424: Cuchulainn
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.
Cuchulainn
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu chrios Chuchulainn, an lus air a bheil meadowsweet ann am Beurla. A bheil sibh eòlach air Cuchulainn? Tha e mar phàirt de dhualchas Gàidhealach na h-Èireann ’s na h-Alba. A rèir beul-aithris bha ceangal aige don Eilean Sgitheanach. ’S e gaisgeach a bh’ ann.
Tha e a’ nochdadh ann am beul-aithris na h-Alba anns a’ chruinneachadh aig Iain Òg Ìle – Popular Tales of the West Highlands. Tha an stòiridh a’ mìneachadh mar a fhuair e ainm. Bha uaireigin ann an Alba rìgh air an robh Cumhal mar ainm. Bha cù mòr aige a bhiodh a’ cumail sùil air a chrodh. Nuair a bha an crodh air an cur air feurachadh, ’s e an cù a bhiodh gan treòrachadh. Chumadh an cù sùil air a’ chrodh tron latha. Agus air an fheasgar bheireadh e an crodh dhachaigh.
Bha daoine a’ fuireach faisg air taigh an rìgh agus bha mac aca. Bhiodh iad a’ cur am mic gu taigh an rìgh air gnothaichean a h-uile feasgar. Co-dhiù, feasgar brèagha a bha seo, bha an gille a’ dol gu taigh an rìgh air gnothach. Bha caman is ball aige agus bha e a’ cluich leotha air an rathad. Thachair cù an rìgh ris agus thòisich e air cluich leis a’ bhall. Thog e am ball na bheul agus ruith e air falbh leis.
Chaidh an gille an tòir air a’ chù. Bhuail e am ball le a chaman fhad ’s a bha am ball ann am beul a’ choin. Phut e sìos a sgòrnan e le cas a’ chamain. Thachd e an cù. Leis gun robh e air an cù a mharbhadh, b’ fheudar dha fhèin sùil a chumail air crodh an rìgh, an àite a’ choin. Bhiodh e a’ cur a’ chruidh air feurachadh gach madainn. Bhiodh e gan iomain a-mach, a’ dèanamh cinnteach nach robh iad air an goid, is gan iomain dhachaigh aig deireadh an latha.
Bidh cuimhne agaibh gur e Cumhal ainm an rìgh. Leis gun do mharbh an gille an cù, agus leis gun robh e fhèin air a dhol an àite a’ choin, ’s e Cù Chumhail a bha daoine a’ gabhail air. Chaidh sin atharrachadh aig a’ cheann thall gu Cuchulainn.
Uill, sin an stòiridh le dreach Albannach air, agus dreach an naoidheamh linn deug cuideachd. Ach tha e a’ tighinn a-steach orm gu bheil athair Fhinn – an seann ghaisgeach Gàidhealach – agus fear eile air a dhol an lùib a chèile an seo. B’ e ainm slàn Fhinn – Fionn MacCumhail – oir b’ e Cumhal athair. Ach ann an Èirinn chan e athair Fhinn a tha an sàs anns an sgeulachd seo, ach fear Culann.
’S e Setanta an t-ainm-baistidh a bh’ air Cuchulainn. Fhuair e an t-ainm ùr aige nuair a mharbh e an cù-faire fiadhaich aig Culann. Leis nach robh cù aig Culann tuilleadh, ghabh Setanta àite a’ choin. Bha e fhèin an uair sin mar chù-faire dha – “Cù Chulainn”.
Co-dhiù, ’s e fìor sheann ghaisgeach a bh’ ann an Cuchulainn. Tha e a’ nochdadh anns an sgeulachd as sìne a th’ againn a bhuineas do na Gàidheil – Táin Bó Cuailnge. Bha e làidir is brèagha agus, a rèir cuid, bha seachd corragan aige air gach làimh, seachd òrdagan air gach cois agus seachd clachan-sùla anns gach sùil. Nuair a bha e a’ sabaid bhiodh e a’ dol às a rian agus cha robh duine ann a bha comasach air a’ chùis a dhèanamh air. Sin Cuchulainn, agus chan eil sinn ullamh leis fhathast...
Faclan na Litreach: thachd: choked; ainm-baistidh: given (baptism) name; cù-faire: watch-dog.
Abairtean na Litreach: crios Chuchulainn: meadowsweet [lit. Cuchullin’s belt]; ’s e gaisgeach a bh’ ann: he was a [legendary] hero; Iain Òg Ìle: the 19th Century folklorist, JF Campbell; a’ mìneachadh mar a fhuair e ainm: explains how he got his name; rìgh air an robh Cumhal mar ainm: a king called Cumhal; nuair a bha an crodh air an cur air feurachadh: when the cattle were put out to graze; a bhiodh gan treòrachadh: that would guide them; bheireadh e an crodh dhachaigh: he would take the cattle home; caman is ball: a shinty stick and ball; thog e am ball na bheul: he picked up the ball in his mouth; an tòir air: in pursuit of; phut e sìos a sgòrnan e le cas a’ chamain: he pushed it down its throat with the shaft of the shinty stick; b’ fheudar dha fhèin sùil a chumail air crodh an rìgh: he himself had to look after the king’s cattle; gan iomain a-mach: driving them out; ainm slàn Fhinn: Fionn’s full name; Fionn MacCumhail: Fingal; b’ e Cumhal athair: Cumhal was his father; leis nach robh cù aig Culann tuilleadh: as Culann no longer had a dog; ghabh Setanta àite a’ choin: Setanta took the dog’s place; an sgeulachd as sìne a th’ againn a bhuineas do na Gàidheil: the oldest story we have which belongs to the Gaels; Táin Bó Cuailnge: The Cattle Raid of Cooley; bha seachd corragan aige air gach làimh: he had seven fingers on each hand; seachd òrdagan air gach cois: seven toes on each foot; seachd clachan-sùla anns gach sùil: seven pupils in each eye; bhiodh e a’ dol às a rian: he would go berserk; chan eil sinn ullamh leis fhathast: we’re not finished with him yet.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Bhiodh iad a’ cur am mic gu taigh an rìgh: they would send their son to the king’s house. Do you know why it is am mic here? It is in the genitive case following the verbal noun [a’] cur (and it is a definite noun with an article in front of it). The genitive singular of mac is mic. And the article is am because it is a possessive article (“their”) and precedes an “m”.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: tha e a’ tighinn a-steach orm gu bheil athair Fhinn agus fear eile air a dhol an lùib a chèile: it occurs to me that Fionn’s father and another man have been confused.
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.
Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 120
Podcast
BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn