Unicode: ᚄ
Pronunciation: sahl [salʲ]
Alternative names: sal, saille
Translation: willow
Phonetic value: “s” as in slow
Bríatharogaim Kennings
| kenning source | old irish | translation1 |
|---|---|---|
| Bríatharogam Morainn mac Moín | lí ambi | “pallor of a lifeless one” |
| Bríatharogam Maic ind Óc | lúth bech | “sustenance of bees” |
| Bríatharogam Con Culainn | tosach mela | “beginning of honey” |
Selected Word Lists
from In Lebor Ogaim (a.k.a. the Ogam Tract)
| aspect | association |
|---|---|
| darthogam (color ogham) | fine-colored (sodath) |
| enogram (bird ogham) | hawk (seg) |
| dandogram (art ogham) | handicraft (sairsi) |
Other Attributed Interpretations
The above various meanings have been suggested by several authors. I have de-emphasized arboreal symbolisms except where supported by scholarship. See discussion after the feda on this page on my reasons for this decision.
last updated: 14 sept 2023
- Damian McManus, Irish letter-names and their kennings, Ériu 39 (1988), 127-168. ↩︎
- On account of the kenning “pallor of a lifeless one” and the willow’s association with water. ↩︎
- Same as previous footnote. ↩︎
- On account of the areas in which it grows. ↩︎
- Honey-making is a metaphor for accumulation of wisdom; also, associated with druids. ↩︎
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