724: Naomh Dhubhthaich
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Naomh Dhubhthaich
Aig deireadh na Litreach mu dheireadh, chuir mi ceist oirbh – dè na h-eòin a tha ag innse gum bi sneachd ann nuair a nochdas iad ann an achaidhean? ’S e am fuasgladh, a rèir nan seann daoine, faoileagan. Tha abairt ann – faoileagan manadh an t-sneachda, scaragan manadh an uisge ‘seagulls foretell snow, kittiwakes foretell rain’. Fàgaidh mi e agaibhse co-dhiù tha e ceart no nach eil.
B’ e Leabhar Ùrnaighean Obar Dheathain, The Aberdeen Breviary, a’ chiad leabhar mòr a chaidh a chur an clò ann an Alba. Bha sin ann an Dùn Èideann ann an còig ceud deug is deich (1510). Carson a tha ceangal aig an leabhar do dh’Obar Dheathain, ma-thà? Uill, ’s e Easbaig a’ bhaile sin, Uilleam Elphinstone, a bh’ air cùl a’ phròiseict.
Tha an leabhar prìseil. Tha e làn ùrnaighean a dhèanadh sagartan aig diofar amannan tron latha agus air diofar làithean tron bhliadhna. A bharrachd air sin, tha cunntasan ann de dh’eachdraidh-bheatha nan naomh a tha co-cheangailte ri Alba.
Tha dùil gun do sgrìobh Elphinstone fhèin cuid dhen teacsa. Bha amas aige. Bha e a’ dèanamh cinnteach gun robh fèin-aithne Albannach aig an Eaglais ann an Alba, fa leth bhon Eaglais ann an Sasainn. Tha sinn a’ bruidhinn mu àm ron Ath-leasachadh. ’S ann aig an Eaglais Chaitligich a bha smachd fhathast ann an Alba is Sasainn.
Tha an leabhar ag innse dhuinn mu Naomh Dhubhthaich, aig a bheil ceangal làidir do Bhaile Dhubhthaich ann an Ros an Ear. Rinn e a chiad mhìorbhail nuair a bha e dìreach na ghille òg. Chuir a thidsear gu ceàrdach e, a dh’iarraidh èibhleagan airson teine a chur thuige. Thug an gobha na h-èibhleagan don ghille na uchd. A dh’aindeoin sin, thug Dubhthach air ais do a thidsear iad, agus cha robh comharra de losgadh air a chuid aodaich.
Turas eile, thugadh pìos muicfheòla le fàinne òir innte do dheisciobal Dhubhthaich – airson a thoirt do Dhubhthach fhèin. Stad an deisciobal ann an cladh airson ùrnaighean a dhèanamh dhaibhsan a bh’ aig fois an sin. Thàinig clamhan-gobhlach a-nuas. Ghoid an t-eun an fheòil agus am fàinne agus dh’fhalbh e leotha gu coille air taobh thall abhainn.
Bha an t-eagal air an deisciobal. Dè chanadh Dubhthach? Cha robh càil air a shon ach innse dha na thachair. Rinn Dubhthach ùrnaigh. Goirid às dèidh sin, thill an clamhan-gobhlach leis an fheòil agus am fàinne. Ghabh Dubhthach am fàinne dha fhèin agus thug e an fheòil air ais don chlamhan.
Tha stòiridh eile co-cheangailte ri baile Dhòrnaich ann am Machair Chat. Tha Dòrnach gu math faisg air Baile Dhubhthaich. Bhathar a’ marbhadh beathach mairt air fèill naoimh – airson an fheòil a thoirt do na daoine bochda. ‘Cò bheir a chuid do Dhubhthach?’ thuirt fear. ‘Mise,’ fhreagair clèireach.
Ge-tà, bha stoirm mhòr ann ’s cha robh sgeul air a’ ghealaich. Bha an oidhche dubh dorch. Bha an t-eagal air a’ chlèireach an taigh fhàgail oir cha robh solas aige. Ach, leis gun robh e air earbsa a chur ann an Naomh Dhubhthaich, dh’fhàg e an taigh le pìos feòla air pòla. Dè thachair ach gun deach an fheòil na leus, a’ soilleireachadh an rathaid don chlèireach. Dìreach tè de na mìorbhailean a chuireadh às leth Naomh Dhubhthaich.
Faclan na Litreach: Leabhar Ùrnaighean Obar Dheathain: The Aberdeen Breviary; prìseil: valuable; uirsgeulach: fictional; Baile Dhubhthaich: Tain; cladh: cemetery; clamhan-gobhlach: red kite.
Abairtean na Litreach: ’s e Easbaig a’ bhaile sin a bh’ air cùl a’ phròiseict: it’s the Bishop of that city that was behind the project; làn ùrnaighean a dhèanadh sagartan aig diofar amannan tron latha: full of prayers that priests would make at different times through the day; cunntasan de dh’eachdraidh-bheatha nan naomh: biographical accounts of the saints; bha amas aige: he had an aim; gun robh fèin-aithne Albannach aig an Eaglais ann an Alba: that the Church in Scotland had a Scottish identity; mu àm ron Ath-leasachadh: about a time before the Reformation; ’S ann aig an Eaglais Chaitligich a bha smachd fhathast: the Catholic Church was still all-powerful; chuir a thidsear gu ceàrdach e: his teacher sent him to a smithy; a dh’iarraidh èibhleagan airson teine a chur thuige: to get glowing embers to light a fire; don ghille na uchd: to the lad in his bosom; cha robh comharra de losgadh air a chuid aodaich: there was no mark of burning on his clothes; thugadh pìos muicfheòla le fàinne òir innte do dheisciobal Dhubhthaich: a piece of pork with a gold ring in it was given to a disciple of Duthac; cha robh càil air a shon ach innse dha na thachair: there was nothing for it but to tell him what happened; baile Dhòrnaich ann am Machair Chat: the town of Dornoch in (coastal) East Sutherland; a’ marbhadh beathach mairt air fèill naoimh: killing a cow on a saint’s feast day; cò bheir a chuid do X?: who will give X his share?; dè thachair ach gun deach an fheòil na leus:what happened but that the meat became a flaming torch; tè de na mìorbhailean a chuireadh às leth X: one of the miracles attributed to X.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: The town of Tain in Easter Ross possibly gets its English name from a pre-Celtic river name. Its Gaelic name, Baile Dhubhthaich , means ‘St Duthac’s town’ and commemorates Dubhthach (St Duthac), who also gave his name to Loch Dubhthaich (Loch Duich) on the west coast. By late medieval times, a cult of pilgrimage had developed for Duthac, and many people, including some Scottish kings, would make the pilgrimage to Tain from the south, often employing ferry crossings at Ardersier and Cromarty.
Seanfhacal na Litreach: faoileagan manadh an t-sneachda, scaragan manadh an uisge: seagulls foretell snow, kittiwakes foretell rain.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 420
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