For some reason, I was struck tonight with an intense, irrational desire to get drunk and get a tattoo. I don't know why. Regardless, whenever the idea of a tattoo comes up, I generally lean toward getting something done in Ogham, which is an ancient Celtic script usually found carved onto standing monoliths and things. It's pretty simple stuff; lines of various lengths carved either orthogonal or oblique to some center stroke. In any case, I think it usually looks neat.
So, with that settled, I had to decide on a word. I picked the Irish word for "honor"/"respect" (onóir, pretty much pronounced the same), just because I felt like it. So, I looked that up in Ogham and drew up what it would look like (that's the picture posted below, read from bottom-to-top).
On basically a whim, I thought that would be nice on the inside of my right forearm (with the bottom near my elbow, up to the wrist), so I drew it on with magic marker to test it out for a bit. I could get used to it, especially if it was done by someone with any talent (i.e., not drawn by me with my left hand on my right arm).
Of course, I couldn't just leave it at that, so I did more research. Apparently, each letter in the Ogham alphabet was associated with a tree sacred to the druids (so sayeth the Internet) and each tree was associated with some sort of mystical/divinatory properties. So, here's a brief description.
- gorse/furze (o) - A yellow, flowering shrub. Signifies finding that which is sought, abundant knowledge and blessings, and invokes a reminder to share of this bounty.
- ash (n) - The tree, obviously. Associated with interconnectedness and a recognition that one's problems and questions are not his alone. Urges one to recognize the effects of his actions and to balance himself with the world.
- gorse/furze (ó) - I just want to spell out the whole word.
- yew (i) - An evergreen tree with poisonous berries, used to make bows and things. Heralds a coming change, or perhaps the recognition that nothing lasts forever and one should let go of the past.
- elder (r) - A hearty, fast-growing shrub. Represents renewal and the cyclical nature of life, with change bringing newfound creativity.
4 comments:
Hehe... this is fairly awesome. So much better than like "OMG LOOK AT MY GENERIC PICKED-OFF-THE-WALL ARM BAND!".
oh, of course. i can't even imagine why i would want something permanently inscribed on my body if it were meaningless.
Yeah, if you were to get a tattoo, that would be an awesome one. But WHY do you want a tattoo? That's the base question that needs to be answered first :)
i don't really have a reason. it just struck me as a way to do something new.
besides, i still find it appealing a few days after the initial idea, so i think it might be more than just a passing whim.
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