An
ollam or
ollamh (anglicised as
ollave or
ollav), in
early Irish Literature, is a member of the highest rank of
fili. The term is used to refer to the highest member of any group: thus an
ollam brithem would be the highest rank of judge and an
ollam rí would be the highest rank of king. Ollav was also applied to a Druidic rank; meaning much the same as "professor," or person of great learning. Typically the Ollav/ollam was endowed with a distinction equal to that of a king and could therefore wear six colours.