The winter solstice
It's been over a year since I wrote a post mentioning the Ogham Tree Alphabet. The only native British writing system devised 2,000 years ago using various notches on sticks. Each letter also corresponds to a tree and a month or a day of the year. My first post about the alphabet is HERE after I found the book by artist Karen Cater.
The tree for the Winter Solstice is the Scot's Pine and I've been collecting photos of them.
Firstly in the village. I can see this one from my back windows. There are two planted on a green area in the middle of the housing estate behind . They would have been planted when the homes were built in about 1983/4 and are getting rather large.
At Needham Lake. This is a smaller and much younger tree, photo taken on a foggy day back in the spring.
And at Sutton Hoo when we were there in the early Autumn. Growing tall on the sandy soil there
These are the pages from the book that explain it all.
Sue
Do you know if Ogham was ever used on stone? I have a vague recollection of this. I know a lovely lady who was expert on this but sadly suffers from dementia so cannot be asked. I love your book on Ogham, you should write about it more often. Happy Solstice {which some are saying was yesterday and some saying it's today, confused}
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember seeing Ogham Memorial Stones on my holiday in Ireland. But I may have got that wrong...
DeleteI looked online and there are several books about Ogham stones in Ireland and Wales
DeleteI love those illustrations. Scots pine trees thrive here in Wales but in the high winds we get regularly they often lose branches,
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
They look so odd as they get older with their tall straight trunks and so few branches
DeleteFascinating, I love the Ogham references. The turn of the year is always welcome as we go towards lighter days.
ReplyDeleteThe Ogham alphabet was a question on TV not long ago - University Challenge probably - can't remember if they knew what it was or not
DeleteScots Pines are the only conifers I like. I find pine forests grim; give me a nice beech wood any day!
ReplyDeleteShortage of Beech woods in this part of the world - in fact there are very few woods at all - which is sad
DeleteThanks for another interesting read this morning. We have wet and windy weather today and a broken washing machine full of wet towels. Catriona
ReplyDeleteOh no - why now - just when all machinery repairers are on holiday
DeleteYou know about so many things that I have never known, Sue! My 7th grandchild was born yesterday (12/21). His name is Adam Liam DeBerge and I just realized that his middle name is an anagram for your AILM which is something we have never heard of so just a coincidence! I figured out that if he gets to be my age, he will see 2096! Isn't that amazing?!
ReplyDeleteI only know from the books I own!
Delete2096 - I wonder what the world will be like then?
I have seen Ogham writing on stones here in Ireland.
ReplyDeleteThe tree alphabet is fascinating and all new to me. I've not seen a Scots Pine in the US. We have a Scotch Pine that some people like as a Christmas tree.
ReplyDeleteWe used to purchase a Scotch pine every year for Christmas when we got a living tree. That is so interesting that the trees were used as an alphabet.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I have never heard of the tree alphabet. We call them scotch pines here, and I always thought them pyramidal shaped, a popular Christmas tree choice. I didn't know they grew a bit unpredictably as they age.
ReplyDeleteMagnificent looking trees. You always find such interesting topics to write about.
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of a tree alphabet! Thank you for sharing this and the lovely illustrations!x
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