Ogmios
Encyclopedia
Ogmios was the Celtic deity
of eloquence. He looked like an older version of Heracles
. He was also a binding god who would use his powers of persuasion to bind men onto himself and then lead them into the underworld.
Most of the knowledge about Ogmios comes from comparisons between him and powerful deities and heroes in other ancient cultures.
, the Celtic people of France
. By looking at records and art dated to the time period of the Roman conquest of the Gauls, there is evidence of his existence.
, a satirical
writer in 2 A.D. Rome
, as resembling an older, tanner version of Heracles
, the Greek
hero of strength. Ogmios and Heracles both wear lion skins and carry a bow and club in their hands. However Ogmios is depiected with long chains through his smiling mouth that pierce his tongue and attached to the ears of a group of men that willing and happily follow him. According to Celtic belief wisdom increases with age and dark skinned supernatural beings are often powerful. Since Ogmios has both features he too possesses great wisdom and great power. The most striking aspects of Ogmios' image are the thin, long chains running from his tongue to the ears of his followers. The chains, made of precious metals, represent Ogmios using his powers of persuasion and eloquence to bind his listeners to his every word. From the description it appears that Ogmios' followers willing follow him with cheerful faces and try to get as close to Ogmios as they can. This shows that he has the power to change and influence men’s minds so that they want to follow him to the ends of the earth.
both very powerful positions. As a binding god he has the ability to bind people onto himself and control their actions. He can also create defixiones, which are tablets that have curse
s which he can bind on to other people. There are two known defixiones recovered from Bregenz
, Austria
, that Ogmios is said to have created. Not much is known about the story behind the defixiones, but it is known that one such tablet invokes Ogmios to cast curse on a barren woman so that she can never marry a man. Ogmios is also a psychopomp which is like a binding god except that a psychopomp binds the souls of the dead onto themselves and leads them to the afterlife
.
of different ancient cultures. By about 51 B.C. the Roman Empire
had conquered Gaul. When the Gauls disappeared so did Ogmios. However the existence of Ogmios can still be seen in Irish mythology
. Their deity, Ogma
, has many similarities to Ogmios, which could mean that they were once the same deity.
conquered the Gaul
s, the Roman satirist
Lucian
wrote a satirical story about Celtic beliefs. It describes Lucian and a Celtic man looking at a painting of Ogmios. Lucian's description of the painting is the main source of visual representation of Ogmios.
Initially Lucian looks at the painting with horror because the painting says that the Celts liken Ogmios to Heracles. Ogmios appears to be an older version of Heracles, since both Ogmios and Heracles wear lion skins and carry a bow and club. Lucian is shocked to see that “the (bound) men (following Ogmios) do not think of escaping…In fact, they follow cheerfully and joyously, applauding their leader and all pressing him close and keeping the leashes slack in their desire to overtake him; apparently they would be offended if they were let loose!” (pg 65)
In the story, a Celtic man explains that the painting shows how the Celts believe Ogmios is similar to Heracles
, the Greek hero who defeated many things with his strength. Heracles has the power of strength and Ogmios has the power of eloquence. The Celts believe that eloquence is the ultimate power because it can enthrall men and control them more so than strength can.
Ogmios is also sometimes compared to Hermes
, a Greek deity. Hermes is also a god of eloquence and a guide to the underworld, just like Ogmios. To the Greeks
Hermes was the symbol of eloquence, just as Ogmios is to the Celtics. Hermes is also a psychopomp, just like Ogmios. However he is weak god. That is why the Celtics choose Heracles to be their representation of Ogmios; Heracles has more power than Hermes.
deity closest related to Ogmios is Ogma
. These two deities have a lot in common, so much so that it is unclear if Ogmios and Ogma are related or the same deity. Both Ogmios and Ogma are known as the deities of eloquence and depicted as smiling all the time. It is possible that both are related to same deities. Ogmios appear to have existed before Ogma, but when Ogmios slowly disappeared with the Gauls, Ogma appeared took his place.
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
of eloquence. He looked like an older version of Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
. He was also a binding god who would use his powers of persuasion to bind men onto himself and then lead them into the underworld.
Most of the knowledge about Ogmios comes from comparisons between him and powerful deities and heroes in other ancient cultures.
About the Deity
Even though there is not much on the history of Ogmios, we can tell that he was a powerful deity worshipped by the GaulsGauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
, the Celtic people of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. By looking at records and art dated to the time period of the Roman conquest of the Gauls, there is evidence of his existence.
Physical Description
Ogmios was recorded by LucianLucian
Lucian of Samosata was a rhetorician and satirist who wrote in the Greek language. He is noted for his witty and scoffing nature.His ethnicity is disputed and is attributed as Assyrian according to Frye and Parpola, and Syrian according to Joseph....
