大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Bhan-tighearna Labhair, The Lady of聽Lawers. Bha an d脿-shealladh aice. Bha i be貌 鈥檚 d貌cha anns an t-seachdamh linn deug. Chuiri craobh ri taobh na h-eaglaise ann an Labhair agus rinn i fiosachd co-cheangailte rithe.

Thuirt i gun tigeadh b脿s uabhasach air duine sam bith a leagadh a鈥� chraobh. Uill, thathar ag聽r脿dh, timcheall air ochd ceud deug is ochdad (1880) gun do leag tuathanach, air an robh Iain聽Caimbeul, a鈥� chraobh. Bha fear eile ann a thug taic dha.

Cha chuir e iongnadh sam bith oirbh nach do shoirbhich leis an dithis ro mhath.Chaidh Iain Caimbeul a ghaorradh gu b脿s le a tharbh fh猫in. Chaill am fear-taice aige a chiall聽agus chaidh a chur don taigh-chuthaich.

Thuirt a鈥� Bhan-tighearna iomadh rud co-cheangailte ri sg矛re Loch Tatha. Thuirt i gum biodh muileann air gach allt agus crann-treabhaidh aig gach gille. Thuirt i cuideachd聽gum biodh an d霉thaich air a criathrachadh dhen t-sluagh aice agus gum biodh na bailtean-fearainn聽cho fad air falbh bho ch猫ile 鈥檚 nach cluinneadh coileach tuathanaich coileach a聽n脿baidh. Uill, bha iad seo uile f矛or. Dh鈥櫭╥rich an sluagh gu m貌r, bha am fearann fo 脿iteachas聽gu 矛re mh貌r agus an uair sin bha fuadaichean ann.

Coltach ri Coinneach Odhar ann an Siorrachd Rois thug a鈥� Bhan-tighearna beachd airna h-uachdarain anns an sg矛re aice agus na bha romhpa, agus tha e coltach gun t脿inig m貌ran聽dhiubh sin gu buil. Thuirt i gun cailleadh Clann 鈥檌c an Aba 鈥� aig an robh fearann aig ceann聽an iar Loch Tatha 鈥� an oighreachd. Bhiodh Caimbeulaich Bhr脿ghad Albainn a鈥� gabhail聽fearann nan Abach thairis nuair a thachradh rud car ne貌nach. Bhiodh geug 脿 craobh ghiuthaisa鈥� tuiteam air craobh-ghiuthais eile agus a鈥� f脿s oirre. Thathar ag r脿dh gun do聽thachair sin anns an d脿rna deichead dhen naoidheamh linn deug. An robh i a-mach air聽gnothach n脿darra no air n貌dachadh le mac an duine? Chan eil fhios a鈥檓, ach th脿inig an聽fhiosachd gu buil oir, goirid 脿s d猫idh l脿imh, fhuair Marcais Bhr脿ghad Albainn gr猫im air聽fearann nan Abach.

Tha e coltach cuideachd gun tuirt B脿n-tighearna Labhair gum biodh tubaist mh貌r air Loch Tatha uaireigin. 鈥橲 d貌cha nach t脿inig sin gu buil fhathast, agus tha mi an d貌chas nach聽tig. Bha b脿thadh m貌r ann air an loch ri linn na Ban-tighearna agus bha muinntir an 脿ite fo聽ghruaimean. Ach thuirt a鈥� Bhan-tighearna gun tigeadh an latha nuair a bhiodh m貌ran a聽bharrachd a鈥� faighinn b脿s, agus soitheach a鈥� dol fodha. Chan e sin a-mh脿in ach bhiodh聽sm霉id a鈥� tighinn 脿s an t-soitheach. An robh i a-mach air teine air b貌rd an t-soithich no am聽faca i ro-shealladh de bh脿taichean-sm霉ide?

