of such importance to those who choose to follow the Gaelic or Celtic Hearth Culture? Firstly he is a member of the Tuatha dé Danann and fights in the first battle of Mag Tuired, when the Tuatha Dé take Ireland from the Fir Bolg. As a binding god he has the ability to bind people unto himself and control their actions. He is also a psychopomp which is like a binding god except that a psychopomp binds the souls of the dead unto themselves and leads them to the afterlife as opposed to a binding with an instrument such as a withe, which is a tough, flexible twig usually of willow or osier.
This ‘binding’ aspect of Oghma’s nature also explains why he was invoked on the Bregenz defixione to bind with a curse. The nature of his use of words to bind may well relate to an older function of this deity as a psychopomp where he led the souls of the departed from this world to the next; which makes considerable sense in terms of Celtic culture. One of the functions of the poet was to glorify his lord and his battles and in death the poet would also sing his lord’s eulogy. In a broader context Lucian’s description of Oghma would indicate that he was somehow a ‘binding’ deity, metaphorically and literally chaining his victims with the eloquence of his words. Oghma’s high position is the result of the admiration of bardic eloquence among the Celts, whose loquacity was proverbial, and to him its origin was doubtless ascribed, as was the origin of poetry.
Oghma often appears as a triad with Lugh his half brother and the Dagda who is his brother. These three are sometimes collectively known as the trí dée dána or three gods of skill, (Stokes, 81, 83, 109). Once again we see the use of the highly charged symbolic three in mythology almost as if these are the male counterparts to Mother, Maiden, Crone.
Perhaps one of the most prominent elements attributed to Oghma, according to Miranda Green in her work Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend is that he is, “…credited also with the invention of ogham, a system of writing which consisted of horizontal or slanting strokes and notches cut onto stone or wood and branching out on either side of a vertical line or corner.” (Green, 166) As a writing form it is attested in Ireland and western Britain from about the fourth century CE, though it may represent the extension and continuation of an older mnemonic system and almost certainly it continues an older system of magical symbols. It been asserted that the alphabet was created by Irish scholars or druids for political, military or religious reasons to provide a secret means of communication in opposition to the authorities of Roman Britain, but there is sparse documentation to validate this with any authority.
The ogham, or sacred Druidic alphabet, contained hidden secrets for magical and divination purposes. Only the initiated could understand these occult meanings. The use of the ogham in myth is demonstrated in the Táin bó Cúailnge (The Cattle-Raid of Cooley). This involves the Ulster hero Cúchulainn writing an ogham inscription on a withe, while standing on one leg, using one hand, and having one eye closed which he then casts over a pillar stone. His rival Fergus mac Róich reads the inscription, which declares that none shall pass unless a similar feat be performed, Fergus excepted. Fergus gives the inscribed withe to the druids, asking them to interpret its secret meaning, but they have nothing to add to Fergus’ interpretation. Fergus states that if this message is ignored, the withe on which the inscription is made will return magically to Cúchulainn, who then will kill one of the company before morning. Cúchulainn leaves much the same inscription on two occasions shortly afterwards.
Whatever its purpose, magical, religious, or military, there is no disputing the fact that the alphabet exists from well before the time the Christian monasteries wrote about it in the 12th century CE. There is little proof one way or the other that Oghma was the creator, but it makes for wonderful speculation. For those who use the Ogham for divination purposes there will always be the conviction in its powers to guide and advise the supplicant.
Although Oghma was primarily known as a warrior god, he was also the god of communication and writing and as such he is sometimes thought of as the patron deity of poets. This might explain his nicknames, Cermait, which means “the honey-mouthed”, relating to his ability to ‘bind’ with his eloquence, and the other is Grianainech, “the sunny-faced”, believed to come from his great wisdom.
There is relatively little information about Oghma considering his role in mythology, but this may be as a result of the general lack of written record, the omission by Christian scribes in their translation, or perhaps even the reverence for his role as a deity and the sacredness that was given to the written word by the ancient people. He is a strong and powerful deity that can be of great aid or cause much disturbance if not accorded proper respect.
Works Cited
Green, Miranda J. Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1992. Print.
Stokes, Whitley. Lost Celtic Notebooks Rediscovered, Early Medieval Ireland, 400–1200. London, England. 1891. Print
“The Cattle Raid of Cooley.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/100186/The-Cattle-Raid-of-Cooley>.
