大象传媒

Chan ann tric a bhios sinn a鈥� tadhal air a鈥� Bhreatainn Bhig ann an Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh. Ach bu mhath leam ur toirt don d霉thaich sin an t-seachdain seo airson st貌iridh innse dhuibh. St貌iridh gu math Ceilteach, saoilidh mi. Gu 矛re, 鈥檚 e eachdraidh a th鈥� ann de naomh a bha be貌 anns an t-siathamh linn AC. Ach tha uiread de mh矛orbhailean anns an eachdraidh 鈥檚 gum biodh e doirbh gabhail ris a h-uile m矛r dhith mar an fh矛rinn.

Bhuineadh P貌l Aur茅lien don Chuimrigh. Bha e gu math naomh eadhon nuair a bha e 貌g. Bha r矛gh na d霉thcha ag iarraidh air a bhith na easbaig. Ach bha P貌l ag iarraidh beatha sh矛mplidh a bhith aige ann am manachainn. Chaidh e a dh鈥檉huireach ann am manachainn anns a鈥� Bhreatainn Bhig.

Nise, bha seachd cluig aig r矛gh na Cuimrigh. Bha iad uile br猫agha. Bha iad air an d猫anamh de dh鈥檃irgead is copair. Nuair a bha P貌l a鈥� falbh, dh鈥檌arr e air an r矛gh fear de na cluig a thoirt dha. Ach dhi霉lt an r矛gh.

Latha a bha seo, nuair a bha e sa Bhreatainn Bhig, chaidh P貌l agus grunn charaidean aige air b貌rd b脿ta. Thog iad na si霉il agus leig iad leis a鈥� bh脿ta dhol far an toireadh a鈥� ghaoth i. Thug a鈥� ghaoth i do Eilean Ushant far costa siar na d霉thcha. Stad P貌l aig fuaran anns an eilean agus thog e cealla an sin ann an 脿ite ris an canar Lambaol. Tha an t-ainm sin a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥淟ann Ph貌il鈥� 鈥� the religious enclosure of Paul.

Bha P貌l am beachd fuireach ann an Ushant ach th脿inig aingeal a dh鈥檌arr air dhol gu t矛r-m貌r. R脿inig e t矛r-m貌r agus thog e cealla. Bha tarbh-allaidh a鈥� cur eagal air na daoine anns an sg矛re. Chaidh P貌l air beulaibh an tairbh. Laigh an tarbh aig a chasan gu modhail. An uair sin dh鈥檉halbh e don choille. Cha do nochd e a-rithist.

Cha do dh鈥檉huirich P貌l anns an sg矛re sin. Lean e air gu eilean far costa cheann a tuath na Breatainne Bige, faisg air Roscoff, far am bi b脿taichean-aiseig a鈥� toirt luchd-turais 脿 Sasainn. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm air an eilean Batz no L鈥橧sle de Batz ann am Fraingis. Nuair a bha e san eilean, th脿inig iasgair thuige le bradan m貌r. Am broinn a鈥� bhradain bha an t-iasgair air rudeigin annasach a lorg 鈥� clag air a dh猫anamh de dh鈥檃irgead is copair! Tha an clag ri fhaicinn fhathast anns a鈥� chathair-eaglais ann an Saint Pol-de-Leon faisg air Roscoff, a chaidh ainmeachadh airson an Naoimh Ph貌il seo. Nuair a chunnaic e an clag, rinn P貌l g脿ire. B鈥� e sin fear de na cluig a bh鈥� aig r矛gh na Cuimrigh!

Fhad 鈥檚 a bha e san eilean, chuala P貌l mu nathair mh貌r. Bha i cho cunnartach 鈥檚 gun do mharbh i d脿 dhamh agus dithis fhear air an aon latha. Bha na lanntan oirre cho cruaidh 鈥檚 nach robh comas aig claidheamh no sleagh a dhol tromhpa.

