725: Naomh Brìde
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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Naomh Brìde
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Leabhar Ùrnaighean Obar Dheathain, agus na cunntasan ann de naoimh co-cheangailte ri Alba. Thàinig iris ùr dhen leabhar a-mach an-uiridh, air a dheasachadh le Ailean MacGuaire, agus air fhoillseachadh le Four Courts Press ann am Baile Atha Cliath. Bha an leabhar air a sgrìobhadh ann an Laideann, ach tha eadar-theangachadh Beurla ann cuideachd.
Tha grunn stòiridhean ann mu bheatha is mìorbhailean Naomh Brìde – tè a bha air leth cudromach do na Gàidheil. Seo eisimpleirean dhiubh. Bha a pàrantan ag iarraidh oirre pòsadh. Ach bha i fhèin airson fuireach na h-òigh. Ghuidh i air an Tighearna gun tigeadh mì-chumadh oirre agus, mar sin, nach biodh nòisean aig na fir-uaisle dhi. An uair sin, spreadh tè de na sùilean aice.
Nuair a bha i na bean-chràbhaidh, rinn i grunn mhìorbhailean. Thàinig boireannach thuice, a bha a’ fulang leis an luibhre. Bha i a’ sireadh bainne. Cha robh bainne aig Brìde ann, ach thug i uisge fuar don bhoireannach. Thàinig leigheas oirre air a’ bhoireannach às dèidh dhi an t-uisge òl.
Turas eile, bha i a’ siubhal ann an cairt le eich, nuair a chunnaic i fear bochd le theaghlach a’ giùlain fiodh. Bha an obair spàirneil. Ghabh Brìde truas riutha. Thug i a cuid each don teaghlach agus shuidh i fhèin is a maighdeanan ri taobh an rathaid. Bha am pathadh orra. ‘Tog an sgrath sin,’ thuirt Brìde. Cho luath ’ s a bha an sgrath air a togail, ’s ann a nochd fuaran uisge. An dèidh sin, bha commandair airm a’ dol seachad agus thug esan dà each do Bhrìde.
Latha eile, bha i ann an cabhaig agus thuit i aig àth nuair a bha i a’ dol tarsainn abhainn. Bhuail i a ceann. Bha fuil a’ sruthadh às. Bha dithis bhoireannach balbh an làthair. Shuathadh fuil Brìde orra agus thill comas labhairt thuca.
Bha i ann an coitheanal mòr turas nuair a chuir boireannach casaid às leth easbaig gum b’ esan athair a’ phàiste aice. Thug Brìde air a’ phàiste bruidhinn. ‘Cò d’ athair?’ dh’fhaighnich i. Agus fhreagair e, ‘Chan e an t-easbaig m’ athair, ach cuideigin olc air iomall a’ choitheanail.’ An turas sin, ’s iongantach mura robh àrd-urrachan na h-Eaglaise gu math toilichte le Brìde.
Ach cò bh’ innte? Tha i air a h-ainmeachadh ann an àiteachan ann an Alba mar Cille Brìde agus Lann Brìde. Tha i co-cheangailte gu làidir ri Cill Dara ann an Èirinn agus tha droch theans ann, eucoltach ri Calum Cille, mar eisimpleir, gun robh i riamh ann an Alba. Tha i coltach ri Naomh Anndra anns an dòigh sin.
Tha Ailean MacGuaire a’ sgrìobhadh, ‘as a historical figure, Brigit is very elusive.’ Gu dearbh fhèin. Tha esan dhen bheachd gun deach cliù seann ban-dia phàganach, air an robh ‘Brìde’, a ghabhail thairis leis an Eaglais. Bha a’ bhan-dia, no ’s dòcha triùir dhiubh a bha nam peathraichean leis an aon ainm, air a comharrachadh air a’ chiad fhèill-chairteil dhen bhliadhna. B’ e sin Imbolg aig toiseach a’ Ghearrain, letheach-slighe eadar toiseach na Samhna agus Latha Buidhe Bealltainn. Uill, ’s e Imbolg a chanadh na h-Èireannaich phàganach ris ach cha chuala mi fhìn dad ann an Alba ach Fèill-Brìde. ’S e a bh’ ann fèill a bha an dà chuid pàganach agus Crìosdail – mar a bha Brìde fhèin.
Faclan na Litreach: Leabhar Ùrnaighean Obar Dheathain: The Aberdeen Breviary; Baile Atha Cliath: Dublin; eadar-theangachadh: translation; spàirneil: requiring a great effort; commandair airm: military commander; balbh: without the power of speech; Cille Brìde: Kilbride; Lann Brìde: Lhanbryde; Cill Dara: Kildare.
Abairtean na Litreach: naoimh co-cheangailte ri Alba: saints connected to Scotland; air a dheasachadh le Ailean MacGuaire: edited by Alan MacQuarrie; mu bheatha is mìorbhailean Naomh Brìde: about the life and miracles of St Brigit (Bride); ghuidh i air an Tighearna gun tigeadh mì-chumadh oirre:she beseeched the Lord that she be given a deformity; nach biodh nòisean aig na fir-uaisle dhi: so that the noblemen would no longer pay her attention; spreadh tè de na sùilean aice: one of her eyes burst; nuair a bha i na bean-chràbhaidh: when she was a nun; a’ fulang leis an luibhre: suffering from leprosy; thàinig leigheas oirre air a’ bhoireannach dèidh dhi an t-uisge òl: the woman became cured after she drank the water; fear bochd le theaghlach a’ giùlain fiodh:a poor man with his family carrying wood; ghabh Brìde truas riutha: Brigit felt pity for them; tog an sgrath sin:lift that sod; ’s ann a nochd fuaran uisge: a freshwater spring appeared; ann an cabhaig: in a hurry; thuit i aig àth:she fell at a ford; bha fuil a’ sruthadh às: blood was gushing from it; shuathadh fuil Brìde orra agus thill comas labhairt thuca: Brigit’s blood was smeared on them and the ability to speak returned to them; chuir boireannach casaid às leth easbaig gum b’ esan athair a’ phàiste aice: a woman accused a bishop of being the father of her child; thug Brìde air a’ phàiste bruidhinn: Brigit made the child speak; tha droch theans ann gun robh i riamh ann an Alba: there is little likelihood of her ever being in Scotland; gun deach cliù seann ban-dia phàganach a ghabhail thairis: that the cult of an old pagan goddess was adopted; letheach-slighe eadar toiseach na Samhna agus Latha Buidhe Bealltainn: halfway between the start of Samhain and Beltane Day; fèill a bha an dà chuid pàganach agus Crìosdail: a feast that was both pagan and Christian.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Thug i a cuid each don teaghlach: she gave her horses to the family. It is a cuid (without lenition of cuid), because the ‘a’ is the feminine singular possessive pronoun and does not incur lenition. And each is in its indefinite genitive plural form, as we are saying ‘her portion of horses’ ie her particular horses.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: bha i fhèin airson fuireach na h-òigh: she herself wanted to remain a virgin.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 421
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