大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mun Chaillich 鈥� seann earrann dhen Earrach tr脿th sa Ghiblean. Tha an Sgitheanach, Alasdair MacNeacail, ag innse dhuinn anns an leabhar aige Gaelic Proverbs gun robh A鈥� Chailleach ann eadar an d脿rna latha deug agus an t-ochdamh latha deug dhen Ghiblean. Roimhe sin, bha An Gearran; roimhe sin bha An Fheadag; agus ron Fheadaig bha Am Faoilleach. Cha chreid mi nach robh na h-ainmean a鈥� buntainn ris mar a bha a鈥� ghaoth aig na h-amannan sin dhen bhliadhna. Cha robh an Fheadag no an Gearran math airson spr猫idh, mar a tha seann rann ag innse dhuinn:

Is mis鈥� an Fheadag lom, luirgneach, luath,

Marbham caora, marbham uan.

Is mis鈥� an Gearran bacach b脿n

Is cha mhi aon bhonn nas fhe脿rr.

Cuiream a鈥� bho anns an toll

Gus an tig an tonn thar a ceann.

Ach chan e sin an dealbh gu l猫ir. San t-seann aimsir bha earrann eile dhen Earrach ann eadar an Fheadag agus an Gearran. B鈥� e sin A鈥� Ghobag 鈥� no dogfish. Seo na chanas Dwelly mun Ghobaig: Period of the year, lasting according to some, three days, according to others a week, coming in, apparently, between the Feadag and the Gearran and so ending on 14th March. Agus tha Dwelly a鈥� toirt (mar a tha MacNeacail) an t-seanfhacail: Feadagan is Gobagan e, tuilleadh gu F猫ill P脿draig 鈥� a th鈥� air eadar-theangachadh mar whistling and biting winds on to St Patrick鈥檚 Day.

脌s d猫idh a鈥� Ghearrain th脿inig a鈥� Chailleach. Feumaidh gun robh sin a鈥� riochdachadh gaoth fhuar a thig nuair a tha am feur a鈥� feuchainn ri f脿s. Tha MacNeacail ag r脿dh gum bi a鈥� Chailleach a鈥� ceannsachadh an fhe貌ir le a slacan-draoidheachd. Ach, nuair a tha e a鈥� f脿ilneachadh oirre, tha i a鈥� tilgeil a slacan air falbh, ag 猫igheachd,

Dh鈥檉h脿g e sh矛os mi, dh鈥檉h脿g e shuas mi,

Dh鈥檉h脿g e eadar mo dh脿 chluais mi,

Dh鈥檉h脿g e thall mi, dh鈥檉h脿g e bhos mi,

Dh鈥檉h脿g e eadar mo dh脿 chois mi,

Tilgeam seo am bun preas cuilinn

Far nach f脿s feur no duilleach!

An t-seachdain sa chaidh thuirt mi gun innsinn dhuibh mu Na h-Othaisgean 鈥� the ewes 鈥� earrann ainmhidheach eile dhen Earrach a thig 脿s d猫idh na Caillich. Mhair Na h-Othaisgean tr矛 latha, a r猫ir aithris 鈥� tr矛 latha, mar a tha mis鈥� a鈥� tuigsinn, de dheagh aimsir, freagarrach airson breith uan.

Cha tuirt mi guth air na h-earrannan beaga eile air a bheilear a鈥� d猫anamh iomradh 鈥� Ne貌il Dhubha na C脿isge (the dark clouds of Easter) anns an treas seachdain dhen Mh脿rt, a bh鈥� air a leantainn le Glasadh na Cuthaig (the cuckoo鈥檚 greening or preparation time). Tha An Sguabag ann cuideachd 鈥� the little blast. Tha Dwelly ga comharrachadh mar Gusty wind. Tr矛 latha Sguabaig, three days, the 7th , 8th and 9th of April. A h-uile bliadhna air na h-aon l脿ithean sin?! Agus tha Sneachd na Cuthaig ann cuideachd 鈥� the cuckoo snow 鈥� no lambing snow mar a theirear am Beurla 鈥� aimsir fhuar le sneachd a n矛 cron air uain a th鈥� air an 霉r-bhreith.

