Grimoire Vocabulary — Bríatharogaim (Ogham Kennings)
18 entries in this theme. Use the search box below to find a specific word, or scroll the table.
Search just within Bríatharogaim (Ogham Kennings) entries. Type an English word or an Irish one — accents optional.
| Irish | Ogham | How to say it | English | Source | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ailm | ᚛ᚐᚔᚂᚋ᚜ | AL-im | ailmOld Irish | CELT — Auraicept | Ailm — Ogham letter A. Tree: pine. The bríatharogam (Old Irish kenning) for ailm: ‘highest of bushes’ (ardam dossa). |
| beith | ᚛ᚁᚓᚔᚈᚆ᚜ | beh | beith | CELT — Auraicept | Beith — Ogham letter B. Tree: birch. Kenning: ‘faded trunk and fair hair’ (féochus foltchaín). |
| coll | ᚛ᚉᚑᚂᚂ᚜ | kul | coll | CELT — Auraicept | Coll — Ogham letter C. Tree: hazel. Kenning: ‘fairest of trees’ (caíniu fedaib). The hazel is the tree of wisdom; the Salmon of Knowledge ate its nuts. |
| dair | ᚛ᚇᚐᚔᚏ᚜ | dahr | dair | CELT — Auraicept | Dair — Ogham letter D. Tree: oak. Kenning: ‘higher than bushes’ (ardam dossaib). Tree of kings, sacred to the Druids. |
| eadhadh | ᚛ᚓᚐᚇᚆᚐᚇᚆ᚜ | AY-uh | eadhadhOld Irish | CELT — Auraicept | Eadhadh — Ogham letter E. Tree: aspen. Kenning: ‘discernment of the dead’ (érgnaid féda). |
| fearn | ᚛ᚃᚓᚐᚏᚅ᚜ | FAR-un | fearn | CELT — Auraicept | Fearn — Ogham letter F. Tree: alder. Kenning: ‘shield of warriors’ (airenach fían). Alder wood was used for shields and clogs. |
| gort | ᚛ᚌᚑᚏᚈ᚜ | gurt | gort | CELT — Auraicept | Gort — Ogham letter G. The tilled field (with ivy). Kenning: ‘sweetest grass’ (millsiu féraib). |
| huath | ᚛ᚆᚒᚐᚈᚆ᚜ | HOO-uh | huathOld Irish | CELT — Auraicept | Huath — Ogham letter H. Tree: hawthorn. Kenning: ‘a meet of hounds’ (cona-condal). The thorny hawthorn was sacred to the sídhe. |
| iodhadh | ᚛ᚔᚑᚇᚆᚐᚇᚆ᚜ | EE-uh | iodhadhOld Irish | CELT — Auraicept | Iodhadh — Ogham letter I. Tree: yew. Kenning: ‘oldest of woods’ (sinem feda). Yews live thousands of years. |
| luis | ᚛ᚂᚒᚔᚄ᚜ | lush | luisOld Irish | CELT — Auraicept | Luis — Ogham letter L. Tree: rowan. Kenning: ‘delight of eye’ (lí súla) — for the rowan’s bright red berries that protect against evil. |
| muin | ᚛ᚋᚒᚔᚅ᚜ | mwin | muinOld Irish | CELT — Auraicept | Muin — Ogham letter M. Tree: vine. Kenning: ‘highest of beauty’ (airdiu maise). |
| nion | ᚛ᚅᚔᚑᚅ᚜ | nyun | nionOld Irish | CELT — Auraicept | Nion — Ogham letter N. Tree: ash. Kenning: ‘check on a peace’ (costud síde). Ash is the wood of weapons — spears especially. |
| onn | ᚛ᚑᚅᚅ᚜ | un | onnOld Irish | CELT — Auraicept | Onn — Ogham letter O. Tree: gorse (furze). Kenning: ‘helper of horses’ (congnaid ech). |
| peith | ᚛ᚚᚓᚔᚈᚆ᚜ | peh | peithOld Irish | CELT — Auraicept | Peith — Ogham letter P. Tree: dwarf elder. Kenning: ‘sweetest grass’ (variant of gort’s). A late addition to the Ogham — P was rare in early Irish. |
| ruis | ᚛ᚏᚒᚔᚄ᚜ | rush | ruisOld Irish | CELT — Auraicept | Ruis — Ogham letter R. Tree: elder. Kenning: ‘redness of faces’ (rúamna gnúise). |
| sail | ᚛ᚄᚐᚔᚂ᚜ | sal | sailOld Irish | CELT — Auraicept | Sail — Ogham letter S. Tree: willow. Kenning: ‘pallor of the lifeless’ (lí ambí). |
| tinne | ᚛ᚈᚔᚅᚅᚓ᚜ | CHIN-uh | tinne | CELT — Auraicept | Tinne — Ogham letter T. Tree: holly. Kenning: ‘one third of a wheel’ (trían roith). Holly was the wood of chariot wheels. |
| úr | ᚛ᚒᚏ᚜ | oor | úr | CELT — Auraicept | Úr — Ogham letter U. Plant: heather. Kenning: ‘in cold dwellings’ (úaraib adbaib). Heather covers the bog and mountainside. |