Огмий: Көне келт шешендігінің құдайы

Celtic deity of eloquence

Ogmios (also known as Ogmius; Ὄγμιος; Ogmius, Ogimius) was the Celtic deity of eloquence. He is described as resembling a more elderly version of Heracles, and uses his powers of persuasion to bind men to himself, with stories describing thin, long chains connecting his tongue to the ears of his followers. Most of the knowledge about Ogmios comes from comparisons between him and powerful deities and heroes in other ancient cultures. According to Xavier Delamarre, the root word would be ‘path’, ‘guide’, confirming in this his role as a psychopomp.

Ogmios was recorded by Lucian, a satirical writer in 2nd century Samosata in his Hercules. He is described as resembling an older, more tanned 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 depicted with long chains through his smiling mouth that pierce his tongue and attached to the ears of a group of men that willingly and happily follow him. The most striking aspects of Lucian's image of Ogmios are the thin, long chains running from his tongue to the ears of his followers. The chains, made out of amber and gold, 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 willingly 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.

Almost all of the knowledge about Ogmios comes from the comparisons of him to other deities or divine heroes 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.

Long after the Romans conquered the Gauls, 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. Both Ogmios and Ogma are known as smiling deities of eloquence. Ogma is attested from Old and Middle Irish literature, which dates to significantly later periods than the material for Ogmios.