1147: Lagan a’ Bhainne
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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Lagan a’ Bhainne
Tha sgeulachd ainmeil à Inbhir Nis air a bheil ‘Gort a’ Bhainne’. Tha i mu dheidhinn gnothach ann an eachdraidh a’ bhaile nuair a dh’fhàs an crodh-bainne seasg. Tha sin a’ ciallachadh nach biodh iad a’ toirt seachad bainne tuilleadh.
Chuala mi mun àm a dh’ionnsaich mi an sgeulachd gun robh tè uabhasach coltach rithe à Bàideanach. O chionn ghoirid, lorg mi i – ann an seann iris ris an canar an Celtic Magazine. Tha i uabhasach coltach ris an sgeul à Inbhir Nis. Ach tha diofar ann. Tha an sgeul à Bàideanach a’ mìneachadh ainm-àite.
Tha Lagan a’ Bhainne air Màm Choire Ghearraig. ʼS e sin làirig a tha a’ ceangal Bàideanach ri ceann a deas Loch Nis. Tha Màm Choire Ghearraig ainmeil oir thog an Seanailear Wade rathad-airm ann ri linn Ar-a-mach nan Seumasach.
Seo agaibh dreach goirid dhen sgeulachd ‘Lagan a’ Bhainne’. Bha uaireigin sluagh mòr a’ fuireach anns an sgìre eadar Bàideanach agus Gleanna Garadh. Bha am bainne aca ainmeil air feadh na Gàidhealtachd. Bha rudeigin sònraichte mun àite. Eadhon nan tigeadh bò ann, agus i seasg, cha bhiodh i fada ann an Lagan a’ Bhainne, agus bhiodh i a’ toirt seachad bainne uachdarach gu leòr.
Aig toiseach a’ cheathramh linn deug, dh’fhàs am bainne gann air feadh na sgìre. Bha muinntir an àite dhen bheachd gun robh an dùthaich fo gheasaibh. Rinn iad ùrnaighean gu leòr. Dh’iarr iad taic bhon easbaig ann an Cathair-eaglais Eilginn. Chuir esan manach ann. Bha orthachan aig a’ mhanach airson faighinn cuidhteas nan droch gheasan.
Ge-tà, cha do rinn sin diofar sam bith. Lean gort a’ bhainne airson bliadhna. Bha na daoine a’ fàs iomagaineach. Bha an cuid cloinne a’ fàs mì-fhallain is lag. Chan e a-mhàin gun robh gainnead de bhainne a’ bualadh air na daoine, ach gun robh iad gann de chàise is ìm cuideachd. Bha an suidheachadh truagh.
Am measg na bha a’ fulang bha fear Alasdair Bàn. Feasgar a bha seo, chaidh Alasdair air chuairt sa mhonadh. Bha e a’ meòrachadh air a’ ghnothach, agus cho lag ʼs a bha a chlann.
Nuair a bha e faisg air a’ mhullach, chunnaic e fear a’ dìreadh a’ mhonaidh. Cha robh Alasdair ga aithneachadh. ʼS e bodach a bh’ ann. Bha e a’ coiseachd gu slaodach, mar gun robh eallach air a dhruim.
Ge-tà, nuair a thàinig e faisg, chunnaic Alasdair – ged a bha aodann a’ bhodaich preasach – gun robh falt donn fada aige, mar gur e fear òg a bh’ ann. Bha a shùilean gorm. Cha robh aodach Gàidhealach air, ge-tà. Bha còta fada uaine air, agus ad àrd air a cheann.
Air a ghualainn, bha slat sgithich a bha a’ lùbadh mar gun robh cuideam mòr air a’ cheann a-mach aice. Thug Alasdair a bhiodag a-mach agus gheàrr e ceann na slaite dheth. Lean am bodach air, mar nach robh càil às an rathad.
Ach, às a’ phìos dhen t-slait-sgithich air an talamh, thàinig bainne gu leòr. Bha e a’ sruthadh gu làidir mar abhainn gheal gus an robh e a’ còmhdachadh na talmhainn. Cha b’ fhada gus an robh bainne gu leòr ri fhaighinn anns an sgìre a-rithist. Agus ʼs e sin as coireach gur e Lagan a’ Bhainne a th’ air an àite chun an latha an-diugh.
Faclan na Litreach: gort: famine; Bàideanach: Badenoch; Lagan a’ Bhainne: the dell or hollow of the milk; Màm Choire Ghearraig: The Corrieyairack Pass; Gleanna Garadh: Glengarry; iomagaineach: anxious; a’ fulang: suffering; bodach: old man.
Abairtean na Litreach: nuair a dh’fhàs an crodh-bainne seasg: when the milking cows became dry; nach biodh iad a’ toirt seachad bainne tuilleadh: that they would no longer give milk; chuala mi mun àm a dh’ionnsaich mi an sgeulachd: I heard around the time I learned the story; tha diofar ann: there is a difference; eadhon nan tigeadh bò ann, agus i seasg: even if a cow that was dry (not giving milk) came; cha bhiodh i fada ann an X, agus bhiodh i a’ toirt seachad bainne uachdarach gu leòr: she would not be long in X when she would be giving lots of creamy milk; aig toiseach a’ cheathramh linn deug: at the start of the 14th century; dh’fhàs am bainne gann air feadh na sgìre: the milk got scarce throughout the area; rinn iad ùrnaighean gu leòr: they made many prayers; taic bhon easbaig ann an Cathair-eaglais Eilginn: help from the bishop in Elgin Cathedral; bha orthachan aig a’ mhanach airson faighinn cuidhteas nan droch gheasan: the monk had incantations for getting rid of the bad spells; bha an cuid cloinne a’ fàs mì-fhallain: their children were growing unhealthy; gun robh iad gann de chàise is ìm cuideachd: that they were short of cheese and butter as well; bha e a’ meòrachadh air a’ ghnothach: he was considering the matter; chunnaic e fear a’ dìreadh a’ mhonaidh: he saw a man climbing the hill; cha robh Alasdair ga aithneachadh: Alasdair was not recognising them; a’ coiseachd gu slaodach, mar gun robh eallach air a dhruim: walking slowly, as if he had a load on his back; ged a bha aodann a’ bhodaich preasach: although the old man’s face was wrinkled; mar gur e fear òg a bh’ ann: as if he were a young man; ad àrd air a cheann: a tall hat on his head; bha slat sgithich a bha a’ lùbadh: there was a hawthorn rod that was bending; gus an robh e a’ còmhdachadh na talmhainn: until it was covering the ground.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: gun robh an dùthaich fo gheasaibh: that the country was under a spell. Literally fo gheasaibh is ‘under spells’; the phrase employs a fossilised archaic dative plural form of geas ‘charm, spell’, following the preposition fo ‘under’, which also causes lenition of the noun.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: ri linn Ar-a-mach nan Seumasach: at the time of the Jacobite Rebellion(s).
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 843
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