File: <scotogam0.htm> <Migrations
Index> <Archeology Index>
[Note: All Basque words are in Italics and Bold-faced Green]
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OGAM INSCRIPTIONS IN SCOTLAND * (Contact) In his book
"The
Symbol Stones of Scotland" (1984), Dr. Anthony Jackson,
anthropologist at the University of Edinburgh, illustrated and transliterated
more than thirty Ogam inscriptions found in Scotland and remarked that the
best of efforts by linguists and others had not resulted in even one translation.
There had been few problems transliterating them, but no one had been able to
do anything with the "meaningless" series of letters obtained. In
October following this work with an unpublished monograph called "Pictish Symbol
Stones?" in which he updated his earlier research.
Probably referring to efforts of Henri, Jackson wrote, "There is a
popular theory that they are Basque but this does not work either" (p.118).
Jackson also commented: "It is
curious that this small number of Ogam inscriptions has caused more headaches
than all the other problems of the Picts put together. As one leading
archaeologist put it: it is not really the fault of the Picts but the
interpreters of the Picts that are to blame! (p. 117). This remark was
so true, but Jackson decided to give up entirely on translating the puzzling
writings. He wrote: "All
research along linguistic lines has ground to a halt, unsurprisingly"
(p.135) and: "It is clear that the Ogam inscriptions are numerically
based and not linguistic" (p.153).
In other words he thought they were numerical magic, possibly a form
of numerology, inscribed on the ancient standing stones to overcome the
pre-Christian magic: "thus we seem to have a battle between rival
magics" (p. 154). Edo Nyland agreed with his suggestion that magic
is involved, because the inscriptions are so complicated in design that it is
hard to believe that they were intended to be read by the common people or
even by most of the clergy; they belonged to a very different level of
theology. In 1968 a Basque
scholar from France, Henri Guiter, thought he could see Basque words
in the transliterated inscriptions and tried to make sense of some of them.
He published two papers in French, which received mixed reviews such as from Oliver Padel who could not find the first paper, but "if
one is to judge by the information supplied in the second, this is no great
loss". Another person who criticized Guiter was Douglas Gifford,
Dept. of Spanish of St. Andrew’s University in Scotland. In a 1969 radio
talk, he said that Guiter had twisted the evidence, but also suggested that
the Basque connection was worth a further look. Nyland then took this
‘further look’ and decided to include Guiter’s work in this article because
his approach was so very different from anyone else’s. The reader will see
that his translations appear to make little sense. The people who composed
the inscriptions were a great deal more sophisticated linguistically and
mathematically than our modern scholars have ever given them credit for.
Guiter’s effort had also been published in Spanish in a booklet called
"Garaldea" by Federico Krutwig and the
Spanish translations of Guiter’s effort are shown here.
Dr. Gifford’s suggestion that Basque could well be the language of the
Ogam inscriptions was supported by genetic and linguistic evidence in Ireland
and Scotland. Geneticist Dr. Cavalli-Sforza from Stanford University had
published a world map in Scientific American (Nov. 1991), showing the
distribution of the Rh-negative people. The populations with the highest
proportion of their members with Rh-negative blood
were found among the Berbers in Morocco, the Basques in Euskadi, and the dark
featured peoples of Northern Ireland and Scotland, all with over 25% of the
people with this blood peculiarity. He commented "... the resulting
pattern roughly coincides with anthropological reconstructions of ancient
migrations." Of these four groups, only the Basques still spoke
their pre-Christian language. It was therefore reasonable to suggest that the
entire migration had spoken this language. This possibility was crying out
for proof. Fortunately a very large number of early inscriptions on stone,
silver, brass, bone etc. were available; over 600 in Ireland and some 40 in
Scotland. None of these inscriptions had ever been translated with certainty.
Transliteration from the Ogam script had not been a problem, but only an
apparently meaningless series of letters, mostly consonants, had been
obtained. However, as considerable time and effort must have gone into making
these inscriptions. Edo Nyland
assumed that some system of decoding had to exist.
From the moment that Edo Nyland tackled the problem, it appeared
likely that most of the vowels had been removed for some good reason, based
on a certain pattern. After a great deal of experimentation, it was found that
the basic pattern had to have been VCVCVCV etc. This letter-pattern looked
strikingly like that of thousands of Basque words such as: "ohitura" (custom). But, Basque being an agglutinated
language, this word in itself was composed of three other roots, ohi-itu-ura:
ohi (habit) itungaitz (disagreeable) urratu (to break), meaning: "Break that disagreeable habit",
creating a VCV-VCV-VCV pattern. In addition, the vowels on either side of the
hyphens were always the same, completing the formula: VCV1-V1CV2-V2CV3-V3CV
etc. Nyland called this the "vowel-interlocking" or "VCV Formula".
Trial and error proved that this was indeed the formula used in every Ogam
inscription examined to date, without exception. For more examples, see "The Saharan
Language". Searching for
linguistic evidence of Basque in the family and geographical names of these
countries, in Scotland many family names immediately stood out, e.g: MacKenzie,
kentze is the act of depriving, of taking away,
to steal from, probably referring to territory. The MacKenzie tribe was
therefore known by their neighbours as the people who had conquered or taken
something that didn’t belong to them.
THE SYSTEM OF ENCODING AN OGAM
INSCRIPTION 1). In the sentence to be inscribed, use only
those Basque words which start with vowel-consonant-vowel (VCV).
(see Jackson
1993, pages 117 - 152).
1) Restore the original letters: V becomes B, C and Q become K.
were removed. In case
of double vowels, an H has usually been removed. Keep in mind that every
consonant represents a word.
the words that form
the appropriate sentence. ABOUT THE TRANSLATION In this section,
all three interpretations by Guiter, Jackson and Nyland
are brought together for each of the inscriptions . Let the reader be the judge. The order in which the inscriptions
are presented is taken from Jackson’s 1993 publication "Pictish
Symbol Stones?” The transliteration used is also taken from Jackson
because his interpretation is superior to any other efforts. Translating Ogam
is certainly no exact science, it is only the best possible approximation. It
may well be that some of the inscriptions were designed to be magical, yet
when they were finally translated, most made good sense from the standpoint
of evangelizing a "heathen" country. Two of the larger inscriptions,
Brodie B and Golspie, in spite of several hours of work, have so far resisted
the decoding process. Some like Altyre and Cille Barra describe natural
disasters that do not refer to evangelism. Aboyne B and Altyre are grave
markers. Strictly adhering to the vowel interlocking between the VCV roots
is the key to decoding the inscriptions. Map showing the
location of the following inscriptions.
BRESSAY. A)
CRROSCC- B) NAHHTVVDDADD - C) DATTRR - Guiter:
Basque reading: Berriz Enekoaren Kroska naiz Udak
daragina.
Jackson:
A) 28 7x4 75 5x5x3 Nyland:
B:
NAHHTBBDDADDS
C:
DATTRR
D:
ANNBENNISES
The disciples, as
well as the flock (Mark 14:50), in general weakness were mocking during that moment
of tribulation (Mark 15:17-20) E:
MEOODDRROANN
BURRIAN. IDBMIRRHANNURRAC
TEEVVCERROCCS Guiter: Basque
reading: Don
kuorari ańu(ti)ra dan kerroke.
Nyland:
IDBMIRRHANNURRAKTEEBBKERROKKS
WHITENESS. VNDAR Guiter:
No reading. Nyland: BNDAR.
LUNNASTING. A)
ETTECUHETTS - B) AHEHHTTANNN - C) HCCVVEVV - D) NEHHTONN Guiter:
Basque reading: Etxekoez
aiekoan nahigabe ba nengoen.
Jackson: A 36 6x6 140 7x5x2
Nyland: A: ETTEKUHETTS et. eta etariko
one of our group
B:
AHEHHTTANNN ahe aihe aiher
full of anger
C:
HKKBBEBB .h. aha ahal
I wish
D:
NEHHTONN. ne
ne nebarrebak brothers and
sisters
The
place name Lunnasting itself is interesting:
ST. NINIANS. BESMEQQNANAMMOVVVEZ Guiter:
Basque reading:
Eneko ba nago bez.
Jackson: 54 6x9 172 43x4 Nyland: BESMEKKNANAMMOBBEZ .be be bedeinkagarri blessed
one
BIRSAY.
1) MBOLMVNORRALVRR - 2) BQIAB Guiter: Basque reading: None. Jackson: 43 prime 170 5x2x17 Nyland: Birsay 1) MBOLMVNORRALBRR m. ma maisu
teacher
Birsay
2) BKIAB .b. be bedeinkagarri the
blessed one
BUCKQUOY. ETMIQMSSALLC Guiter:
Basque reading: None. Jackson: 36 6x6 135 5x3x3x3 Nyland: ETMIKMSSALLIK et. eti etika
ethics
CUNNINGSBURGH. 1)
IRO - 2a) EHTECONMORS - 2b) DOVHDDRS - 3a) ETTECA - 3b) VDATTVB 3c) RTT Guiter: Basque reading A few individual
words only. Jackson: (1): 12 3x440 5x2x4 Nyland: 1: IRO (on stone slab) iro iro irol
privy, outhouse
2a:
EHTEKONMORS eh. ehu ehun
hundreds
2b:
DOBHDDRS do do doatsutasun
happiness
3a:
ETTEKA et. eti etikoa
ethical
3b:
BDATTBB .b. abe abegitasun
fondness of
3c:
RTT This
last inscription has no identifiable vowel and therefore is not translatable with
the vowel-interlocking method. POOL. RVMVORC Guiter: Basque reading: None. Jackson: 23 prime 75 5x5x3 Nyland: Pool: RBMBORK .r. ara arraro
strange, odd
GURNESS. NEITTEMTOS M0CS Guiter: Basque
reading: None. Jackson: 50 5x10 189 7x3x3x3 Nyland: NEITTEMTOSMOKS. .ne ene enekin
with me
NORTH UIST. H
QUNCENTC T Guiter: Basque reading:
Belaskuanuk..ta
Jackson: 37 prime 119 7x17 Nyland: HKUNKENTKT .h. ohi ohitu
to get used to
WEETING. 1)
VLVEVVUTE - 2) GEDEVIM DOS Guiter: Basque reading: None. Jackson: 1) 28 7x4 84 7x3x2x2 Nyland: Weeting 1: Jackson: BLBEBBUTE, Nyland:
BLBEBBETE .b. aba abagadune
occasion
Weeting
2: GEDEBIMDOS .ge age agerpen
revelation
BRANDSBUTT 8/45. IRATADDOARENS Guiter:
Basque reading:
Iratakoaren.
Jackson: 40 5x8 123 3x41 Nyland: IRATADDOARENS (two possible
translations) ira ira irakatsi
to preach a sermon
Nyland:
IRATADDOARENS
INCHYRA - A1:
OOTTLIETRENOIDDORS
Guiter:
Basque reading: Etorkoaren
...holoi...ina otsa utz diet dinua?
Jackson: A1) 60 5x12 225 5x5x5x3 Nyland: A1: OOTTLIETRENOIDDORS o.o oho ohoregabe
dishonored
A2:
UHTUOAGED uh. uhe uherdura
confusion
B1:
INEHHETESTIE. ine ine inertzia
passive, downtrodden
B2:
INNE – in. ine inertzia
passive, downtrodden
C:
SETU .se ase asetu
to be filled with
KEISS 41/7: NEHTETRI Guiter:
Basque reading: Nauke tagona.
Jackson: 30 5x6 95 5x19 Nyland: NEHTETRI ne ne negarreztatu
grieving
LOGIE 8/5: CALTQU
Guiter: Basque reading: Kalkakoa
Jackson: 18 6x3 70 5x2x7 Nyland: KALTKU .ka aka akabu
death
ABOYNE A: NEHHTVROBBACC
– ENNEVV ABOYNE B: MAQQOTALLUORR Guiter:
Basque reading: Lemako
da lurrpe. Dator doaken enea.
Jackson: A) 59 prime 149 prime Nyland: A) NEHHTBROBBAKK – ENNEBB .ne ene enetan
always
en. ene enetan
always
B:
MAKKOTALLUORR. .ma ama ama
mother
BRODIE A 31/5: VONECCO BRODIE B 31/5: RAMINNGCHQODTOSLMBS BRODIE C 31/5:
EDDARRNONR TTI Guiter:
Basque reading: Idarreko noa doa mokorra erala behar
aikaz bedi.Du sutu ocean iasoa
lurreko
karrak. Ba
lo elhurra-be dago, haike, aikako ibaia du.
Jackson: A) 24 8x3 58 29x2 Nyland: A: BONEKKO. .bo abo aboskatu
to express
B:
RAMINNGKHKODTOSLMBS. This
fairly long inscription is a complicated puzzle, which has not yet yielded
its secret, probably because of the difficulties with reading the eroded
inscription. C:
EDDARRNONR TTI ed. eda edan
to drink
GOLSPIE 17/31: ALLHHALLORREDDMEOO
– NUUVALHNRERR Guiter:
Basque reading: Aldalurrekoak
hartza lotu zuan.
Jackson: 88 8x11 320 5x8x8 Nyland: This large inscription looks authentic
and should have given up its secrets, but I didn’t succeed yet in decoding
it. LATHERON 40E/41: DUVNODNNATMAOONAHATO Guiter:
Basque reading: Doana da Eneko t’ekaitsua
Jackson: 56 8x7 208 13x4x4 Nyland: DUBNODNNATMAOONAHATO .du edu eduki
to have
SCOONIE -/31: EDDARRNOSN Guiter:
Basque reading: udara zan onsa.
Jackson: 35 5x7 106 53x2 Nyland: EDDARRNOSN ed. ede eder egin
to give pleasure
ALTYRE: AMMAQQHTALLMVBVMAA-HHRRASSUDDS Guiter:
Basque reading: None. Jackson: 66 11x6 281 prime Nyland: AMMAKKHTALLMBBBMAAHHRRASSUDDS am. ama ama
mother
ABERNETHY: QMI. Guiter:
Basque reading: None. Jackson: 11 prime 37 prime Nyland: KMI .k. ika
ikara fears
This is the first translation that appeared. KMI is very short,
doesn’t leave much to work with, and cannot be translated with certainty. AUQUHOLLIE: VUUNON - TEDOV – BB Guiter:
Basque reading: Hila du ileko obiak.
Jackson: 37 prime 138 6x23 Nyland:
VUUNON. The
transliteration of this inscription is a problem. Only part makes
sense, the VCV "uno" does not exist
and "BB" has no vowel. (TEDOV)
should read: TSOLV .te ate atedanbada
knock on the door
NEWTON: Jackson:
A: IDDARQNNNVORRENNIEUA B: IOSRE
Guiter:
Basque reading: Idarkoari hor Eneko dio zagor.
Jackson: A) 77 7x11 210 7x3x10 Nyland: A: IEARKNNNBDRRENNIEUA i.e ihe ihesleku
find shelter
NEWTON B: IOSRZ i.o iho ihortziri
thunder
DUNADD A: AESD - T - V - LVA – TV DUNADD B: L---VIRRAMDNA Guiter:
Basque reading: None. Jackson: A) 29 prime 96 4x4x6 Nyland: A: AESD - T - B - TB. This
inscription is too fractured to do anything with it. B:
L — BIRRAMDNAI L ? lagun?
friends?
CILLE BARRA STONE TIRTHURKIRTHUS;INRRISKURSSIARISTA:A This
stone was removed in 1865 from the Cille Barra cemetary (Isle of Barra) and
taken to the Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh. It was always thought to be
a gravestone, which it obviously is not. The transliteration was copied from
a local tourist pamphlet. The twin islands Barra-Vatersay are the most
southerly populated islands in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The
inscription is not found in Jackson’s or Guiter’s writings. TIRTHURKIRTHUS .ti uti utikan!
get away from here!
INRRISKURSSIARISTA:A in. ino inor
everyone Everyone
is dismayed, petrified and overwhelmed to be eye-witness to this shocking
flood from the beginning; to dry up we escaped to this leaky shelter. CONCLUSION It must be
pointed out that these are not Pictish Ogams; instead, they are Irish
Ogams in Pictland because they were written by early Irish evangelists who
came to Scotland to convert the Pictish "heathens" to the Irish
form of Christianity. All of the Irish and Scottish Ogam inscriptions that
Edo Nyland has translated, and he has done almost one hundred, are written in
the Basque language, without exception. Many, if not most, geographical and
family names of Ireland and Scotland can also be translated with the Basque
dictionary using the technique demonstrated above. Considering the evidence,
it appears certain that prior to the coming of Roman Catholicism in about 650
A.D., the Basque language, or an earlier form of it, was spoken as the
popular language of the islands. This language was generally referred to
by continental evangelists as the "Iron Language", also called Pictish
in Scotland and Cruithin in Ireland. It seems to indicate
that the Basque language hasn’t changed much over the past 1,500 years. ILLUSTRATIONS: Figure 1 Reprinted by permission from Anthony Jackson,
‘Pictish Symbol Stones ?’ 1993
Figure 2 Reprinted by permission from Anthony
Jackson, ‘Pictish Symbol Stones ?’ 1993
Figure 3. Reprinted by permission from Anthony
Jackson, ‘Pictish Symbol Stones ?’ 1993
Figure 4 Reprinted by permission from Anthony
Jackson, ‘Pictish Symbol Stones ?’ 1993
Figure 5. Reprinted by permission from Anthony
Jackson, ‘Pictish Symbol Stones ?’ 1993
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For further detail, please
refer to:
Nyland, Edo. 2001. Linguistic Archaeology: AnIntroduction. Trafford Publ., Victoria, B.C., Canada.
ISBN 1-55212-668-4. 541 p. [
see abstract & summary]
Nyland, Edo. 2002.
Odysseus and the Sea Peoples: A
Bronze Age History of Scotland Trafford Publ., Victoria,
B.C., Canada.
307 p. [see
abstract & summary].
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