Tree Talk
The
Tree Alphabet:
In ancient times in Ireland, before people used the letters and
writing we use today, a form of writing called Ogham was used.
We can still see some examples of this on carved standing Stones
in old monastic sites, (in the National Museum of Ireland and
in the Ulster Museum).
Ogham came from an earlier form of writing, the tree alphabet,
where the letters came from the trees the people were familiar
with and used. There were only twenty letters in this alphabet.
| B | (beith) |  |
Birch |
| L | (luis) | Rowan | |
| F | (fearn) | Alder | |
| S | (saille) | Willow | |
| N | (nion) | Ash | |
| H | (huath) | Hawthorn | |
| D | (dair) | Oak | |
| T | (tinne) | Holly | |
| C | (coll) | Hazel | |
| Q | (quert) | Apple | |
| M | (muin) | Bramble | |
| G | (gort) | Ivy | |
| Ng | (ngetal) | Reed | |
| Ss | (straif) | Blackthorn | |
| R | (ruis) | Elder | |
| A | (ailm) | Scots Pine | |
| O | (onn) | Gorse | |
| U | (ura) | Heather | |
| E | (eadha) | Aspen | |
| I | (iodha) | Yew |