大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi ag innse dhuibh na h-ainmean-mara air na h-EileananBeaga. B鈥� e ainm-mara Eige Eilean nam Ban M貌ra. The island of the big women. Ach ciamar a fhuair e ainm mar sin?

Uill, a r猫ir beul-aithris, tha e a鈥� dol air ais don t-seann aimsir nuair a bha an t-eilean fhathast fo smachd nan Cruithneach. Aig toiseach an t-seachdamh linn bha na G脿idheil a鈥櫬爈eudachadh cr矛ochan na r矛oghachd aca. Chaidh Calum Cille gu ruige Eige agus Canaigh.

Chuir e a h-uile muile-mh脿gag agus nathair a-mach 脿s na h-eileanan sin. Ach cha b鈥� e Calum Cille a dh鈥檌ompaich muinntir Eige gu Cr矛osdachd. 鈥橲 e Donnan a rinn sin.

Thathar ag r脿dh gun deach Donnan an toiseach a dh鈥橢ilean 脤. Dh鈥檌arr e air Calum Cille a bhith na anam-charaid dha. B鈥� e anam-charaid neach a bhiodh a鈥� toirt taic is sti霉ireadh spioradail do neach eile. Dhi霉lt Calum Cille a bhith na anam-charaid do Dhonnan. Oir chunnaic e aisling. Anns an aisling chan e a鈥� mhairtireachd gheal a bha a鈥� feitheamh ri Donnan, ach a鈥� mhairtireachd dhearg. Chan fhaigheadh e b脿s s矛theil, ach b脿s fuilteach.

A dh鈥檃indeoin sin, lean Donnan le a phlanaichean. Chaidh e fh猫in is dusan companach a dh鈥橢ige. Chuir iad manachainn air chois far a bheil Cill Donnain an-diugh.Tha seann l脿mh-sgr矛obhainn 脠ireannach ag innse dhuinn gun robh leth-cheud manach a鈥櫬爁uireach ann an ceann greis. Ach, a r猫ir aithris, cha robh iad uile-gu-l猫ir 脿s aonais chleachdaidhean p脿ganach. 鈥橲 d貌cha gur e sin an d貌igh a bh鈥� aca airson muinntir an eilein聽iompachadh. Mar eisimpleir, bha iad a鈥� comharrachadh f猫ill na Bealltainn seach f猫ill na聽C脿isge.

Aig an 脿m sin bha Eige fo smachd banrigh Chruithneach. Bha ise a鈥� fuireach annam Muideart air t矛r-m貌r. Agus cha robh i toilichte leis mar a bha c霉isean a鈥� dol ann anEige. Bha i dhen bheachd gum biodh na Cr矛osdaidhean a鈥� gabhail an eilein thairis. Thuirt i,聽鈥淭ha buachaillean agam [air a鈥� bheinn] airson mo chuid spr猫idh a chumail fo smachd, chan聽ann airson 鈥檚 gum bi iad fh猫in air am buachailleachadh le manach.鈥�

Dh鈥檌arr a鈥� bhanrigh air na h-eileanaich na manaich a chur gu b脿s. Ach cha robh iadde貌nach. Dhi霉lt iad. Ghabh a鈥� bhanrigh fearg mh貌r. Chuir i feachd de bhana-ghaisgichmh貌ra a-null don eilean airson an gnothach a dh猫anamh.

Nuair a lorg na bana-ghaisgich na manaich, bha iad a鈥� gabhail aifreann. Dh鈥檌arr Donnan air na boireannaich leigeil leotha cr矛och a chur air an aifreann. An uair sin choisich聽na manaich a-mach 脿s an eaglais. Fhad 鈥檚 a bha iad a鈥� coiseachd a-mach bha iad air am聽murt, fear mu seach. Chaidh an cinn a ghearradh dhiubh. Chaidh an cuirp a ch脿rnadh agus聽chaidh teine a chur riutha. Bha an fh脿idheadaireachd aig Calum Cille air tighinn gu buil.

