大象传媒

An cuala sibh riamh mu Bhl脿r Khringen ann an sia ceud deug 鈥檚 a dh脿-dheug (1612)? Tha chair e ann an Nirribhidh. Chaidh sgrios a dh猫anamh air feachd 脿 Alba. Tha am bl脿r ainmeil ann an Nirribhidh, gu h-脿raidh anns an sg矛re far an do thachair e. Ann am baile Otta, tha 矛omhaighean ann an 脿iteachan poblach a tha a鈥� taisbeanadh eachdraidh a鈥� bhatail.

Ach carson a bha feachd Albannach ann an Nirribhidh? Feumaidh mi beagan eachdraidh聽Lochlannach a thoirt dhuibh.

Aig toiseach an t-seachdamh linn deug bha an Danmhairg agus Nirribhidh air an riaghladh c貌mhla mar aon r矛oghachd, fo smachd nan D脿nach. Bha smachd aig an Danmhairg air a鈥� chaolas a bha a鈥� ceangal a鈥� Chuain a Tuath ris a鈥� Chuan Bhaltach. Bha na聽D脿naich a鈥� cur c矛s air luingeas a bha a鈥� falbh a-mach 鈥檚 a-steach. Bhuail sin gu m貌r air聽malairt nan Suaineach.

Lorg na Suainich slighe eile tro cheann a tuath Nirribhidh. Ach cha b鈥� e slighe mhalairt a-mh脿in a bha fa-near dhaibh. Th貌isich R矛gh na Suain air c矛sean a thogail ann an聽Nirribhidh agus ghabh e tiotal 霉r air fh猫in 鈥� R矛gh nan Lappach.

Cha robh na D脿naich no Nirribhich toilichte. Chuir na D脿naich feachd de shia m矛le duine a dh鈥檌onnsaigh baile Khalmar anns an t-Suain. Rinn iad s猫ist air.

Dh鈥檉hastaich an t-Suain saighdearan 脿 d霉thchannan eile airson an cuideachadh. Am measg sin bha feachd 脿 Alba. Cha b鈥� urrainn dhaibh dhol don t-Suain seachad air cladach聽na Danmhairg. Bha aca ri dhol air t矛r ann an Nirribhidh agus coiseachd thar nam beann gu聽ruig鈥� an t-Suain. Ach bha na Nirribhich air taobh nan D脿nach.

Bha a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha de na h-Albannaich aig Kringen 脿 Gallaibh. Bha tr矛 cheud duine no mar sin 脿 Inbhir 脵ige. Bha iad fo smachd a鈥� Mhorair Se貌ras Mac na Ce脿rdaich. Bha buidheann eile ann 脿 ceann a deas na h-Alba. Bha an Lieutenant-C貌irneal Alexander聽Ramsay os an cionn-san. Dh鈥檉halbh na h-Albannaich ann an d脿 shoitheach 鈥� t猫 脿 Inbhir聽脵ige agus t猫 脿 D霉n D猫agh. R脿inig iad cladach Lochlainn anns an L霉nastal sia ceud deug 鈥檚聽a dh脿-dheug (1612).

A r猫ir beul-aithris ann an Nirribhidh, chaidh c霉isean ce脿rr bhon toiseach. Bha feachd eile 脿 Normandaidh no Sasainn gu bhith a鈥� coinneachadh ris na h-Albannaich ann聽an Arcaibh. Bhiodh iad a鈥� falbh a Lochlann c貌mhla. Cha do thachair sin. Chaidh na Normanaich (no Sasannaich) gu ruige Trondheim. Chaidh na h-Albannaich air t矛r gu deas聽air sin.

Bha na Gallaich rud beag e貌lach air an sg矛re oir bhiodh iad a鈥� dol ann bho 脿m gu 脿m airson fiodh fhaighinn. Agus bha feachd eile de Dh霉itsich is Albannaich air a dhol don t-Suain聽air an t-slighe sin roimhe. Ach an turas seo, cha robh na Nirribhich a鈥� dol gan leigeil聽troimhe gun sp脿irn.

