大象传媒

Ann am meadhan na h-Alba, ann an seann Gh脿idhealtachd Siorrachd Pheairt, tha beinn mh貌r bhr猫agha air a bheil Beinn Labhair. Tha a鈥� bheinn, a tha os cionn Loch Tatha, ainmeil an-diugh airson a cuid lusan. Agus b鈥� 脿bhaist dhi a bhith ainmeil, am measg nan G脿idheal co-dhi霉, airson a鈥� bheul-aithris a tha co-cheangailte ris an sg矛re aig a bonn.聽
Uaireigin bha clach faisg air mullach na beinne. Sgr矛obhte air a鈥� chloich bha anrann beag a leanas: Caith mar a gheibh, Is gheibh mar a chaitheas, Caomhain 鈥檚 c貌 dha?

Cuimhnich am b脿s. Nise, chan eil mi cinnteach mun fheallsanachd air c霉l na rainn. A bheil sibh fh猫in ag aontachadh rithe? A bheil i a鈥� brosnachadh dhaoine gus an cuid airgid聽a chosg gun a bhith a鈥� smaoineachadh air a chaomhnadh? Air an l脿imh eile tha e f矛or nach聽urrainn do dhuine st貌ras a thoirt leis 脿s d猫idh a bh脿is. Seo an rann a-rithist: Caith mar a聽gheibh, Is gheibh mar a chaitheas, Caomhain 鈥檚 c貌 dha? Cuimhnich am b脿s.

Uill, cha deach a chlach fh猫in a chaomhnadh. Chaidh a goid agus chan eil fios c脿鈥� bheil i an-diugh. Ach tha cli霉 an neach a chruthaich an rann a鈥� leantainn. 鈥橲 e boireannach聽a bh鈥� ann. Tha i ainmeil gu le貌r ann am Br脿ghad Albainn. Ach chan eil i cho aithnichte聽ann an sg矛rean eile. Tha mi a-mach air Ban-tighearna Labhair no, mar a chanar rithe聽ann am Beurla, The Lady of Lawers.

Chan aithne dhomh gu bheil ainm-baistidh na Ban-tighearna cl脿raichte. Bha G脿idheil Br脿ghad Albainn riamh a鈥� gabhail 鈥淏an-tighearna Labhair鈥� oirre. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gum buineadh i don Apainn ann an Earra-Gh脿idheal, gur e ban-Sti霉bhartach a bh鈥� innte, agus gun do ph貌s i fear de dh鈥檜achdarain Labhair no 鈥檚 d貌chabr脿thair uachdarain. Tha cuid dhen bheachd gun robh i be貌 anns an t-seachdamh linn deug.

Nuair a th脿inig i a Labhair bha buidheann de Sti霉bhartaich cuide rithe. Cha do thill iad dhachaigh. Dh鈥檉huirich iad taobh Loch Tatha. 鈥橲 e Na Combaich 鈥� the companions 鈥揳 bha muinntir an 脿ite a鈥� gabhail orra mar fhr矛th-ainm. Ach carson a bha Ban-tighearna Labhair ainmeil? Uill, bha, a chionn 鈥檚 gur e ban-fhiosaiche a bh鈥� innte. Bha an d脿-shealladh聽aice. Mar a bha Coinneach Odhar ann an ceann a tuath na G脿idhealtachd, bha聽Ban-tighearna Labhair anns a鈥� cheann a deas.

Bhathar a鈥� togail eaglais 霉r ann an Labhair. Cha chreid mi nach eil an tobhta ann fhathast. Nuair a bha an luchd-togail faisg air a bhith deiseil, a r猫ir beul-aithris, thuirt a鈥檅han-tighearna nach biodh na clachan-droma a鈥� dol air mullach na h-eaglaise a-chaoidh.

Bha an luchd-obrach air na clachan fh脿gail air cladach Loch Tatha, deiseil airson cur airdruim a鈥� mhullaich an ath latha. Uill, air an oidhche sin fh猫in, dh鈥櫭╥rich stoirm eagallach.Chaidh na clachan a sguabadh air falbh gu bonn an locha agus b鈥� fheudar cr矛och a chur air聽a鈥� mhullach le stuth air choreigin eile.