Chuir P貌l roimhe cur 脿s don bh猫ist. Chaidh e dha h-ionnsaigh. Chuir e an sgarfa aige timcheall amhaich na b猫iste. Bha an creutair gu math solt an uair sin. Thug P貌l an nathair mh貌r gu costa mu thuath an eilein agus dh鈥檌arr e oirre leum don mhuir. Rinn i sin agus bha i air a b脿thadh. Gabhaidh an t-脿ite far an do thachair sin faicinn fhathast. Ann am Breatannais, 鈥檚 e Toul ar Zarpant a chanas iad ris. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh Toll na Nathrach.

Faclan na Litreach: manachainn: monastery; clag, cluig: bell, bells; dhi霉lt: refused; si霉il: sails; fuaran: spring; tarbh-allaidh: buffalo; g脿ire: smile; nathair: serpent; solt: placid; Breatannais: the Breton language.

Abairtean na Litreach: St貌iridh gu math Ceilteach, saoilidh mi: a very Celtic story, I think; naomh a bha be貌 anns an t-siathamh linn AC: a saint who lived in the sixth Century AD: tha uiread de mh矛orbhailean anns an eachdraidh: there are so many miracles in the history; gabhail ris a h-uile m矛r dhith mar an fh矛rinn: to accept every bit of it as the truth; bhuineadh X don Chuimrigh: X belonged to Wales; ag iarraidh air a bhith na easbaig: wanting him to be a bishop; air an d猫anamh de dh鈥檃irgead is copair: made of silver and copper; leig iad leis a鈥� bh脿ta dhol far an toireadh a鈥� ghaoth i: they let the boat go where the wind would take her; costa siar na d霉thcha: the west coast of the country; thog e cealla an sin: he built a cell there; 鈥檚 e am baile as motha an-diugh: it鈥檚 the biggest village today; th脿inig aingeal a dh鈥檌arr air dhol gu t矛r-m貌r: an angel came that asked him to go to the mainland; laigh X aig a chasan: X lay at his feet; far am bi b脿taichean-aiseig a鈥� toirt luchd-turais 脿 Sasainn: where ferries take tourists from England; th脿inig iasgair thuige le bradan: a fishermen came to him with a salmon; ri fhaicinn fhathast anns a鈥� chathair-eaglais: still to be seen in the cathedral; mharbh i d脿 dhamh agus dithis fhear: she killed two oxen and two men; bha na lanntan oirre cho cruaidh: the scales on her were so hard: 鈥檚 nach robh comas aig claidheamh no sleagh a dhol tromhpa: that neither sword nor spear could penetrate them; chuir e an sgarfa aige timcheall amhaich na b猫iste: he put his stole around the beast鈥檚 neck; dh鈥檌arr e oirre leum don mhuir: he asked her to jump into the sea; bha i air a b脿thadh: she was drowned; gabhaidh an t-脿ite far an do thachair sin faicinn fhathast: the place where that happened can still be seen; Toll na Nathrach: the serpent鈥檚 hole.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Chan ann tric a bhios sinn a鈥� tadhal air a鈥� Bhreatainn Bhig: it鈥檚 not often we visit Brittany. An interesting situation has arisen regarding terminology for Wales, Brittany and Britain in the Gaelic countries. A Manxman calls Wales Bretyn, 脟heer Vretyn or Yn Vretyn Veg, and Brittany Yn Vritaan. He calls Britain Goal or 脟heer Ny Goal (T矛r nan Gall). An Irishman calls Wales An Bhreatain Bheag, Brittany An Bhriot谩in and Britain An Bhreatain (Mh贸r). A Scot calls Wales A鈥� Chuimrigh, Brittany A鈥� Bhreatainn Bheag and Britain Breatainn. This can lead to some confusion in inter-Gaelic conversation! In Scotland Breatainn (Britain) has lost its article. So we say muinntir Bhreatainn (the people of Britain), lenition having become the genitive marker. But A鈥� Bhreatainn Bheag (Brittany) has retained its article and traditional grammatical usage. We say anns a鈥� Bhreatainn Bhig (slenderisation of the adjective qualifying a feminine noun in the dative singular) and muinntir na Breatainne Bige (the people of Brittany).

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: Chaidh e a dh鈥檉huireach: he went to live.