1090: Iain mac 'an Mhòir, murtair (2)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
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Iain mac 'an Mhòir, murtair (2)
An t-seachdain sa chaidh, thòisich mi an Litir le earrann às a’ Bhìoball: Ge b’ e a dhòirteas fuil duine, le duine dòirtear fhuil-san. Bha an cunntas agam mu mhurt Dhòmhnaill mhic Uilleim ann an sgìre Chnoc Mhoire faisg air a’ Mhanachainn. Dh’fhàg am murtair, Iain mac ʼan Mhòir, agus a bhràthair-chèile, Iain MacCoinnich, a bha cuideachd ciontach, corp Dhòmhnaill air a’ chladach.
Anns an sgìre sin, chan eil an sruth mara uabhasach làidir. Trì latha an dèidh a’ mhuirt, lorg cìobair an corp. Chaidh a chur don eaglais ann an Cnoc Mhoire. Dh’iarr an siorram, Alasdair Siosalach, air a h-uile inbheach anns an sgìre nochdadh aig an eaglais. Bha eadar sia ceud is seachd ceud duine ann.
Bha corp Dhòmhnaill rùisgte, air dèile. Nuair a leugh an siorram ainm gach duine, bha aige no aice ri tighinn air adhart, air beulaibh a h-uile duine eile, agus làmh a chur air broilleach Dhòmhnaill. Bha an siorram an dòchas nach cleitheadh am murtair a chiont anns an t-suidheachadh sin.
Thàinig turas Iain mhic ʼan Mhòir. Chuir e a làmh air broilleach a’ ghille, agus thachair rudeigin annasach. Dh’fhosgail lot air broilleach Dhòmhnaill, agus thàinig fuil às. Chaidh iarraidh air Iain a làmh a chur air a’ chorp dàrna turas. Rinn e sin, agus ruith fuil à sròn a’ chuirp.
Bha sin gu leòr airson an t-siorraim. Thug iad Iain a-steach don eaglais, agus dh’iarr iad air aideachadh gum b’ esan am murtair. Ach dhiùlt e. Chaidh a chur don phrìosan ann an Inbhir Nis, gus an aidicheadh e a chiont.
Mhothaich daoine nach robh sgeul air Iain MacCoinnich. Thàinig aithris gum facas e aig drochaid Inbhir Nis, agus e a’ ceannach tombaca. An uair sin, dh’fhalbh e rathad Shrath Narann.
Bha Iain mac ʼan Mhòir air a chur don chip ann an Inbhir Nis – sin rud ris an canar ‘the stocks’ ann am Beurla. Bha e an sin, fliuch is fuar, airson ceala-deug. Mu dheireadh, thuit a dhà chois dheth, mar gun robh lannsair air an gearradh dheth. Ghabh cuid truas ris – agus cuimhnichibh nach robh e air am murt aideachadh.
Chaidh Iain a thoirt dhachaigh gu Fionn Ghasg. Mean air mhean, dh’fhàs e na bu làidire. Bha e eadhon comasach air coiseachd air na stùmpaichean coise aige. Chuir a nàbaidhean airgead ri chèile, agus cheannaich iad each dha. Cha robh e comasach air obair a dhèanamh. Bha e na dhèirceach.
Ge-tà, chaidh Iain MacCoinnich a lorg. Bha e a’ fuireach ann am Baile Chè fon ainm ‘Dòmhnall Gàidhealach’. Chaidh a chur an grèim. ʼS ann nuair a chunnaic e seann Eaglais Inbhir Nis a dh’aidich e a chiont. Dh’inns e gur e Iain mac ʼan Mhòir a bu choireach ris a’ mhurt.
Chaidh an dà Iain a chur air beulaibh britheamh. Fhuair am britheamh ciontach iad. Bha an cinn gu bhith air an gearradh dhiubh, agus air an sealltainn don phoball. Ri taobh na h-eaglaise ann an Cnoc Mhoire, bha ceann Iain MhicCoinnich agus làmh dheas Iain mhic ʼan Mhòir air an cur air pòla.
Bha an cunntas dhen ghnothach air a dhèanamh le pears-eaglais. Aig an deireadh, sgrìobh e: ‘ʼS ann mar sin a bha lagh Dhè air a chur an gnìomh – Ge b’ e a dhòirteas fuil duine, le duine dòirtear fhuil-san.’
Faclan na Litreach: Cnoc Mhoire: Kirkhill; sruth mara: tidal current; dh’fhosgail lot: a wound opened; dhiùlt: refused; gum facas e: that he was seen; cip: stocks (for punishment); Fionn Ghasg: Fingask; stùmpaichean coise: stumps of legs; dèirceach: beggar; Baile Chè: Keith; pears-eaglais: member of the clergy.
Abairtean na Litreach: às a’ Bhìoball: out of the Bible; ge b’ e a dhòirteas fuil duine, le duine dòirtear fhuil-san: whoever sheds the blood of humans, by humans shall his blood be shed ; dh’fhàg am murtair agus a bhràthair-chèile corp Dhòmhnaill air a’ chladach: the murderer and his brother-in-law left Donald’s body on the shore; lorg cìobair an corp: a shepherd found the body; dh’iarr an siorram, Alasdair Siosalach, air a h-uile inbheach anns an sgìre nochdadh aig an eaglais: the sheriff, Alexander Chisholm, required every adult in the area to appear at the church; rùisgte, air dèile: naked and on a plank; agus làmh a chur air broilleach Dhòmhnaill: and to put a hand on Donald’s breast; nach cleitheadh am murtair a chiont: that the murderer wouldn’t conceal his guilt; ruith fuil à sròn a’ chuirp: blood flowed from the body’s nose; dh’iarr iad air aideachadh gum b’ esan am murtair: they asked him to admit that he was the murderer; nach robh sgeul air Iain MacCoinnich: that there was no sign of John Mackenzie; dh’fhalbh e rathad Shrath Narann: he left in the direction of Strathnairn; thuit a dhà chois dheth, mar gun robh lannsair air an gearradh dheth: his two feet fell off, as if a surgeon had cut them off him; ghabh cuid truas ris: some people felt pity for him; dh’aidich e a chiont: he admitted his guilt; air an sealltainn don phoball: shown to the people; ʼs ann mar sin a bha lagh Dhè air a chur an gnìomh: thus was God’s law exerted.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: : Thàinig turas Iain mhic ʼan Mhòir: the turn came of John son of big John. Iain mac Iain Mhòir is the man’s full name. Iain in such a situation often becomes shortened to ʼan, and mac is genitivised when the whole phrase is in the genitive, as it is here. Traditionally,for ‘Donald MacLeod’s cow’, we would say mart Dhòmhnaill MhicLeòid . In a patronymic it is similar. The tractor belonging to Seonaidh mac Phàdraig Bhig would be tractar Sheonaidh mhic Phàdraig Bhig. Note that the mac in such a sloinneadh is often dispensed with, and the man referred to as Seonaidh Phàdraig Bhig, giving us tractar Sheonaidh Phàdraig Bhig.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: : gus an aidicheadh e a chiont:until he admitted [would admit] his guilt.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 786
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