大象传媒

Tha m貌ran de sheann eachdraidh Arcaibh ri lorg anns an t-seann mh貌r-sgeul, Orkneyinga Saga. Cha b鈥� e Arcaich a sgr矛obh e, ge-ta, ach feadhainn 脿 Innis T矛le. Rinn iad an sgr矛obhadh aig deireadh an d脿rna linn deug.

Anns an Orkneyinga Saga, tha st貌iridh ann mu dheidhinn batail eadar an t-iarla Arcach, Sigurd Eysteinsson (Sigurd Cumhachdach), agus an t-iarla Albannach Maelbrigte Fiacail. Bha fiacail mh貌r a鈥� stobadh a-mach 脿 beul Mhaelbrigte. Bha i coltach ri starr-fhiacail tuirc.

Bha an dithis air aontachadh coinneachadh ri ch猫ile ann am Moireibh. Bha iad nan n脿imhdean ach bha iad air aontachadh gum feuchadh iad ri r猫ite fhaighinn. Dh鈥檃ontaich iad gun toireadh gach duine aca ceathrad fear c貌mhla ris.

Ge-t脿, cha do chuir Sigurd earbsa anns na h-Albannaich. Bha e dhen bheachd nach gabhadh earbsa cur annta. Thug e a dh脿 uiread de dh鈥檉hir c貌mhla ris oir bha e a鈥� smaoineachadh gun d猫anadh na h-Albannaich an aon rud. Chuir e dithis air gach each.

Nuair a th脿inig an d脿 fheachd faisg air a鈥� ch猫ile, chunnaic Maelbrigte gun robh Sigurd ri cealg. 鈥淩inn Sigurd amadain dhinn,鈥� thuirt e. 鈥淐h矛 mi casan dithis fhear air cliathaich gach eich. Feumaidh gu bheil a dh脿 uiread de dhaoine ann 鈥檚 a tha de dh鈥檈ich. Gidheadh, feumaidh sinn ar misneachd a dhearbhadh. Feumaidh gach duine againn feuchainn ri co-dhi霉 aon duine a mharbhadh mus fhaigh e fh猫in b脿s.鈥�

Misneachd ann no 脿s, cha robh cothrom aig na G脿idheil. Nuair a bha an t-sabaid seachad, bha Maelbrigte agus a chompanaich marbh air a鈥� bhl脿r.

Ach chan e sin deireadh an sge貌il. Rinn Maelbrigte Fiacail d矛oghaltas air Sigurd. Ciamar? Uill, bha Sigurd ag iarraidh sealltainn mar a thug e buaidh. Ghe脿rr na Lochlannaich cinn nan laoch Albannach dhiubh. Cheangail iad na cinn do na d矛ollaidean aca. Cheangail Sigurd ceann Mhaelbrigte don d矛ollaid aige fh猫in.

Cha robh an t-each aig Sigurd a鈥� dol luath gu le貌r. Chuir e a spor an s脿s na chliathaich. Ach bhuail e a chalpa anns an fhiacail a bha a鈥� stobadh a-mach 脿 beul Mhaelbrigte. Fhuair e lot na chois. Bha an lot air a phuinnseanachadh. Chaidh e air at. Mus d鈥� fhuair e dhachaigh, chaochail Sigurd Cumhachdach. Chaidh a thiodhlacadh air bruach Abhainn Oiceall.

Tha sgeulachd dhen t-se貌rsa seo a鈥� m矛neachadh mar a th貌isich an Kirkwall Ba鈥� Game 鈥� g猫am ainmeil anns a bheil na ceudan an s脿s air an latha ron Nollaig agus air Latha na Bliadhn鈥� 脵ire gach bliadhna. Feuchaidh gach sgioba ri ball car coltach ri ball-coise a thoirt gu taobh thall a鈥� bhaile. Tha an cluich gu math gargail.

Thathar ag r脿dh gun robh fear 貌g 脿 Arcaibh air a dhol gu t矛r-m貌r na h-Alba airson sabaid le fear air an robh 鈥淭usker鈥� 鈥� fear le fiacail mh貌r. Rinn an gille 貌g a鈥� ch霉is air Tusker, ghe脿rr e a cheann dheth agus cheangail e a cheann ri a dh矛ollaid.

Air an rathad dhachaigh, rinn an fhiacail mh貌r lot ann an cas a鈥� ghille. Chaidh an lot a phuinnseanachadh. R脿inig an gille Kirkwall. Bha m貌ran a鈥� feitheamh ris. Thilg e ceann a n脿mhaid don t-sluagh. Ach goirid 脿s d猫idh sin, chaochail e. Bha an sluagh cho feargach mu bh脿s a鈥� ghille 鈥檚 gun do bhreab iad an ceann tro na sr脿idean. Agus 鈥檚 ann mar sin a th貌isich an Kirkwall Ba鈥� Game. Aidh, ceart, mar a thuirt am fear eile.

Faclan na Litreach: Arcaibh: Orkney; Innis T矛le: Iceland; iarla: earl; Sigurd Cumhachdach: Sigurd the Powerful; Maelbrigte Fiacail: Maelbrigte Tooth; d矛ollaid: saddle; gargail: fierce.

Abairtean na Litreach: ri lorg anns an t-seann mh貌r-sgeul: to be found in the old saga; cha b鈥� e Arcaich a sgr矛obh e: it wasn鈥檛 Orcadians who wrote it; deireadh an d脿rna linn deug: the end of the twelfth century; a鈥� stobadh a-mach 脿 beul X: sticking out of X鈥檚 mouth; starr-fhiacail tuirc: a boar鈥檚 tusk; coinneachadh ri ch猫ile ann am Moireibh: to meet each other in Moray; gum feuchadh iad ri r猫ite fhaighinn: that they would try to reach agreement; gun toireadh gach duine aca ceathrad fear: that each one of them would take forty men; nach gabhadh earbsa cur annta: that they couldn鈥檛 be trusted; a dh脿 uiread de dh鈥檉hir: twice as many men; gun robh X ri cealg: that X was involved in deceit; rinn X amadain dhinn: X made fools of us; feumaidh sinn ar misneachd a dhearbhadh: we must prove our courage; ri co-dhi霉 aon duine a mharbhadh mus fhaigh e fh猫in b脿s: to kill at least one man before he himself dies; marbh air a鈥� bhl脿r: dead on the battlefield; mar a thug e buaidh: that he was victorious; ghe脿rr X cinn nan laoch Albannach dhiubh: X beheaded the Scottish warriors; chuir e a spor an s脿s na chliathaich: he stuck his riding spur in its side; bhuail e a chalpa anns an fhiacail: he hit his calf on the tooth; lot na chois: a wound in his leg; air a phuinnseanachadh: poisoned; air bruach Abhainn Oiceall: on the bank of the River Oykel (Sutherland); Latha na Bliadhn鈥� 脵ire: New Year鈥檚 Day; rinn X a鈥� ch霉is air Y: X defeated Y; bha m貌ran a鈥� feitheamh ris: many people were awaiting him; thilg e ceann a n脿mhaid don t-sluagh: he threw his enemy鈥檚 head to the crowd; 鈥檚 gun do bhreab iad an ceann tro na sr脿idean: that they kicked the head through the streets.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Ch矛 mi casan dithis fhear air cliathaich gach eich: I can see the legs of two men on the side of each horse. Why is it eich rather than each? The reason is that the noun is in the genitive singular (gach takes the singular). If you鈥檙e unsure, think of replacing gach with the article (an). We鈥檇 say air cliathaich an eich (on the side of the horse), so we say air cliathaich gach eich. Here鈥檚 another example: tha c脿rn air mullach gach cnuic (there is a cairn on the summit of every hill). We鈥檇 say tha c脿rn air mullach a鈥� chnuic, but gach does not require lenition so chnuic becomes cnuic (the genitive singular form of cnoc).

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: Chaidh e air at: it became swollen.