American Ogams
Few Europeans admit to the existence of an American Ogam [the Ogam spelling is used to
distinguish American Ogam from European Ogham, as proposed by the late Donald Cyr. The near absence
of both stem lines and vowels are the main arguments. For the latter, Barry Fell
proposed "ogham consaine" or vowelless ogham. This permitted him to use various medieval
languages such as Old-Irish, Celtic, Arabic, etc. for translation. In many cases portions
where Celtic was used yielded gibberish - Fell then re-interpreted the markings as tally
marks or the influx of Libyan Arabic language. But as Boutet looked into it more it became
clear to to him that the language was Old Algonquian - a language unknown to Dr. Fell.
The Language
The Old Algonquian language seems to be an evolved stage of Proto-Algonquian probably
showing early differentiation of a form of Eastern Algonquian according to Boutet. It is
more primitive than Western-Abenaki - for example, the name "Adia" (pl. Adiak) for Dog, dog
star, is now obsolete in the Abanaki dialects. The next closest matches are Menomini and
Fox languages.
Remarks on the Message
"Dog Star"
The Dog Star plays an important part in the cosmo-mythological cycles of the Algonquians.
From what Boutet gathers from the ogams, the Hawk Star is to be found in the company of the
Dog Star. Although he is not sure which star is the Hawk in Algic cosmology, it is
nevertheless
possible to conclude that if the Dog Star Sirius is to be found in the company of the Hawk
Star - it could be possibly beProcyon in Canis Minor?
In the Chippewa tale, The Broken Wing, we are told that the Hawk constellation was
composed of six stars, that is, a nest of six young hawks - most likely the Pleiades constellaton.
The eldest of the six was called Gray Falcon
and the youngest was called Pigeon Hawk. The Hawks are again assigned to the winter skies along
with the Owl Star (Ella Elizabeth Clark, 1960).
"come learn Ogams from (across) the Mist"
This shows that the Medaws - the priests who wrote the ogam - were quite aware of a land
across the Mist and that it was where ogam originated.
Medaws -The Secret Medicine Lodge
Medaws, the Algonquin priests, are like the Druids to the Celts - special, secretive tribe
members who talk to the spirit world, ethereal or to Mother Nature using signs and special
symbols. Transmission of the spirit lore from teacher to student was spread through the power
of special icons, writings and engravings such as present in the "Pig Pen" shelter.
This body of lore was no less greater than that of Homer's Odyssey, so it does not come as a
surprise if some form of shorthand was used by the shamanic class. In all the ogam translation
work that Boutet has done, he finds the content is generally meant for the Spirit World, contrary
to what Fell gives as mercantile and mundate matters.
The Medaws were also story-tellers, informing and entertaining tribe members of their mythology,
ethics, heroic exploits, histories and migrations. These story-telling sages wandered the
woodlands, spreading the teachings that maintained the Algonquian identity.
References:
"The Celtic Connection" by Michel-Gérald Boutet, 1996, Stonehenge Viewpoint,
P.O. Box 30887, Santa Barbara, Ca 93130-0887. More ogam translations and Amerindian connections by
Boutet, and related articles by other writers.
"Midwestern Epigraphic Journal, Vol 14, 2000"
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