1899.] on Runic and Ogam Characters, etc. 



with it this distinction being n, q, and r, theso 

 four letters being as often used in Ogam inscrip- 

 tions as any other four letters which can be 

 named ; and that the letter h, which is not in- 

 contestable - present in any one of the large 

 number of Ogam inscriptions known to the pub- 

 lic as in existence at the present time, and is 

 at least excessively rare, is one of the four least 

 laborious of the Ogam symbols, the three which 

 share with it this distinction being a, b, and m, 

 b being of rare occurrence as compared with any 

 one of the four heaviest symbols. Without 

 making any assumption as to the language for 

 which the Ogam symbols were originally used, 

 it is fairly safe to say that in no known lan- 

 guage is the relative frequency of occurrence of 

 the several letters such that it should be made 

 five times as easy to cut the four letters a, b, 

 li, m, as to cut the four i, n, q, r. In the Gaelic 

 languages, while still in an inflectional stage, 

 for which we find the ogams actually used, the 

 relative frequency points rather the other way, 

 if anything. 



That the Eunes reached the state of develop- 

 ment in whicli we find them in the earlier 

 periods, by means of alterations in the rounded 

 and curved and horizontal lines of letters, with 

 a view to making them easy to cut on wood 

 with a marked grain, may be taken as certain. 

 The result accounts for and justifies the change. 

 But convenience of cutting has not been the ori- 

 ginal cause of the assignment of Ogam symbols. 



I shall not enter upon the question, what is 

 the reason for the order of the Ogams. It is in 

 fact, so I am assured, the actual order of the 

 Irish alphabet. If this be so, the connection 

 is of course certain ; but which gave to the other 

 this order, and where the one which gave it to 

 the other got it from, are pertinent questions. 

 On the latter question, where the order ori- 

 ginally came from, I have — as I have said — no 

 intention of entering. The performances of the 

 champions in that held are not an encourage- 

 ment to others. This much is certain ; it is not 

 an order which grew up unawares, nor is it an 

 order which came from the Semitic alphabet, 

 or from any other known primitive alphabet 

 in any part of the world. No early alphabet 



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