A True Friend
From the Gaelic Cairdeas meaning 'Friendship'.
This framed Ogham is a beautiful gift for that special friend, handpainted on handmade paper and framed in a quality black wooden frame. Each individual piece is crafted by Ethel Kelly in Co. Roscommon, Ireland.
Frame size: 6" x 11"
History of Ogham
Ogham (pronounced 'ohm') was the earliest form of writing in Ireland, existing from the 4th-9th centuries AD. Typically etched into stone or wood, it consists of a series of strokes along a line, where the strokes' quantity, length, and direction determine the letter. Most of the letters correspond to the Roman alphabet, with a few local additions, so in fact, it's a translatable cipher rather than a language, read from the bottom-left upwards.
Some historians believe it may have been used as a secret alphabet that Roman Britain wouldn't be able to understand, while others suggest it may have been developed by early Christian communities as a form of shorthand. Most surviving examples are found on stone monuments in southern Ireland, though there are also some inscriptions in the west of Britain too, particularly in Wales.
