大象传媒

Ann an Ratharsair tha loch ann an suidheachadh 脿rd ann am meadhan an eilein aira bheil Loch na Mn脿. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渢he loch of the woman鈥� 鈥� Loch na Mn脿. C貌 i a鈥� bhean a th鈥� air a h-ainmeachadh anns an loch?

Uill, a r猫ir beul-aithris, 鈥檚 e a bh鈥� innte boireannach 貌g a chaidh a mharbhadh le each-uisge. Agus chan e sgeul 霉r a tha sin. Chaidh an dearbh st貌iridh innse do Bhoswell is Johnson nuair a bha iad ann an Ratharsair ann an seachd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1773). Chuala Boswell an st貌iridh air an dearbh latha ainmeil air an do rinn e fh猫in is Johnson dannsa G脿idhealach air mullach D霉n Cana 鈥� a鈥� bheinn as 脿irde anns an eilean. 鈥橲 e am fear a dh鈥檌nnis an st貌iridh dha bodach a bhuineadh don eilean air an robh Calum MacLe貌id. 鈥橲 e a bha gan tre貌rachadh gu mullach na beinne.

Tha an st貌iridh a鈥� dol rudeigin mar seo. Bha uaireigin gobha ann an Ratharsair. Latha a bha seo bha nighean a鈥� ghobha a-muigh sa mhonadh ri c矛obaireachd. Ach, air an oidhche sin, cha do thill i dhachaigh. Air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach, chaidh an gobha agus feadhainn eile a-mach a choimhead air a son.

Th脿inig iad mu dheireadh gu bruach an locha. Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 d猫 an t-ainm a bh鈥� air an loch anns na l脿ithean ud, oir fhuair e ainm 鈥� Loch na Mn脿 鈥� 脿s d猫idh an tachartais seo. Ach tha e coltach gun robh fios aig muinntir an 脿ite gun robh each-uisge a鈥� fuireach ann.

Air cladach an locha, d猫 lorg an gobha ach cridhe is sgamhan na h-矛ghne. B鈥� e sin obair each-uisge, gu cinnteach. Cha bhiodh each-uisge uair sam bith ag ithe sgamhan. Agus cha d鈥� rachadh an sgamhan fodha. Bhiodh e a鈥� fuireach air uachdar an locha. Bha an gobha troimh-ch猫ile is l脿n feirg. Bha e ag iarraidh d矛oghaltas. Chuir e roimhe d貌igh a lorg airson an t-each-uisge a mharbhadh.

Thog an gobha is a mhac ce脿rdach ri taobh an locha. Bha doras na ce脿rdaich a鈥� coimhead a-mach air an loch. Chaidh an gobha is a mhac ann oidhche a bha seo. Os cionn an 脿ite-teine, thog iad bior-r貌staidh. Chuir iad molt air a鈥� bhior-r貌staidh. Chuir iad an teine thuige. Bha iad an d霉il gum biodh am f脿ileadh a鈥� tarraing an eich-uisge. Mar a dh鈥檌nnis Calum MacLe貌id an sgeul do Bhoswell, 鈥檚 e muc a chaidh a chur air a鈥� bhior-r貌staidh, seach molt.

Anns an teine bha dubhain mh貌ra, deiseil airson stobadh anns a鈥� bh猫ist. An ceann greis, dh鈥櫭╥rich deatach dhearg os cionn an locha. Th脿inig creutair a-mach 脿s an loch is a-steach air an doras. Bha coltas eich air 鈥� mu bhliadhna a dh鈥檃ois, gu math peallagach is gr脿nda.

Stob an gobha is an gille aige d脿 dhubhan teth anns a鈥� chreutair. Th貌isich an t-each-uisge air sgreuchail. Dh鈥檉heuch e ri faighinn 脿s. Tharraing e an dithis fhear a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an dorais. Ach bha iadsan l脿idir gu le貌r airson a chumail a-staigh. Dh鈥檌arr an gobha air a mhac dhol don teine agus an dubhan m貌r a thoirt a-mach 脿s 鈥� agus a stobadh a-steach don each-uisge. Rinn an gille sin. Agus ch霉miad gr猫im air an each gus an robh e marbh.

Ach 鈥� seo rud iongantach mun st貌iridh. Aig a鈥� cheann thall, nuair a th脿inig solas an latha, cha robh closach eich air fh脿gail air 霉rlar na ce脿rdaich. Cha robh ann ach poidhle slaim dhen t-se貌rsa a bhiodh na seann daoine ag r脿dh a th脿inig bho na speuran.

Ratharsair: Raasay; beul-aithris: oral tradition; each-uisge: water-horse, kelpie; gobha: blacksmith; ce脿rdach: smithy; dubhan: hook.

c貌 i a鈥� bhean a th鈥� air a h-ainmeachadh?: who is the woman that is named?; air an dearbh latha ainmeil: on the same famous day; bodach a bhuineadh don eilean: an old man who belonged to the island; 鈥檚 e a bhagan tre貌rachadh gu mullach na beinne: it鈥檚 himself that was guiding them to the mountain top; bha nighean a鈥� ghobha a-muigh sa mhonadh ri c矛obaireachd: the smith鈥檚 daughter was out on the hill, shepherding; an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: the next day; a choimhead air a son: to look for her; cridhe is sgamhan na h-矛ghne: the heart and lungs of the girl; air uachdar an locha: on the surface of the loch; troimh-ch猫ile is l脿n feirg: distressed and angry; chuir e roimhe d貌igh a lorg: he decided to find a way; os cionn an 脿ite-teine, thog iad bior-r貌staidh: above the fireplace, they built a roasting spit; chuir iad an teine thuige: they lit the fire; gum biodh am f脿ileadh a鈥� tarraing X: that the smell would attract X; seach molt: rather than a wether; deiseil airson stobadh anns a鈥� bh猫ist: ready to drive into the beast; dh鈥櫭╥rich deatach dhearg: a red vapour arose; bha coltas eich air: it had the appearance of a horse; peallagach is gr脿nda: shaggy and ugly; ch霉m iad gr猫imair: they kept hold of; cha robh closach eich air fh脿gail air 霉rlar na ce脿rdaich: there was not a horse鈥檚 carcase left on the floor of the smithy; poidhle slaim dhen t-se貌rsa a bhiodh na seann daoine ag r脿dh a th脿inig bho na speuran: a pile of slime of the type that the old people would say came from the heavens.

Loch na Mn脿: the loch of the woman. Mn脿 is the聽genitive singular form of bean, a 鈥渨oman, female or wife鈥�. It thus takes the聽diagnostic feminine singular article in the genitive 鈥� na. 鈥淭he loch of the women鈥澛爓ould be Loch nam Ban. If you find the irregularity of bean a bit confusing, I聽recommend you look at its entry in Dwelly鈥檚 dictionary. However, note that thedative forms given by Dwelly are now archaic and rarely met with.

cha d鈥� rachadh an sgamhan fodha: the lungs聽wouldn鈥檛 go under [the water]. Although you can distinguish one lung from a pair聽by using the singular sgamhan (the plural is sgamhanan), in normal usage the聽singular form is employed to mean a pair of lungs.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA