大象传媒

Carson as e Eilean nam Ban M貌ra far-ainm聽Eige? Eilean nam Ban M貌ra 鈥撀爐he island of the big women. A r猫ir聽beul-aithris, tha e a鈥� dol air ais don t-seachdamh聽linn. Bha an t-eilean聽fhathast fo smachd nan Cruithneach.聽Gu dearbh, bha e fo smachd banrigh聽Chruithneach. Bha ise a鈥� fuireach ann聽am Muideart, air t矛r-m貌r.聽Chaidh Donnan is dusan companach聽a dh鈥橢ige. 鈥橲 e Cr矛osdaidhean a聽bha annta. Chuir iad manachainn air聽chois. 鈥橲 e Cill Donnain ainm an 脿ite聽fhathast. Bha Donnan ag iarraidh聽muinntir Eige a dh猫anamh nan聽Cr矛osdaidhean.聽Ach cha robh a鈥� bhan-righ聽toilichte. Dh鈥檌arr i air na h-eileanaich聽na manaich a chur gu b脿s. Ach cha聽robh na h-eileanaich de貌nach.聽Ghabh a鈥� bhanrigh fearg. Chuir聽i feachd de bhana-ghaisgich mh貌ra don聽eilean. Bha i ag iarraidh air na bana-ghaisgich聽na manaich a chur gu b脿s.聽Nuair a lorg na bana-ghaisgich聽na manaich, bha iad a鈥� gabhail聽aifreann. Bha iad anns an eaglais bhig聽aca. Dh鈥檌arr Donnan air na bana-ghaisgich聽leigeil leotha cr矛och a chur聽air an aifreann. Dh鈥檃ontaich na bana-ghaisgich聽ri sin.聽Nuair a bha an aifreann聽seachad, choisich na manaich a-mach聽脿s an eaglais. Bha iad air am murt, fear聽mu seach. Chaidh an cuirp a ch脿rnadh.聽Chaidh teine a chur ris na cuirp.聽A r猫ir beul-aithris, aig聽meadhan-oidhche, nochd solais. Agus聽nochd guthan taibhseil. Bha sin anns聽an 脿ite far an robh na cuirp roimhe.聽Bha na bana-ghaisgich fo gheasaibh.聽Lean iad na solais a-steach do loch.聽Bha cabhsair d矛omhair anns an loch.聽Thuit na boireannaich, t猫 mu seach, far聽a鈥� chabhsair. Bha an t-uisge domhainn.聽Bha na bana-ghaisgich uile air am聽b脿thadh.聽Chun an latha an-diugh, 鈥檚 e聽Loch nam Ban M貌ra an t-ainm air an聽loch sin. Agus 鈥檚 e Eilean nam Ban聽M貌ra am far-ainm air Eilean Eige. 鈥橲 e聽sin an t-ainm a bha na h-iasgairean a鈥櫬燾leachdadh nuair a bha iad aig muir.聽

Why is Eigg鈥檚 nickname the Isle of聽the Big Women? Isle of the Big聽Women. According to oral tradition,聽it goes back to the Seventh聽Century. The island was still under聽the control of the Picts. Indeed, it聽was under the control of a Pictish聽queen. She lived in Moidart on the聽mainland.聽Donnan and a dozen companions聽went to Eigg. They were聽Christians. They established a聽monastery. The place is still called聽Kildonnan. Donnan want to turn the聽people of Eigg into Christians.聽But the queen was not pleased.聽She asked the islanders to put the聽monks to death. But the islanders聽were not willing.聽The queen was angry. She sent聽a force of big women warriors to the聽island. She was wanting the warriors聽to put the monks to death.聽When the women warriors聽found the monks, they were taking聽mass. They were in their little聽church. Donnan asked the women聽warriors to let them finish the mass.聽The warriors agreed to that.聽When the mass was finished,聽the monks walked out of the church.聽They were murdered one after the聽other. Their bodies were piled up.聽The bodies were set on fire.聽According to oral tradition, at聽midnight, lights appeared. And聽ghostly voices arose. The women聽warriors were under a spell. They聽followed the lights into a loch. There聽was a secret causeway in the loch.聽The women fell, one after another,聽off the causeway. The water was聽deep. All of the women warriors聽were drowned.聽To the present day, that loch is聽called 鈥渢he loch of the big women鈥�.聽And the Isle of Eigg鈥檚 nickname is聽the 鈥渋sle of the big women鈥�. That is聽the name the fishermen were using聽when they were at sea.