Thug na h-Albannaich fear-i霉il Nirribheach air b貌rd. Thug e car asta oir chaidh iadair t矛r ann an 脿ite garbh. Lean na h-Albannaich gleann fada air a bheil Gudbrandsdalen. Ach bha feachd de ch貌ig ceud Nirribheach a鈥� feitheamh riutha gun fhiosta ann an 脿ite air a聽bheil Kringen, faisg air Otta.

A r猫ir beul-aithris anns an sg矛re sin, bha fios aig Se貌ras Mac na Ce脿rdaich gun robh latha fuilteach gu bhith ann. Gach madainn bhiodh e a鈥� cur p霉dar-gunna air an teine anns聽a鈥� ph脿illean aige. Mar bu trice, bhiodh an toit ag 猫irigh gu d矛reach. Ach air a鈥� mhadainn聽sin, chaidh an toit dha ionnsaigh. 鈥橲 e manadh a bh鈥� ann 鈥� de dhroch latha do na h-Albannaich, mar a ch矛 sinn an ath-sheachdain.

Nirribhidh: Norway; Inbhir 脵ige: Wick; D霉n D猫agh: Dundee;聽Arcaibh: Orkney; fear-i霉il: pilot; manadh: omen.

Bl脿r Khringen: The Battle of Kringen; chaidh sgrios a dh猫anamh聽air feachd 脿 Alba: a fighting force from Scotland was destroyed; air an riaghladh c貌mhla聽mar aon r矛oghachd: governed together as one kingdom; a bha a鈥� ceangal a鈥� Chuain a Tuath聽ris a鈥� Chuan Bhaltach: which linked the North Sea to the Baltic Sea; c矛s air luingeas: a taxon shipping; cha b鈥� e slighe mhalairt a-mh脿in a bha fa-near dhaibh: it is not just [finding] a聽trade route that was their intention; ghabh e tiotal 霉r air fh猫in 鈥� R矛gh nan Lappach: he took聽on a new title 鈥� King of the Lapps; rinn iad s猫ist air: they put it under siege; dh鈥檉hastaich聽an t-Suain saighdearan 脿 d霉thchannan eile: Sweden hired soldiers from other countries; fo聽smachd a鈥� Mhorair Se貌ras Mac na Ce脿rdaich: under the command of Lord George聽Sinclair; os an cionn-san: in charge of them; ce脿rr bhon toiseach: wrong from the start;聽bha na Gallaich rud beag e貌lach air an sg矛re: the Caithnessians were a little familiar with聽the area; airson fiodh fhaighinn: to get timber; bha feachd eile de Dh霉itsich is Albannaich聽air a dhol air an t-slighe sin roimhe: a force of Dutch and Scots had already gone on that聽route; cha robh X a鈥� dol gan leigeil troimhe gun sp脿irn: X weren鈥檛 going to let them聽through without a struggle; thug e car asta: he tricked them; gun robh latha fuilteach gu聽bhith ann: that a bloody day lay ahead; bhiodh e a鈥� cur p霉dar-gunna air an teine anns a鈥櫬爌h脿illean aige: he would put gunpowder on the fire in his tent; ag 猫irigh gu d矛reach: rising聽vertically; dha ionnsaigh: towards him.

Cha b鈥� urrainn dhaibh dhol don t-Suain seachad air cladach聽na Danmhairg: they couldn鈥檛 go to Sweden past the coast of Denmark. Remember that the聽names of countries in Gaelic are almost always feminine and invariably singular (Na h-Innseachan, India being an obvious exception). If they carry the article (which a majority聽do), the form of the article in the genitive will always be na eg Seansalair na Gearmailt,聽Pr矛omhaire na Suain(e), Ceann-suidhe na Frainge, muinntir na h-Eadailt, pr矛omh bhaile na聽h-Eilbheis. Try and get a feel for femininity in nouns so that you automatically form the聽correct genitive singular article 鈥� countries are a good way of remembering the rule.

Bhuail sin gu m貌r air malairt nan Suaineach: that greatly聽affected the Swedes鈥� trade.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA