Ogham 'Síocháin' (Peace) Framed Irish Gift

Regular price $63.00
/


Peace and Tranquillity

From the Gaelic Síocháin meaning 'Peace'.

This framed Ogham Wish is a wonderful gift for the home or workplace! Each individual piece is handpainted on handmade paper by Ethel Kelly in Co. Roscommon, Ireland. Our Peace blessing frame is also a nice related option.

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 cypher 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.