Thursday, June 26, 2008

Ring in the New

Your wedding rings are not only an outward symbol that you have made a life long commitment to the person you love the most, they can be a gracious reminder of your heritage. These beautiful rings are from a website called, appropriately enough, "Rings from Ireland".




Many of their selections feature traditional elements like Celtic crosses, trinity knots and Claddaghs, but there are more subtle designs too, and they are all beautiful.



This beautiful 'my soul mate' ring is available in silver with 18kt gold text that translates to "Mo Anam Cara", or "My Soul Friend"; the inscription is carved in Ogham script, the first known Irish writing.


The website goes on to explain,
"The characters comprise a series of lines and notches that are scored across a long stem-line often on 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. Over 350 Ogham stones are known, with the majority found in southern Ireland from Kerry to Waterford and in South Leinster. They also occur in small numbers in western Scotland, the Isle of Man, and in Cornwall at Lewannick, where Irish settlers from Munster landed and founded communities.

While the stones in Ireland are written purely in Ogham, those in Britain often have the Ogham inscription repeated in Latin carved in Roman characters on the same stone.

In legend Ogham was said to have been created by Ogma, the son of An Dagda. 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 of the goddess Domnu.

It is truly fascinating, and a chance to infuse your New York Wedding ceremony (smooth, eh?) and your wedding rings with meaning that is holistic and historic to your family.

Many of my wedding ceremonies, New York or elsewhere, include variations on the Celtic handfasting, and these distinctive rings would add to that powerful ritual.

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