826: An Tèine Mòr (2)
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.
An Tèine Mòr (2)
Anns an t-seann aimsir bha na Gàidheil gu math measail air dathan dearga. Bhiodh marsantan-paca a’ siubhal bho bhaile gu baile, a’ reic dathan dearga, leithid càrnaid is màdar. Ach cha robh mòran airgid aig daoine. Bhiodh iad a’ feuchainn ri rudan a lorg anns an dùthaich aca fhèin às am faigheadh iad an dath dearg – no ruadh.
Ann an Uibhist bha lus aca a bha cumanta gu leòr air a’ mhachair no air bruthaichean tiorama gainmhich. Gheibhear e ann fhathast. Tha coltas snog air an lus. Tha duilleagan beaga mìne air, agus flùraichean beaga buidhe. Ach ’s iad na freumhaichean a bu mhotha a bha a’ tarraing dhaoine. Oir gheibhte dath dearg no ruadh às. Leis a sin, ’s e Rù no Rù Mhoire a chanas muinntir Uibhist ris an lus. Tha ainmean eile air ann an sgìrean eile, leithid Lus an Leasaich ‘the rennet plant’ oir bidh e a’ binndeachadh bainne cuideachd.
Ann an Uibhist is Beinn a’ Bhaoghla, bhathar a’ buain cus dhen lus seo. Agus bha mòran de ghainmheach thioram nam bruthaichean air a siabadh air falbh leis a’ ghaoith. Bha e a’ dèanamh cron air an àrainneachd. Dh’fheuch na h-uachdarain – agus na maoir aca – ri stad a chur air a leithid. Mar sin, bhiodh boireannaich a’ falbh a-mach air an oidhche, a bhuain an rù anns an dorchadas.
Bha tuathanach ann am Beinn a’ Bhaoghla ris an abradh iad ‘Calum Sagart’. Bhuineadh e do Chloinn ’ic Carmaig. Bha e na dhuine cho modhail ’s a gheibhte anns an dùthaich gu lèir. Ach b’ ann aigesan a bha a’ bhean a bu mhiosa ann an Uibhist. ’S e baobh a bh’ innte.
Bha nighean aig Calum ’s a bhean. Bha i ag iarraidh dath dearg a chur na cuid aodaich agus chuir i roimhpe rù a bhuain air a’ mhachair. Bhiodh e ro chunnartach dhi tron latha oir chitheadh maor i. Mar sin, chuir i roimhpe falbh a-mach an dèidh meadhan-oidhche Oidhche Dhòmhnaich.
Bha a màthair anabarrach fada an aghaidh dhi a dhol a bhuain an rù. Ach cha tug an nighean cluas dhi. Bha i rag na dòigh fhèin. Dh’fhalbhadh i ged a rachadh a’ mhuir h-ear thar a’ mhuir h-iar. Nuair a bha an nighean a’ dol a-mach air an doras, thuirt a màthair, ‘Tha thu a’ falbh le mollachd do mhàthar air do cheann.’ Thuirt i nach tilleadh a nighean don taigh, agus i beò.
Mar a thuirt, ’s ann a thachair. Cha d’ fhuaras beò no marbh nighean Chaluim Shagairt riamh, aon chuid air muir no air tìr. Nuair nach do nochd i aig an taigh, chaidh a coimhearsnaich a-mach ga h-iarraidh. Fhuair iad lorg air buill-aodaich aice air a’ mhachair far an robh i a’ buain an rù. Ach cha d’ fhuair iad lorg air a corp.
An ceann beagan ùine an dèidh dha seo tachairt, chunnacas an solas ris an abrar An Teine Mòr. Bha cuid ga shamhlachadh ri teine ann an cliabh. Agus bha feadhainn a’ creidsinn gur ann an com nighean Chaluim Shagairt a bha an teine. Bha na daoine dhen bheachd gur e a bh’ ann ach a taibhs a bhiodh a’ siubhal air an talamh gun fhois gu latha a’ bhreitheanais. Agus bha gràin an uilc aig muinntir an àite air màthair na h-ìghne bho sin a-mach.
Faclan na Litreach: marsantan-paca: packmen, travelling salesmen; Rù, Rù Mhoire, Lus an Leasaich: Lady’s Bedstraw; Beinn a’ Bhaoghla: Benbecula; uachdarain: landlords; maoir: agents, bailiffs; baobh: witch, wicked woman; An Teine Mòr: will-o’-the-wisp.
Abairtean na Litreach: dathan dearga, leithid càrnaid is màdar: red colours, such as scarlet/carnation dye and madder; bruthaichean tiorama gainmhich: sand dunes; gheibhear e ann fhathast: it’s still found there; tha duilleagan beaga mìne air: it has small fine leaves; ’s iad na freumhaichean a bu mhotha a bha a’ tarraing dhaoine: it’s the roots that attracted people most; bidh e a’ binndeachadh bainne:it curdles milk; air a siabadh air falbh leis a’ ghaoith: swept away by the wind; a bhuain an rù anns an dorchadas: to pick the rù in the darkness; b’ ann aigesan a bha a’ bhean a bu mhiosa: he had the worst wife; chuir i roimhpe: she decided; anabarrach fada an aghaidh dhi: utterly opposed to her; cha tug an nighean cluas dhi: the girl didn’t listen to her; rag na dòigh fhèin: stubborn in her own way; a' falbh le mollachd do mhàthar air do cheann: going out carrying your mother’s curse; cha d’ fhuaras beò no marbh X: X was never found alive or dead; aon chuid air muir no air tìr: either at sea or on land; chaidh a coimhearsnaich a-mach ga h-iarraidh: her neighbours went out to look for her; chunnacas an solas ris an abrar X: the light was seen, which is called X; bha cuid ga shamhlachadh ri teine ann an cliabh: some likened it to a fire in a creel (or human chest cavity); a taibhs a bhiodh a’ siubhal gun fhois gu latha a’ bhreitheanais: her ghost that would wander without rest until judgement day; bha gràin an uilc aig muinntir an àite air màthair na h-ìghne: the local people had a fierce hatred for the girl’s mother.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Bha e na dhuine cho modhail ’s a gheibhte anns an dùthaich gu lèir: he was a man as polite as would be found in the entire country. Gheibhte (it is sometimes gheibhteadh, the form used by the Rev John MacRury) is the conditional passive form of the verb faigh. Gheibhte e ‘it would be got, obtained’. It’s also in the Litir as gheibhte dath dearg no ruadh às ‘a red or red-brown colour would [could] be be obtained from it’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: ged a rachadh a’ mhuir h-ear thar a’ mhuir h-iar: although the eastern sea should cover the western sea ie regardless of what would happen!
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 522
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