Ogham script is an earliest known form of Irish writing. The characters comprise a series of lines and notches that are scored across a long-stem line, found often on ancient standing stones. In the majority of cases, the inscription is read from the bottom up, and usually names the person being commemorated along with their ancestors and the carver of the inscription.
In legend, Ogham was said to have been created by Oghma, the son of An Daghda. Ogma was both a warrior and the god of eloquence and literature, and fought the second battle of Magh Tuireadh where he slew the Formi, Indech, son to The Goddess Domnu.