Bha fiosachd eile aice co-cheangailte ris an eaglais sin. Chuir i craobh faisg oirre agus thuirt i gun tachradh rudan m貌ra nuair a ruigeadh a鈥� chraobh diofar 脿irdean. Mar eisimpleir, nuair a ruigeadh i 脿irde stuaghan an togalaich, bhiodh Eaglais na h-Alba air asgaradh ann an d脿 leth. Thathar ag r脿dh gun do r脿inig a鈥� chraobh an 脿irde sin ann an ochd聽ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1843) 鈥� bliadhna Briseadh na h-Eaglaise. Chan eil 霉ine聽agam airson a鈥� ch貌rr air Ban-tighearna Labhair an t-seachdain sa, ach tillidh mi donchuspair seo an ath-sheachdain.

Siorrachd Pheairt: Perthshire; Beinn Labhair: Ben Lawers; Loch聽Tatha: Loch Tay; cli霉: reputation; Br脿ghad Albainn: Breadalbane; ban-Sti霉bhartach: a聽Stewart [female]; fr矛th-ainm: nickname; ban-fhiosaiche: seer [female]; fiosachd: augury,聽foretelling.

ainmeil airson a cuid lusan: famous for its flowers; b鈥� 脿bhaist dhia bhith: it [fem] used to be; airson a鈥� bheul-aithris a tha co-cheangailte ris an sg矛re aig abonn: for the oral tradition connected to the area at its base; caith mar a gheibh: spend asyou get; is gheibh mar a chaitheas: and get as you spend; caomhain 鈥檚 c貌 dha?: save, and聽for whom?; cuimhnich am b脿s: remember death; mun fheallsanachd air c霉l na rainn:聽about the philosophy behind the verse; gun a bhith a鈥� smaoineachadh air a chaomhnadh:聽without thinking about saving it; nach urrainn do dhuine st貌ras a thoirt leis 脿s d猫idh a聽bh脿is: a man can鈥檛 take riches with him after his death; chaidh a goid: it [fem] was stolen;聽chan aithne dhomh gu bheil ainm-baistidh na Ban-tighearna cl脿raichte: I don鈥檛 know that聽[if] the Lady鈥檚 given name is recorded; gum buineadh i don Apainn: that she belonged to聽Appin; nach biodh na clachan-droma a鈥� dol air mullach na h-eaglaise a-chaoidh: that the聽ridge-stones would never go on the church鈥檚 roof; dh鈥櫭╥rich stoirm eagallach: a fearful聽storm arose; chaidh na clachan a sguabadh air falbh: the stones were swept away; b鈥櫬爁heudar cr矛och a chur air a鈥� mhullach: the roof had to be finished; nuair a ruigeadh i 脿irdestuaghan an togalaich: when it [fem] reached the height of the building鈥檚 gables

Ban-tighearna Labhair: The Lady of Lawers. It鈥檚聽interesting that the word tighearna (a lord, chief, ruler) is less likely to be used today聽outside a religious context than the feminised form ban-tighearna. Tighearna is a very old聽Celtic word (the Irish is now spelt tiarna and the Manx is 莽hiarna) and it was widely used聽in Gaelic where uachdaran, morair, ceannard or duine-uasal might be used today.聽Tighearna is mostly commonly met with today in a religious context referring to 鈥淭he聽Lord鈥� as in 脵rnaigh an Tighearna (The Lord鈥檚 Prayer) and the benediction Beannachd an聽Tighearna Oirbh (the Lord鈥檚 blessing upon you). The feminine form remains an equivalent聽of 鈥淟ady鈥� in English as part of a title but even it has become old-fashioned and is most聽commonly met with in historical or toponymic context.

bliadhna Briseadh na h-Eaglaise: the year of the Disruption of the Church [of Scotland, when the Free Church was formed 鈥� 1843].
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA