Ogham

The Irish tree alphabet of notched strokes, carved on the standing stones of early Ireland.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Some 400 inscriptions survive, mostly names, from the 4th to 6th centuries.
• Letters are groups of one to five strokes along a central stemline, read bottom to top.
• Named for trees in the medieval teaching tradition, though the carvings predate the lists.

Specifications & Metrics

• TYPE: Alphabet