大象传媒

Thairis air a鈥� cheala-deug a dh鈥檉halbh, bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Ph脿draig Grannd no 鈥淒ubrach鈥� am fear mu dheireadh a chaochail a bh鈥� air a bhith aig Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair. Thogadh e ann an Dubrach, no an Dubh-bhruach, ri taobh Uisge D猫 ann am Br脿igh Mh脿rr. Bha e a-muigh leis a鈥� Phrionnsa, chaidh a chur an gr猫im aig C霉il Lodair, agus rinn e dol-脿s. Ach chan eil e soilleir an deach e air ais don bhaile bheag aige fh猫in.

Bha e air a bhith doirbh dha. Bha m貌ran anns an sg矛re sin fhathast nan Seumasaich, agus chuir an Riaghaltas grunn saighdearan dearga ann airson d猫anamh cinnteach nach biodh ar-a-mach eile ann. Agus, air s脿illeabh sin, thachair rud iongantach 鈥� c霉is-ch霉irte anns an do nochd fianais bho thaibhse!

Bha saighdear dearg aig meadhan a鈥� ghnothaich. B鈥� esan Artair Davies. Bha an S脿irdseant Davies os cionn buidheann de dh鈥檕chdnar shaighdearan a bha st猫idhichte san Dubh-bhruach 脿s d猫idh Ch霉il Lodair. 鈥橲 e duine gasta a bh鈥� ann agus bha muinntir an 脿ite measail gu le貌r air gu pearsanta, ged a bha e na shaighdear. Ach, an coimeas ri muinntir an 脿ite, bha e gu math beartach. Agus bha am farmad air feadhainn ris.

Bha bucaill airgid air a bhr貌gan, bha putanan airgid air a ph猫itean, bha uaireadair luachmhor aige agus bhiodh e a鈥� gi霉lain d脿 sporan fad na h-霉ine. Bha an d脿rna sporan - fear leathair 鈥� l脿n airgid. Anns an sporan eile 鈥� fear de sh矛oda uaine 鈥� bha 貌r luach c貌ig-deug gu leth gini. 鈥橲 e fortan a bha sin. Bho 脿m gu 脿m bhiodh an S脿irdseant Davies a鈥� crathadh an sporain sin mar sp貌rs nuair a bha e c貌mhla ri cloinn. Ach feumaidh gun robh e rudeigin faoin. Bhiodh e a鈥� fulaing m猫irle mus biodh an 霉ine aige air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd a-mach. Agus cha b鈥� e m猫irle a-mh脿in.

Air an ochdamh latha fichead dhen t-Sultain, seachd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a naoi (1749), dh鈥檉h脿g e an t-脿ite san robh e a鈥� fuireach san Dubh-bhruach. Dh鈥檉halbh e a-mach leis an amas a bhith a鈥� sealg nam fiadh. Ach air an fheasgar sin cha do thill e dhachaigh. Chaidh daoine a-mach ga lorg. Th脿inig buidheann de shaighdearan 脿 Gleann S矛dh airson taic a thoirt. Ach cha d鈥� fhuair iad lorg air a chorp.

Chaidh naoi m矛osan seachad. Anns an 脪gmhios seachd ceud deug is leth-cheud (1750), bha c矛obair air an robh Alasdair Mac a鈥� Phearsain a鈥� fuireach na h-oidhche ann am bothan-脿irigh p矛os beag air falbh bhon bhaile. Ann am meadhan na h-oidhche nochd taibhse anns a鈥� bhothan. Dh鈥檌arr an taibhse air Alasdair falbh a-mach. Nuair a bha iad a-muigh, thuirt an taibhse gum b鈥� esan Artair Davies. Cha tuirt e c脿il mu a bh脿s ach thuirt e gun robh e ag iarraidh a bhith air a thiodhlacadh gu d貌igheil. Dh鈥檉haighnich an c矛obair dheth c貌 bha air a mhurt. Ach dhi霉lt taibhse an t-saighdeir a鈥� cheist a fhreagairt. Ach bha e a鈥� gabhail dragh mu a chn脿imhneach. Sheall e do dh鈥橝lasdair c脿鈥� robh a chn脿imhneach anns a鈥� mhonadh.

Nuair a bha solas an latha ann, chaidh an c矛obair don 脿ite a chaidh a chomharrachadh dha. Agus lorg e an cn脿imhneach. Bha falt fhathast air, agus aodach. Bha e follaiseach gur e corp Davies a bh鈥� ann. D猫 bha Mac a鈥� Phearsain a鈥� dol a dh猫anamh? Agus ciamar a th脿inig e gu bhith, gun do nochd fianais bhon taibhse ann an c霉irt-lagha? Tha mi duilich, ach tha an 霉ine air ruith orm, agus feumaidh sin feitheamh chun na h-ath-sheachdain.

Abairtean na Litreach: thairis air a鈥� cheala-deug a dh鈥檉halbh: over the last fortnight; bha e a-muigh leis a鈥� Phrionnsa: he was out with the [Bonnie] Prince [Charlie]; bha e air a bhith doirbh dha: it would have been difficult for him; grunn saighdearan dearga: a few redcoat soldiers; nach biodh ar-a-mach eile ann: there would be no other rebellion; air s脿illeabh sin, thachair rud iongantach: because of that, an amazing thing happened; c霉is-ch霉irte anns an do nochd fianais bho thaibhse: a court case in which evidence from a ghost appeared; an coimeas ri muinntir an 脿ite, bha e gu math beartach: compared to the locals he was very wealthy; putanan airgid air a ph猫itean: silver buttons on his waistcoat; bhiodh e a鈥� gi霉lain d脿 sporan: he would carry two purses; an d脿rna sporan: the first [lit. the second] sporan; 貌r luach c貌ig-deug gu leth gini: gold worth fifteen and a half guineas; a鈥� crathadh an sporain sin mar sp貌rs: shaking his sporan for fun; rudeigin faoin: somewhat naive; a鈥� fulaing m猫irle: suffering a robbery; mus biodh an 霉ine aige a-mach: before his time was up; cha do thill e: he didn鈥檛 return; cha d鈥� fhuair iad lorg air a chorp: they didn鈥檛 find the body; a bhith air a thiodhlacadh gu d貌igheil: to be buried properly; c脿鈥� robh a chn脿imhneach: where his skeleton was; don 脿ite a chaidh a chomharrachadh dha: to the place that was [had been] pointed out to him; bha falt fhathast air, agus aodach: there was still hair on it, and clothes; ciamar a th脿inig e gu bhith?: how did it come to be?; tha an 霉ine air ruith orm: I鈥檝e run out of time.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: 脿s d猫idh Ch霉il Lodair: after Culloden. I鈥檝e used the same sort of shorthand for 鈥淭he Battle of Culloden鈥� in Gaelic as is used in English. But notice the lenition of C霉il. The reason is that the place name is in the genitive case following the compound adjective 脿s d猫idh. The lenition here is a marker of the genitive. Other similar examples of genitive lenition in place names (where there is no article present) are muinntir Bharraigh (the people of Barra), muinntir Ghlaschu (of Glasgow), muinntir Shasainn (of England), muinntir Bhreatainn (of Britain), muinntir Chill Mhearnaig (of Kilmarnock), muinntir Cheann Ph脿draig (of Peterhead), muinntir Dh霉n 脠ideann (of Edinburgh).