Agus thuirt i rud eile air am bu ch貌ir dhuinn beachdachadh an-diugh. B鈥� e Beinn Labhair fear de na ciad 脿iteachan ann an Alba far am biodh daoine a鈥� sgitheadh 鈥� fada mus聽robh guth air na goireasan sgithidh a chithear ann an 脿iteachan mar an C脿rn Gorm is an t-Aonach M貌r an-diugh. Thog Club Sgithidh na h-Alba bothan anns a鈥� Choire Odhar fon聽Bheinn Ghlais 鈥� t猫 de mhullaichean Beinn Labhair 鈥� anns na tritheadan. Ach, anns na聽deicheadan a dh鈥檉halbh, chan eil uiread de shneachd air a bhith ann 鈥檚 a bh鈥� ann an uair sin.

Co-dhi霉, thuirt a鈥� Bhan-tighearna gun tigeadh an latha nuair a bha Beinn Labhair cho fuar 鈥檚 gum biodh i a鈥� d猫anamh an fhearainn airson seachd m矛le mu a timcheall na fh脿sach.
Ma tha i ceart, 鈥檚 d貌cha nach e bl脿thachadh a tha romhainn ann an Alba ach fuarachadh.

an d脿-shealladh: the second sight; Loch Tatha: Loch Tay; cranntreabhaidh:plough; bailtean-fearainn: farm settlements; fuadaichean: clearances;Coinneach Odhar: The Brahan Seer; Br脿ghad Albainn: Breadalbane; n貌dachadh: grafting;Beinn Labhair: Ben Lawers; bl脿thachadh: warming: fuarachadh: cooling.

rinn i fiosachd co-cheangailte rithe: she made a prophesy regarding it; gun tigeadh b脿s uabhasach air duine sam bith a leagadh a鈥� chraobh: that any聽person who felled the tree would suffer a terrible death; chaidh X a ghaorradh gu b脿s le a聽tharbh fh猫in: X was gored to death by his own bull; chaill am fear-taice aige a chiall: his聽helper lost his sense; gum biodh an d霉thaich air a criathrachadh dhen t-sluagh aice: that the聽country would be sifted of its people; nach cluinneadh coileach tuathanaich coileach a聽n脿baidh: that a farmer鈥檚 cockerel wouldn鈥檛 hear the cockerel of his neighbour; dh鈥櫭╥rich an聽sluagh gu m貌r: the population rose substantially; thug X beachd air na h-uachdarain agus聽na bha romhpa: X gave an opinion on the landlords and what lay [was] ahead of them; gun聽cailleadh Clann 鈥檌c an Aba an oighreachd: that the MacNab clan would lose their estate;聽bhiodh geug 脿 craobh-ghiuthais a鈥� tuiteam air craobh-ghiuthais eile agus a鈥� f脿s oirre: a聽branch from a pine tree would fall on another pine tree and grow on it; bha muinntir an 脿ite聽fo ghruaimean: the local people were plunged into gloom; a鈥� dol fodha: sinking; ro shealladh聽de bh脿taichean-sm霉ide: a premonition of steam ships; na ciad 脿iteachan: the first聽places; anns na deicheadan a dh鈥檉halbh: in the last few decades; chan eil uiread de shneachd聽air a bhith ann: there鈥檚 not been so much snow; a鈥� d猫anamh an fhearainn airson seachd m矛lemu a timcheall na fh脿sach: making the land for seven miles around it a wasteland.

chaidh a chur don taigh-chuthaich: he was sent to the lunatic asylum. Taigh-cuthaich (lit. 鈥渉ouse of insanity鈥�) is, like the English term 鈥渓unatic asylum鈥漬ot very PC today and I only used it in the historical context of such being the name of such institutions at the time. The word cuthach (or dialectally caothach) can mean both the madness of insanity and the madness of rage 鈥� and English has the same issue regarding the meanings of 鈥渕ad鈥� and 鈥渕adness鈥�. In today鈥檚 world we鈥檇 be more likely to refer to a鈥渕ental health facility鈥� as an ospadal-inntinn.

Bha b脿thadh m貌r ann: there was a great drowning ie a lot of people were drowned.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA