Ogham Edad (Eadhadh): the aspen letter, a mysterious name

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The letter Edad in the alphabet

Edad, also written Eadhadh, is the nineteenth letter of ogham, the fourth vowel: four notches on the baseline, for the sound [e]. It belongs to the aicme Ailme, between Úr and Idad.

It is one of the letters whose history is least clear: even its name has no known meaning. Here are the key facts:

Reference	Detail
Rank	19th of the 20 main letters
Group (aicme)	Aicme Ailme (A group): 4 strokes, notches or short strokes perpendicular to the baseline, used to write vowels
Sound value	e
Tree or plant in the manuscripts	Aspen (crann crithach)

The name and its meaning: what the sources say

The meaning of edad is unknown. Specialists think the name may have been coined to form a pair with Idad, like some words of ancient alphabets that answer each other by their sounds. This reading is a hypothesis by McManus, not an established fact.

The glossators' tradition, in the Auraicept na n-Éces, gives “true tree or trembling tree” (crann fir no crithach), hence the identification with the aspen. This link has little support in etymology or in the kennings. It is better to regard the aspen here as a convention.

The associated tree or plant

The aspen (Populus tremula) is a poplar whose leaves, carried on flattened stalks, tremble at the slightest breath of air, which explains its name. It suckers: a single colony can form a grove of many trunks connected by their roots. Its wood is soft and light. It is a pioneer tree of hedgerows and clearings, found in the British Isles.

In Graves's tree calendar (1948), the vowels are not months; they serve as markers, with different versions depending on the book. This modern construction should be distinguished from the Irish sources.

The three portraits of the name (bríatharogam)

The kennings of this letter are among the most obscure in the alphabet, and that of Cú Chulainn is not established:

List	Old Irish expression	Approximate meaning
Morann mac Moín	érgnaid fid	tree that discerns
Mac ind Óc	commaín carat	exchange of friends
Cú Chulainn	doubtful text	not established (the Cú Chulainn list is poorly preserved)

These expressions are hard to translate: some may be corrupt, and the proposed translations are approximate. They are not reading instructions, only medieval images.

Modern divinatory reading

Modern readings, based on the aspen, make Edad the letter of sensitivity, listening and courage in the face of fear: a leaf trembles, but the tree holds. Another reading, closer to the first kenning, sees discernment in it. The idea of an “exchange of friends” inspires some authors, who connect the letter with trust and reciprocity.

When the meaning of a letter is this uncertain, the most honest course is to leave your reading open: it is for you to decide what enlightens you, and to say so.

These meanings are modern: they come from ogham games and books published from the late twentieth century onward, and their authors do not always agree. Nothing proves that ogham was used for divination in ancient Ireland.

A reflective exercise

Think of a fear that makes you tremble without stopping you from moving forward. Note what supports you when it rises. Draw Edad and ask yourself what it asks you to listen to rather than silence. The exercise invites you to look at an emotion, not to predict an event.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to Ogham.