Tha e nas fhasa dhuinn an-diugh a bhith a鈥� cuimhneachadh Am Faoilleach, An Gearran, Am M脿rt, An Giblean 鈥檚 An C猫itean 鈥� seach a bhith a鈥� cuimhneachadh Am Faoilleach, An Fheadag, A鈥� Ghobag, An Gearran, Ne貌il Dhubha na C脿isge, Glasadh na Cuthaig, A鈥� Chailleach, An Sguabag, Na h-Othaisgean, Sneachd na Cuthaig agus 鈥� Latha Buidhe Bealltainn a chuireas cr矛och air an Earrach!

Is cha tuirt mi guth air Latha na Gogaireachd 鈥� nach eil fad 脿s a-nise! Thoiribh an aire!

Faclan na Litreach: Sgitheanach: Skyeman; Alasdair MacNeacail: Alexander Nicolson; spr猫idh: livestock; Na h-Othaisgean: lit. the ewes (but also another old subdivision of the Spring).

Abairtean na Litreach: mun Chaillich 鈥� seann earrann dhen Earrach tr脿th sa Ghiblean: about the Cailleach 鈥� an old part of the Spring early in April; eadar an d脿rna latha deug agus an t-ochdamh latha deug: between the 12th and 18th (days); cha chreid mi nach robh na h-ainmean a鈥� buntainn ris mar a bha a鈥� ghaoth: I think the names concerned how the wind was: lom, luirgneach, luath: bare, leggy and fast; bacach b脿n: fair and lame; cha mhi aon bhonn nas fhe脿rr: I鈥檓 not one bit better; gus an tig an tonn thar a ceann: until the wave comes over her head [were cows buried on a sandy beach because of their size?]; nuair a tha am feur a鈥� feuchainn ri f脿s: when the grass is trying to grow; a鈥� ceannsachadh an fhe貌ir le a slacan-draoidheachd: subduing the grass with her magic wand; nuair a tha e a鈥� f脿ilneachadh oirre: when she fails; dh鈥檉h脿g e sh矛os mi, dh鈥檉h脿g e shuas mi: it left me down, it left me up; eadar mo dh脿 chluais: between my two ears; dh鈥檉h脿g e thall mi, dh鈥檉h脿g e bhos mi: it left me there, it left me here; eadar mo dh脿 chois: between my two feet; far nach f脿s feur no duilleach: where no grass or leaves grow; airson breith uan: for lambs鈥� birth; a n矛 cron air uain a th鈥� air an 霉r-bhreith: which will harm newly born lambs; Latha Buidhe Bealltainn: the day commencing Beltane (old summer festival of the Gaels); Latha na Gogaireachd: April Fools鈥� Day; thoiribh an aire!: Look out!

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Marbham caora, marbham uan: let me kill a sheep, let me kill a lamb. Did you recognise marbham as being the first person imperative of marbh? The 鈥�(e)am ending is diagnostic of this. Cuiream in Cuiream a鈥� bh貌 anns an toll has the same grammatical status. It means 鈥淟et me put (the cow in the hole鈥� Tilgeam seo am bun preas cuilinn means 鈥渓et me throw this [the magic wand] at the base of a holly bush.鈥�.

Seanfhacal na Litreach: Feadagan is Gobagan e, tuilleadh gu F猫ill P脿draig: whistling and biting winds on to St Patrick鈥檚 Day. The old subdivisions of spring, bearing animal names such as An Fheadag (the plover), A鈥� Ghobag (the dogfish) and An Gearran (the gelding) seemed to be connected to winds blowing at that time of year. The three named above were all cold winds, damaging to livestock. An Gearran has survived into modern times as the Gaelic for February.