, a satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
writer in 2 A.D. Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, as resembling an older, tanner version of Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
, the Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
hero of strength. Ogmios and Heracles both wear lion skins and carry a bow and club in their hands. However Ogmios is depiected with long chains through his smiling mouth that pierce his tongue and attached to the ears of a group of men that willing and happily follow him. According to Celtic belief wisdom increases with age and dark skinned supernatural beings are often powerful. Since Ogmios has both features he too possesses great wisdom and great power. The most striking aspects of Ogmios' image are the thin, long chains running from his tongue to the ears of his followers. The chains, made of precious metals, represent Ogmios using his powers of persuasion and eloquence to bind his listeners to his every word. From the description it appears that Ogmios' followers willing follow him with cheerful faces and try to get as close to Ogmios as they can. This shows that he has the power to change and influence men’s minds so that they want to follow him to the ends of the earth.
Roles
Ogmios is considered to be a binding god and a psychopompPsychopomp
Psychopomps are creatures, spirits, angels, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls to the afterlife. Their role is not to judge the deceased, but simply provide safe passage...
both very powerful positions. As a binding god he has the ability to bind people onto himself and control their actions. He can also create defixiones, which are tablets that have curse
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
s which he can bind on to other people. There are two known defixiones recovered from Bregenz
Bregenz
-Culture:The annual summer music festival Bregenzer Festspiele is a world-famous festival which takes place on and around a stage on Lake Constance, where a different opera is performed every second year.-Sport:* A1 Bregenz HB is a handball team....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, that Ogmios is said to have created. Not much is known about the story behind the defixiones, but it is known that one such tablet invokes Ogmios to cast curse on a barren woman so that she can never marry a man. Ogmios is also a psychopomp which is like a binding god except that a psychopomp binds the souls of the dead onto themselves and leads them to the afterlife
Afterlife
The afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
.
Comparisons to other Cultures
Almost all of the knowledge about Ogmios comes from the comparisons of him to other deities or divine heroesGreek hero cult
Hero cults were one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion. In Homeric Greek, "hero" refers to a man who was fighting on either side during the Trojan War...
of different ancient cultures. By about 51 B.C. the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
had conquered Gaul. When the Gauls disappeared so did Ogmios. However the existence of Ogmios can still be seen in Irish mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
. Their deity, Ogma
Ogma
Ogma is a character from Irish mythology and Scottish mythology. A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, he is often considered a deity and may be related to the Gallic god Ogmios....
, has many similarities to Ogmios, which could mean that they were once the same deity.
Greek/Roman
Long after the RomansRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
conquered the Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
s, the Roman satirist
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
Lucian
Lucian
Lucian of Samosata was a rhetorician and satirist who wrote in the Greek language. He is noted for his witty and scoffing nature.His ethnicity is disputed and is attributed as Assyrian according to Frye and Parpola, and Syrian according to Joseph....
wrote a satirical story about Celtic beliefs. It describes Lucian and a Celtic man looking at a painting of Ogmios. Lucian's description of the painting is the main source of visual representation of Ogmios.
Initially Lucian looks at the painting with horror because the painting says that the Celts liken Ogmios to Heracles. Ogmios appears to be an older version of Heracles, since both Ogmios and Heracles wear lion skins and carry a bow and club. Lucian is shocked to see that “the (bound) men (following Ogmios) do not think of escaping…In fact, they follow cheerfully and joyously, applauding their leader and all pressing him close and keeping the leashes slack in their desire to overtake him; apparently they would be offended if they were let loose!” (pg 65)
In the story, a Celtic man explains that the painting shows how the Celts believe Ogmios is similar to Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
, the Greek hero who defeated many things with his strength. Heracles has the power of strength and Ogmios has the power of eloquence. The Celts believe that eloquence is the ultimate power because it can enthrall men and control them more so than strength can.
Ogmios is also sometimes compared to Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
, a Greek deity. Hermes is also a god of eloquence and a guide to the underworld, just like Ogmios. To the Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
Hermes was the symbol of eloquence, just as Ogmios is to the Celtics. Hermes is also a psychopomp, just like Ogmios. However he is weak god. That is why the Celtics choose Heracles to be their representation of Ogmios; Heracles has more power than Hermes.
Irish
The IrishIrish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
deity closest related to Ogmios is Ogma
Ogma
Ogma is a character from Irish mythology and Scottish mythology. A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, he is often considered a deity and may be related to the Gallic god Ogmios....
. These two deities have a lot in common, so much so that it is unclear if Ogmios and Ogma are related or the same deity. Both Ogmios and Ogma are known as the deities of eloquence and depicted as smiling all the time. It is possible that both are related to same deities. Ogmios appear to have existed before Ogma, but when Ogmios slowly disappeared with the Gauls, Ogma appeared took his place.
External links
- Ogmios - A Gaulish and Irish God, also known as Ogma, Ogmia, Celtnet.org UK
- OGMIOS-OGMA, Kernunnos Group of Web Page