Irish God Ogma – Outstanding Warrior And Inventor Of The Ogham Script

A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - In the Irish lore, the god Ogma (Ogme, Oghma) was the son of Danuand Dagda and belonged to one of the eldest of the Tuatha de Danann.

Ogma (Ogmios, in Gallic) was an outstanding warrior, famed for his strength. He was recognized by his different names and titles but was usually mentioned as Griain-éigis (“Shining Sage”), Grianainech (“Sun-Faced”), Trenfher (“Strongman”), “The Father of Ogam,” and Ogmios Milbél ("Ogmios the Honeysuckle").

When Lugh was given command of King Nuada's armies, the great Ogma was honored to become Lugh's champion. Ogma wasn’t only a brave warrior but also practiced poetry and mastered eloquence, speech, and literature. Also, the writing system used in the early Irish language, known as the Ogham script is commonly attributed to this great Irish deity.

In "A Guide to Ogham," Damian McManus, Professor of Early Irish at Trinity College, Dublin, and Head of the Department of Irish writes:

"The inventor here is Ogma mac Elathan, who is said to have been skilled in speech and poetry and to have created the system as proof of his intellectual ability and with the intention that it should be the preserve of the learned, to the exclusion of the rustics and fools."

The Ogham writing system, however, was only available to the chosen ones—people who possessed the knowledge. It consisted of vertical lines crossing a lateral baseline. The messages expressed in Ogham were carved on stone and inscribed on hazel, aspen, or bark wands. More than 400 ancient messages have survived.

When Christianity began to spread in Europe, the system was considered a pagan legacy, and people gradually stopped using it. Today, the knowledge of the Ogham alphabet is still alive, and its samples attest to its use as late as the 19th century. Many people use the Ogham as a divination tool, although there are only a few examples from ancient literature.

In Celtic mythology and folklore, Ogma is depicted as an elderly figure adorned in wolf skin. A distinctive feature of his appearance is his pierced tongue, from which emanate gold and amber chains. These chains serve a symbolic purpose, either connecting to the ears of individuals or adorning human heads, which held sacred significance in Celtic culture.

This imagery represents Ogma's association with eloquence, persuasion, and the power of language in Celtic traditions.

Lucian (second century AD),  an ancient Greek rhetorician, pamphleteer, and satirist, describes "a Gaulish god Ogmios, represented as an old man, bald-headed and with wrinkled and sun-burnt skin, yet possessing the attributes of Hercules — the lion's skin, the club, the bow, and a sheath hung from his shoulder. He draws a multitude by beautiful chains of gold and amber attached to their ears, and they follow him with joy. The other end of the chains is fixed to his tongue, and he turns to his captives a smiling countenance.

A Gaul explained that the native god of eloquence was regarded as Hercules, because he had accomplished his feats through eloquence; he was old, for speech shows itself best in old age; the chains indicated the bond between the orator's tongue and the ears of enraptured listeners.

Lucian may have seen such a representation or heard of a Gaulish myth of this kind, and as we shall see, an Irish god Ogma, whose name is akin to that of Ogmios, was a divine warrior and a god of poetry and speech. Ogma is called grianainech ("sun-faced," or shining-faced"), perhaps a parallel to Lucian's description of the face of Ogmios. The head of Ogmios occurs on Gaulish coins, and from one of his eyes proceeds a ray or nail..."

According to a legend, during the second battle with the Fomorians at Mag Tuired, Ogma, accompanied by the god Lugh and Dagda, set out to recover the King's  Uaithne, magic harp stolen by the Fomorians.It was also during this war that he was supposed to obtain the Orna sword and kill the Fomorian Tethra. Some versions say he died during the Second Battle of Mag Tuired.

In Celtic mythology, a significant event occurs when Lugh enters the scene. Ogma must defend this position.

At this point, Ogma must defend his position by competing with Lugh. The contest involves throwing extremely heavy boulders, which are described as being so massive that it would require eighty oxen to move them. Lugh demonstrates his superior strength by not only matching Ogma's feat but surpassing it, as he manages to throw the rocks back to their original location.

Following this display of enormous power, Lugh Lamfada was appointed as the commander of Nuada's armies and led the Danann against the Fomorian tyranny.

In response to this change in leadership, Ogma also assumed a new role. He became Lugh's champion, a position that is considered a great honor.

The Irish mythological figure Ogma plays a significant role in the final battle against the Fomorians. During this conflict, Ogma acquires the Orna, a remarkable sword that belonged to the Fomorian king. This weapon possesses a unique magical property: when unsheathed, it recites and proclaims the victories of its wielder.

The acquisition of the Orna sword is a notable event in Irish mythology, as it represents a powerful magical artifact changing hands. This transfer of the weapon from the Fomorian king to Ogma represents a power shift and further strengthens Ogma's legendary status.

In Irish tales, there is also an account of a combat between Ogma and the Fomorian champion, Indech. Interestingly, this intense battle results in a mutual defeat; both warriors, falling in combat against each other, demonstrate their impressive abilities.

It's worth noting that these mythological accounts often have variations and sometimes contain repetitive elements, as seen in the slightly different retellings of Ogma's acquisition of the Orna sword and his battle with Indech. Such variations are common in oral traditions and ancient mythologies.

Written by – A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer

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