1264: Alasdair III, Rìgh na h-Alba (1)
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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Alasdair III, Rìgh na h-Alba (1)
Anns an Litir mu dheireadh, bha mi ag innse dhuibh mar a chaidh crìoch a deas na h-Alba aontachadh le Sasainn ann an dà cheud deug, trithead ʼs a seachd (1237). B’ e Alasdair II Rìgh na h-Alba aig an àm. ʼS e Co-chòrdadh York a chanas sinn ris an aonta. Mar sin, tha crìoch a deas na h-Alba air a bhith an ìre mhath aithnichte ann an lagh airson faisg air ochd ceud bliadhna.
Bha Alasdair pòsta aig Joan, piuthar Eanraig, Rìgh Shasainn. Ach chaochail Joan ann an dà cheud deug, trithead ʼs a h-ochd (1238). Cha robh clann aca. Bliadhna an dèidh sin phòs Alasdair às ùr. B’ i an dàrna bean aige Marie de Coucy, ball de dh’uaislean na Frainge. Dà bhliadhna an dèidh sin, rugadh leanabh-gille dhaibh – Alasdair mac Alasdair. An ceann tìde bhiodh esan na rìgh cuideachd – Alasdair III.
Anns na beagan bhliadhnaichean air fhàgail aige air an rìgh-chathair, dh’fheuch Alasdair II ri smachd a thoirt air pàirtean de thaobh an iar na h-Alba nach robh dìleas dha. Cuideachd, bha a shùilean air na tìrean Lochlannach, leithid nan Eilean Siar, a thoirt fo smachd na h-Alba. Bha e an sàs anns an iomairt sin nuair a chaochail e ann an Eilean Chearrara ann an dà cheud deug, ceathrad ʼs a naoi (1249).
Cha robh a mhac, Alasdair III, ach na ghille. Bha e faisg air ochd bliadhna a dh’aois. Tha fìor sheann dealbh de dh’Alasdair air latha a chrùnaidh ann an Sgàin. Tha Ollamh Rìgh na h-Alba – am prìomh bhàrd – a’ cur fàilte air an Rìgh òg leis na faclan ann an Gàidhlig ‘Beannachd Dhè [air] Rìgh na h-Alba’.
Bha Alasdair ro òg airson a bhith a’ riaghladh na dùthcha. Bha tànaisteachd ann agus bha a mhàthair mar phàirt dhen riaghaltas. ʼS e uaislean a bha an ìre mhath a’ riaghladh na h-Alba gus an do ràinig Alasdair aois inbhich.
Nuair a bha e fhathast òg, phòs Alasdair Mairead, nighean Rìgh Eanraig Shasainn. Bha sin a’ daingneachadh nan ceanglaichean le Sasainn agus a’ lagachadh nan ceanglaichean leis an Fhraing. Bha Alasdair dìreach deich bliadhna a dh’aois.
Bha a’ bhanais ann an York. An latha roimhe, Latha na Nollaige dà cheud deug, caogad ʼs a h-aon (1251), bha ridireachd air a buileachadh air Alasdair le Rìgh Eanraig. Bha Eanraig ag iarraidh gum biodh Alasdair a’ gabhail ris gun robh àrd-uachdranachd aig Rìgh Shasainn air. Ghabh Alasdair ris gun fheumadh e a bhith dìleas do dh’Eanraig a thaobh an fhearainn a bha le a theaghlach ann an Sasainn. Ach cha do ghabh e ris gun robh uachdranachd aig Rìgh Shasainn air Rìgh na h-Alba. Co-dhiù, ʼs e sin a bha an luchd-aithris ag ràdh aig an àm. Leig Eanraig leis a’ ghnothach a dhol seachad gun chonnspaid oir bha e airson ʼs gum biodh daoine aig a’ bhanais dòigheil is toilichte.
ʼS e banais air leth a bh’ ann. Mar bhiadh, bha seachd mìle cearc aca, còrr is mìle gu leth cearc-thomain, sia fichead eala ʼs a còig, còrr is ceud corra-monaidh, sia fichead peucag, faisg air trì cheud easag, mìle is trì cheud maigheach, sia ceud is seasgad torc is muc, seachdad baraille de sgadain agus deich mìle adag! Banais mhòr dha-rìreabh!
Faclan na Litreach: Alasdair III: Alexander III; chaochail: died; iomairt: campaign; Eilean Chearrara: Kerrera (near Oban); Ollamh Rìgh na h-Alba: the King of Scotland’s chief bard; Beannachd Dhè: Blessing of God; tànaisteachd: regency; a’ bhanais: the wedding; connspaid: controversy; cearc-thomain: partridge; eala: swan; corra-mhonaidh: crane; peucag: peacock; easag: pheasant; maigheach: hare; adag: haddock.
Abairtean na Litreach: mar a chaidh crìoch a deas na h-Alba aontachadh le Sasainn: how the southern border of Scotland was agreed with England; ʼs e Co-chòrdadh York a chanas sinn ris an aonta: the agreement is called The Treaty of York; tha crìoch a deas na h-Alba air a bhith an ìre mhath aithnichte ann an lagh: the southern border of Scotland has been pretty much recognised in law; faisg air ochd ceud bliadhna: nearly 800 years; pòsta aig Joan, piuthar Eanraig, Rìgh Shasainn: married to Joan, a sister of Henry, King of England; ball de dh’uaislean na Frainge: a member of the French aristocracy; dà bhliadhna an dèidh sin, rugadh leanabh-gille dhaibh: two years after that, a baby boy was born to them; dh’fheuch X ri smachd a thoirt air pàirtean de thaobh an iar na h-Alba nach robh dìleas dha: X tried to gain control of parts of Scotland that were not loyal to him; bha a shùilean air na tìrean Lochlannach, leithid nan Eilean Siar, a thoirt fo smachd na h-Alba: his intention was to bring the Norse lands, such as the Western Isles, under Scottish control; cha robh a mhac ach na ghille: his son was only a lad; air latha a chrùnaidh ann an Sgàin: on the day of his crowning in Scone; cha do ghabh e ris gun robh uachdranachd aig X air Y: he didn’t accept that X had overlordship of Y; sia fichead eala ʼs a còig: 125 swans; sia ceud is seasgad torc is muc: 660 boars and sows; seachdad baraille de sgadain: 70 barrels of herring.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: a thaobh an fhearainn a bha le a theaghlach ann an Sasainn: regarding the land owned by his family in England. To express ownership, we generally use the simple preposition le. Aig can refer to possession for the shorter or longer term but le is better for ownership. Tha an càr seo le Seumas, ged a tha e aig a bhràthair Mìcheal an-dràsta ‘this car belongs to James, although his brother Michael has it just now’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: An ceann tìde bhiodh esan na rìgh cuideachd: with the passage of time he would also become king.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 960
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