Ogmios is a bit odd even in the unusual Celtic pantheon. He was one of the ancient Celtic gods, known as Ogmios to the Gauls and Oghma to the Irish. In ancient times, Ogmios was depicted with the bald-front tonsure of a druid and a grinning countenance, often carrying aloft a gigantic club. In many appearances, he appears with a train of men following behind him, attached to him (often, to his tongue) by chains. He is sometimes called Ogmios sun-face and appears wizened or sunburned.

There are further records of the god in medieval Ireland, where he is referred to as the Oghma, a heroic member of the Tuatha Dé Danann and the son of Brigid, the goddess of poetry and fire. Oghma, like his predecessor, was a god of language and a patron of bards. Ogmios's words weren't just useful for leading men, however. Gaulish artifacts invoking the god are often in the form of appeals asking the god to curse enemies and bind lovers. Oghma is credited with the creation of the Ogham alphabet, an Irish alphabet used mainly for inscriptions that began appearing around the fifth century. The medieval Book of Ballymote contains a tract on the letters and their mytholical origin.

The excerpt implies that Oghma was a god not only of words but of artistry. It connects the act of speaking with the creative impetus behind craftmanship and the relationship between word and action. It also calls to mind several instances in mythological tales about the god, where the ogham are used magically to locate or bind, abilities ascribed to the eloquence of Oghma. In Celtic mythology, magic, artisanship, and eloquence are always linked.