Ach chan e sin deireadh na sge貌il. A r猫ir beul-aithris, aig meadhan-oidhche,chunnacas solais agus chualas guthan taibhseil anns an 脿ite far an robh na cuirp air a bhith.聽鈥橲 e t脿ladh-b脿is a bh鈥� ann. Bha na bana-ghaisgich fo gheasaibh. Lean iad na solais a-steach聽do loch far an robh cabhsair d矛omhair. Thuit iad, t猫 mu seach, far a鈥� chabhsair don uisge聽dhomhainn. Bha iad uile air am b脿thadh.

Chun an latha an-diugh, 鈥檚 e Loch nam Ban M貌ra an t-ainm air an loch sin. Agus air sg脿th na h-eachdraidh, 鈥檚 e Eilean nam Ban M貌ra an t-ainm a bhiodh aig muinntir an 脿iteair Eige nuair a bha iad aig muir.

ainm-mara: sea-kenning; Eilean 脤: Iona: sti霉ireadh spioradail:聽spiritual guidance; aisling: vision; Muideart: Moidart; de貌nach: willing; dhi霉lt: refused;聽t脿ladh-b脿is: an enticement to death.

fo smachd nan Cruithneach: under the control of the Picts; a鈥� leudachadh cr矛ochan na r矛oghachd aca: expanding the bounds of their kingdom; a h-uile muile-mh脿gag agus nathair: every toad and snake; cha b鈥� e Calum Cille a dh鈥檌ompaich muinntir Eige gu Cr矛osdachd: it wasn鈥檛 Columba who converted the people of Eigg to Christianity; chan fhaigheadh e b脿s s矛theil, ach b脿s fuilteach: he wouldn鈥檛 have a peaceful death, but a bloody death; lean Donnan le a phlanaichean: Donnan continued with his plans; chuir iad manachainn air chois: they established a monastery; seann l脿mh-sgr矛obhainn聽脠ireannach: an old Irish manuscript; 脿s aonais chleachdaidhean p脿ganach:without pagan practices; f猫ill na Bealltainn seach f猫ill na C脿isge: Beltane rather thanEaster; tha buachaillean agam airson mo chuid spr猫idh a chumail fo smachd: I haveherdsmen to control my cattle; chan ann airson 鈥檚 gum bi iad fh猫in air am buachailleachadh聽le manach: not so they themselves will be herded by a monk; feachd de bhana-ghaisgich聽mh貌ra: a force of big women warriors; leigeil leotha cr矛och a chur air an aifreann: to let聽them finish the mass; bha iad air am murt: they were murdered; chaidh an cinn a ghearradh聽dhiubh: their heads were cut off [them]; chaidh an cuirp a ch脿rnadh agus chaidh teine a聽chur riutha: their bodies were piled up and they were set on fire; bha an fh脿idheadaireachd聽aig Calum Cille air tighinn gu buil: Columba鈥檚 prophecy had come true; chunnacas solais聽agus chualas guthan taibhseil: lights were seen and ghostly voices were heard; fo聽gheasaibh: under a spell; cabhsair d矛omhair: a hidden causeway; bha iad uile air am聽b脿thadh: they were all drowned.

Dh鈥檌arr e air Calum Cille a bhith na anam-charaid dha: he聽asked Calum Cille to be a soul friend to him. An anam-charaid (the old Gaelic form is聽anam-cara) is a friend who would be a spiritual adviser to another Christian and who聽would hear his confession. Mairtireachd gheal was the 鈥渨hite martyrdom鈥� of early聽Christians who left their homeland [with the intention of not returning] and who devoted聽their lives to religious pursuits. Mairtireachd dhearg was the 鈥渞ed martyrdom鈥� of those聽who lost their lives [dearg stands for blood] in their promotion of Christianity. The Gaelic聽and English terms mairtireachd and martyrdom are similar because they both originate in聽Latin.

fear mu seach, t猫 mu seach: one (masculine) after another,one (feminine) after another.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA