The Dairymaid and the Hunter (1)
I was telling you about Dalnawillan in Caithness. Gaelic was spoken in that area for a long time. Thus, there are Gaelic songs and stories connected to the place. Among them is a song that was famous, in translated form, as ‘Miss Calder’s Lament’.
There is a story connected to the song. Its name is ‘A’ Bhanarach agus an Sealgair’ – The Dairymaid and the Hunter.
At the end of the sixteenth century, Donald Mackay was the chief of the Mackays in Strathnaver. He had a son called ‘big fair-haired John’. John and [some] clansmen fell out with each other. John and his family left Strathnaver. They went to live in Dalnawillan.
John was a fine hunter. Hed was also religious. Every Sabbath, he would climb to the summit of the hill nearest to Dalnawillan, wearing a red cloak. His neighbours would see him. They would understand that it was a Sunday.
One day, John was hunting on the hill. He found a baby boy asleep in the heather. John knew the Bible well. He remembered the words in Matthew Chapter 18, verses 3 to 5. ‘And [Jesus] said. “ … if you are not like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven … And whoever accepts one child of this type in my name, he accepts me.”’
John picked up the child. He took it home. He already had children but that did not matter. He accepted the lad as a foster-son.
When he was young, the lad proved he was brave and strong. People called him An Gille Garbh. Perhaps we’d say ‘The Hefty Lad’ in English.
The Gille Garbh was extremely capable as a hunter. When he was a teenager, he was, one day, hunting on the hill. He went to a shieling bothy. There were girls there. Among them was one who is remembered today as ‘Miss Calder’. I’ll tell you what happened in the next Litir.
A’ Bhanarach agus an Sealgair (1)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Dhail a’ Mhuilinn ann an Gallaibh. Bha Gàidhlig air a bruidhinn anns an sgìre sin fad ùine mhòr. Mar sin, tha òrain agus sgeulachdan Gàidhlig co-cheangailte ris an àite. Nam measg tha òran a bha ainmeil, ann an dreach eadar-theangaichte, mar ‘Miss Calder’s Lament’.
Tha sgeulachd co-cheangailte ris an òran. ’S e an t-ainm a tha oirre ‘A’ Bhanarach agus an Sealgair’ – The Dairymaid and the Hunter.
Aig deireadh an t-siathamh linn deug, bha Dòmhnall MacAoidh na cheann-cinnidh aig Clann ’ic Aoidh ann an Srath Nabhair. Bha mac aige air an robh Iain Bàn Mòr mar ainm. Chaidh Iain agus luchd-cinnidh a-mach air a chèile. Dh’fhàg Iain agus a theaghlach Srath Nabhair. Chaidh iad a dh’fhuireach ann an Dail a’ Mhuilinn.
Bha Iain na dheagh shealgair Bha e cuideachd cràbhach. Gach Sàbaid, bhiodh e a’ sreap gu mullach na beinne as fhaisge air Dail a’ Mhuilinn le cleòca dearg air. Chitheadh a nàbaidhean e. Thuigeadh iad gur e Latha na Sàbaid a bha ann.
Latha a bha seo, bha Iain a’ sealg sa mhonadh. Lorg e leanabh-gille na chadal anns an fhraoch. Bha Iain mion-eòlach air a’ Bhìoball. Chuimhnich e na briathran ann an Leabhar Mhata, Caibideil 18, rannan 3 gu 5: ‘Agus thuirt [Ìosa], “... mura bi sibh mar leanaban, nach tèid sibh a-steach a rìoghachd nèimh... Agus ge b’ e a ghabhas aon leanabh de a leithid seo nam ainm-sa, gabhaidh e mise.”’
Thog Iain an leanabh. Thug e dhachaigh e. Bha clann aige mu thràth ach cha robh sin gu diofar. Ghabh e ris a’ ghille mar dhalta.
Nuair a bha e òg, dhearbh an gille gun robh e treun agus làidir. Bha daoine a’ gabhail ‘An Gille Garbh’ air. Math dh’fhaodte gun canamaid ‘The Hefty Lad’ ann am Beurla.
Bha an Gille Garbh fìor chomasach mar shealgair. Nuair a bha e na dheugaire, bha e, latha a bha seo, a’ sealg sa mhonadh. Chaidh e gu bothan-àirigh. Bha clann-nighean ann. Nam measg bha tè a tha air a cuimhneachadh an-diugh mar ‘Miss Calder’. Innsidh mi dhuibh dè thachair anns an ath Litir.
