In Lebor Ogaim
Macalister sees them as evidence of ogham's cryptic nature, and as serious examples of how the alphabet was used for secret communication.
The word lists at least may have provided access to an extensive vocabulary classified in a convenient manner, but these are only a small number of the total, and he regards the rest as nothing more than the result of the fascination of the Medieval mind with cryptic alphabets.
Macalister regarded these as being used for talking in code, while McManus saw them as simply being a useful way of making lists for classification purposes.
The following are some examples: Enogam/Bird-ogam : besan 'pheasant', lachu 'duck', faelinn 'gull', seg 'hawk', naescu 'snipe', hadaig 'night raven'?, droen 'wren', truith 'starling', querc 'hen', mintan 'titmouse', géis 'swan', ngéigh 'goose', stmólach 'thrush', rócnat 'small rook', aidhircleog 'lapwing', odoroscrach 'scrat'?, uiseog 'lark', ela 'swan', illait 'eaglet'".
Dathogam/Colour-ogam: bán 'white', liath 'grey', flann 'red', sodath 'fine-coloured', necht 'clear', huath 'terrible', dub 'black', temen 'dark grey', cron 'brown', quiar 'mouse-coloured', mbracht 'variegated', gorm 'blue', nglas 'green', sorcha 'bright', ruadh 'red', alad 'piebald', odhar 'dun', usgdha 'resinous', erc 'red', irfind 'very white'.
Danogam/Art-ogam: bethumnacht 'livelihood', luamnacht 'pilotage', filideacht 'poetry', sairsi 'handicraft', notaireacht 'notary work', H-airchetul 'trisyllabic poetry', druidheacht 'wizardry', tornoracht 'turning', cruitireacht 'harping', quislenacht 'fluting', milaideacht 'soldiering', gaibneacht 'smithwork', ngibae 'modelling', sreghuindeacht 'deer-stalking', ronnaireacht 'dispensing', airigeacht 'sovereignty', ogmoracht 'harvesting', umaideacht 'brasswork', enaireacht 'fowling', iascaireacht no ibroracht 'fishing or yew-wood work'.
Cend fo muine/Head under bush: This is the opposite of the above, where the letter stands in for the name at the end of a word e.g. MAELR for Maelruis The following are some of the more interesting examples of the cryptic ogham varieties (numbering as per Calder): No.
According to Sean O'Boyle in his book 'Ogam: The Poet's Secret', Fionn's Ladder could be used as a fingering notation, a tablature to guide the player's hand through the range of the harp.
However, according to Egan, the lack of evidence of how exactly the traditional Irish harp was played means that the case cannot be proved one way or another.
Macalister could make neither head nor tail of it, and declared it to be an ancient fragment of druidic lore.
However, Meroney re-examined the verse and found it to be a ditty about a poet bemoaning his poor choice of affordable drink!
This alphabet is named after Briciu, the satirical poet in the court of the Ulster king Conchubar Mac Neasa, famed for his wicked tongue and skill in fomenting trouble.
17 Ogam adlenfid/Letter Rack Ogham: This variety involves a single score against the stemline in the manner of the appropriate aicme, with as many horizontal strokes at the end of it as needed for the letter.
19 Crad Cride Ecis/ Anguish of a Poet's Heart: This variety involves a rectangular figure laid against the stemline in the appropriate manner for the aicme, with as many projecting scores from its top as needed for the letter.
It is hard to see what makes this alphabet more a cause of anguish than many of the others, but at least the name shows that a sense of humour is in operation.
23 Foraicimib 7 Deachaib/ Extra Groups and Syllables: Bacht, lact, fect, sect, nect; huath, drong, tect, caect, quiar; maei, gaeth, ngael, strmrect, rect; ai, ong, ur, eng, ing.
Perhaps the intriguing name of this alphabet stems from the frustration of the reader trying to make sense of anything written in it!
63 Ogam Erimon/Ogham of Erimon: In this variety there are angles or 'V' shapes, against the stemline in the appropriate manner for the aicme, with one laid on top of another from one to five as needed.
He was the first king to rule all of Ireland after the arrival of the Milesians, and was regarded as the ancestor of the Gaelic people.
64 Ogam Snaithi Snimach/ Ogham of Interwoven Thread: In this variety, instead of strokes there are 'X' shapes, with one laid on top of another from one to five in a similar manner to the symbol for the forfid Emancholl.
75 Fege Find/Fionn's Window: This variety has the novelty of arranging the letters attractively in a series of circles.
The alphabet is named after the great Gaelic warrior of legend Fionn mac Cumhaill.
76 Traig Sruth Ferchertne/Strand Stream of Ferchertne: This time the letters are arranged in a series of squares.
According to Ó hÓgáin, so great were Ferchertne's poetic powers that it was said that 'the lakes and rivers drain before him when he satirises, and they rise up when he praises them'.
Thus: Bachlaid (Priests), Laichesa (Heroines), Fianna (Warriors), Senada (Synods), Noeim (Saints) and so on.
