Ogham stone

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Ogham inscriptions in Cornwall (red)
Ogham inscriptions in Wales (red)

Ogham stones (also Ogham columns) are the name of the stone, erect carriers of the Ogham characters . Most of them come from the island of Ireland (about 380 pieces) and there mostly from Counties Kerry (130) and Cork 84 in the south. Only six (including Gartree's Oghamstone ) come from Northern Ireland . There are five ogham stones in the West Kerry Museum in Ballyferriter. The Annascaul Ogham stone was built into the gable wall of an outbuilding in 1989. He is known as the Cumlanders Stone.

distribution

About 35 stones were found in Wales , four in Cornwall ( Worthyvale ). Two in the southern county of Devon and the Oghamstein from Silchester come from England . Six Ogham stones come from the Isle of Man (e.g. Speke Farm Keeill Stein ), three with Gaelic inscriptions from Scotland , but dozen with Pictish inscriptions . However, the authenticity of the last three has been questioned.

In addition, 27 stones or inscriptions in Pictish were found (eight of them on Orkney , on display in the Tankerness House Museum ), which, apart from a few Irish loanwords and a few personal names, could not be deciphered.

Currently (as of 1991) over 360 ogham stones are known. The oldest preserved stone comes from Roovesmore Rath near Aglish in County Cork . It's in the British Museum . More than 40 ogham stones come from basement (e.g. 15 from Ballyknock North, in County Cork and seven from Coolmagort or today Dunloe and a further seven each from Ballinrannig and Ballintaggart , in County Kerry ). Some have been declared National Monuments (Ardcannaght, Arraglen, Ballintaggart, Ballybowler North, Cloghanecarhan, Dunloe, Darrynane Beg, Emlagh East, Kilcoolaght East and Ratass Church all in County Kerry).

Sometimes more are found because the long, solid stones were suitable for building purposes and are often hidden as spoils (parts of structures) or in old streets. Ogham stones were also used in churches (clearly “exhibited” here), bridges and archways.

See also

literature

  • Damien McManus: A Guide to Ogam (= Maynooth Monographs. 4). To Sagart, Maynooth 1991, ISBN 1-870684-17-6 .
  • Philip I. Powell: The Ogham Stones of Ireland. The Complete & Illustrated Index. Createspace, sl 2011, ISBN 978-1-4610-9513-2 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ [1] West Kerry Museum

Web links