OFITI. - Name of a group of Gnostics, deriving their name from the importance they attached to the serpent in the story of Paradise.
These Gnostics were originally either Jews or Jewish Christians, since they were also called Naasseni from the Hebrew word for serpent.
In Gnostic mythology, the serpent was revered as the principle of divine wisdom, and was identified with Christ Himself. The Naasseni, in particular, celebrated the serpent as the saviour of mankind, and their symbol was the serpent Ouroboros, the serpent biting its own tail. They also venerated the phallus, which they called the "living water," and their rites included ecstatic dances and the use of intoxicating drinks.
The Naasseni were mentioned by Hippolytus in his *Refutation of All Heresies* (V, 6-11), where he describes their beliefs and rituals in detail. According to Hippolytus, the Naasseni traced their origins to the serpent that spoke to Eve in Paradise, and they believed that the serpent was the true Christ, sent by the highest God to bring knowledge to humanity.
The name "Ofiti" is derived from the Greek word for serpent, *ophis*, and was used by their opponents to designate this Gnostic sect. The Ofiti were also known as "Serpent-worshippers" (*Ophiani*) and were considered one of the most extreme and esoteric groups within Gnosticism.
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OGAM. - « O GENTE FELIX OSPITA »
In the Irish mythological cycle, Ogma is a hero who fought against the Fomorians, the first dark rulers of the island. He is credited with the invention of the ogham script, of which the Irish *Book of Ballymote* (15th century), a compendium of diverse materials, contains a series of notices that have facilitated the interpretation of surviving examples of this script (ca. 360 inscriptions). It consists of a series of lines (grouped from 1 to 5) arranged vertically or diagonally, above, below, or intersecting the angle line of the stone. Shorter straight lines or dots indicate vowels.
Most of the ogham stones belong to the pagan period of the island and come especially from the southern counties of Kerry, Cork, and Waterford, though some date from after the apostolate of St. Patrick. They are funerary in content and record in the genitive case the name of the deceased and the degree of kinship: son, grandfather, grandson of...; rarely names of clans or ranks.