Bird Ogham

Capture the Rich Symbolism of Native Irish Birds

In a densely wooded Ireland, fifteen hundred years ago, birds were valued as an integral part of a vibrant folklore. Each of the ogham letters was assigned a bird. This is the list as it appears in the Auraicept na n-Ēces.

The Enogam is the collective term to describe this native bird listing.

It includes each of the following birds.

  • ​Robin
  • Hawk
  • Wren
  • Hen
  • Goose
  • Lapwing
  • Swan
  • Duck
  • Snipe
  • Starling​
  • Tomtit
  • Thrush
  • Owl
  • Seagull
  • Swallow
  • Dove
  • Crane
  • Crow
  • Lark
  • Eagle

Each bird denotes a particular alphabet letter.

Here at Mary’s Haiga, each of these birds is represented and is accompanied by a haiku poem in a twenty piece collection. Each one also bears the Irish name, the English name and the appropriate ogham letter.