Ogham 'Suaimhneas' (Tranquility) Framed Gift

Regular price $63.00
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Peace and Tranquillity

From the Gaelic Suaimhneas meaning 'Tranquility'.

This framed Ogham Wish is a superb handcrafted Irish gift for a home or workplace! Perhaps a related word is Tranquility in which might be a nice accompaniment to this frame.

Each individual piece is handpainted on handmade paper 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.