大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha sinn ann am Bun Ilidh ann an Cataibh. An-diugh, agus anns na beagan seachdainean romhainn, bu mhath leam ur toirt air chuairt tro Chataibh is聽Gallaibh is D霉thaich MhicAoidh, agus sinn a鈥� toirt s霉il air eisimpleirean de bheul-aithris聽bho na sg矛rean sin.

Bu mhath leam t貌iseachadh ann an Cataibh ann an Gleann Loth. Tha an gleann sin a鈥� ruigsinn a鈥� chladaich beagan deas air Bun Ilidh. Ann an Gleann Loth tha tursa 鈥搒in clach a tha na seasamh leatha fh猫in, a鈥� stobadh a-mach 脿s an talamh. Tha a鈥� chlach seo gu math m貌r is dr霉idhteach. Tha i suidhichte air leathad os cionn a鈥� ghlinne. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� oirre Clach Mhic Mh矛os. Sin M-H-I-O-S. Clach Mhic Mh矛os.

Nise, chan eil mi cinnteach d猫 is ciall don ainm sin. Ach, anns an sg矛re sin, thathar a鈥� cumail a-mach gu bheil e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渢he stone of the month-old son鈥�. Clach MhicMh矛os. Agus seo an st貌iridh a thathar ag innse, a tha a鈥� m矛neachadh mar a fhuair i a h-ainm.

Bha gort ann uaireigin. Cha robh biadh gu le貌r aig na daoine. Choisich boireannach a bha seo suas Gleann Loth don 脿ite iomallach sin, leis an amas a leanabh聽fh脿gail ann. Bha c霉isean cho duilich dhaibh 鈥檚 nach robh biadh gu le貌r aca airson an leanabh a chumail be貌. Feumaidh gun robh an gille m矛os a dh鈥� aois. Chuir am boireannach an leanabh air an fhraoch. Gun a bhith a鈥� coimhead 脿s ad猫idh, ruith i air falbh a dh鈥� ionnsaigh na beinne a b鈥� fhaisge 鈥� Beinn Mhealaich. Gu h-obann,聽chuala i, air a c霉laibh, sgreuchail mar gun robh fearg air cuideigin. Chaidh clachmh貌r a thilgeil 鈥� le cuideigin no rudeigin.聽

Thuit a鈥� chlach don talamh faisg air a鈥� bhoireannach. Is tha a鈥� chlach fhathast ann 鈥� na seasamh an 脿irde. Agus d猫 thachair don聽bhoireannach? Uill, chan eil cuimhne aig duine.

Mus fh脿g sinn sg矛re Bhun Ilidh, seo agaibh naidheachd bheag mu chroitear ann an Srath Chill Donain a bha ri m猫irle. Bhiodh e a鈥� goid fh脿dan bho na cruachan-m貌nach aig croitearan eile anns an t-srath. Ach bha e se貌lta. Bhiodh e d矛reach a鈥� goid fh脿dan bho na cruachan a b鈥� fhaide air falbh bho na taighean. Mar sin, chan fhaca duine e. Bha cuid de na croitearan dhen bheachd gur e rud os-n脿darrach a bh鈥� ann, agus gur iad na s矛thichean a bha ri m猫irle. Air s脿illibh sin, cha do rinn iad dad mu dheidhinn.

Ach bha aon chroitear eadar-dhealaichte bho ch脿ch. Cha robh esan a鈥� creidsinn gur e rud os-n脿darrach a bh鈥� ann idir. Bha esan dhen bheachd gur e cuideigin 脿s an 脿ite fh猫in a bu choireach. Chuir e plana an gn矛omh airson an duine sin aithneachadh is a pheanasachadh.

Chaidh e don chruaich-mh貌naich a b鈥� fhaide air falbh bhon taigh aige. Thug e a-mach grunn fh脿dan. Thug e am meadhan a-mach 脿s na f脿dan. Agus chuir e f霉dar-gunna a-steach don toll anns gach fear aca. Chuir e air ais anns a鈥� chruaich iad. Taobh a-staigh beagan l脿ithean, mhothaich an croitear gun robh cuid de na f脿dan a dh矛th.

Air an oidhche sin, bha am m猫irleach na shuidhe an tac an teine. Thilg e f脿d no dh脿 don teine. Gu h-obann bha spreadhadh m貌r ann. Chaidh cliath an teine a thilgeil a-mach聽air doras an taighe. Ma thuirt am m猫irleach dad, feumaidh gur e 鈥淏reitheanas an Tighearna鈥� a bh鈥� ann! Agus cha do ghoid e aon fh脿d eile airson a ch貌rr de a bheatha!

Bun Ilidh: Helmsdale; Cataibh: Sutherland, particularly East Sutherland; Gallaibh: Caithness; D霉thaich MhicAoidh: The Mackay Country (of N Sutherland); Gleann Loth: Glen Loth; tursa: standing stone; gort: famine; se貌lta: cunning; spreadhadh: explosion.

clach a tha na seasamh leatha fh猫in: a stone that is standing by herself; d猫 is ciall don ainm sin: what that name means; an st貌iridh a thathar ag innse :the story that is told; leis an amas a leanabh fh脿gail ann: with the aim of leaving the baby there; gun a bhith a鈥� coimhead 脿s a d猫idh: without looking after (behind) her; sgreuchail mar gun robh fearg air cuideigin: screaming as if somebody were angry; bhiodh e a鈥� goid fh脿dan bho na cruachan-m貌nach aig croitearan eile: he would steal peats from the peat-stacks of other crofters; a b鈥� fhaide air falbh bho na taighean: farthest away from the houses; gur iad na s矛thichean a bha ri m猫irle: that it was the fairies that were doing[the] stealing; gur e cuideigin 脿s an 脿ite fh猫in a bu choireach: that it was somebody from the place itself who was responsible; chuir e plana an gn矛omh airson an duine sin aithneachadh is a pheanasachadh: he set in train a plan to identify and punish that person; chuir e f霉dar-gunna a-steach don toll: he put gunpowder into the hole; gun robh cuid de na f脿dan a dh矛th: that some of the peats were missing; chaidh cliath an teine a thilgeil a-mach air doras an taighe: the fire-grate was thrown out of the house鈥檚 door;feumaidh gur e 鈥淏reitheanas an Tighearna鈥� a bh鈥� ann: it must have been 鈥淭he Judgement of the Lord鈥�; airson a ch貌rr de a bheatha: for the rest of his life.

seo agaibh naidheachd bheag mu chroitear ann an Srath Chill Donain a bha ri m猫irle: here鈥檚 a wee anecdote about a crofter in the Strath of Kildonan who was thieving. We think of naidheachd as meaning 鈥渘ews鈥� (eg p脿ipear-naidheachd,聽na naidheachdan on the radio) and indeed that is the origin of the word 鈥撀爊uaidheachd, related to nuadh (鈥渘ew鈥�); nuaidheachd is to be found in Dwelly鈥檚 dictionary, and the modern Irish is nuacht, which retains the older vowel sound. But naidheachd in casual conversation is also used to mean 鈥渢idings鈥� or 鈥渁necdote鈥�. 鈥淭ha naidheachd agam dhut鈥� might mean 鈥淚 have news for you鈥� or 鈥淚 have an anecdote to tell you鈥�. Of course, it might simply be worthless gossip!

gur e rud os-n脿darrach a bh鈥� ann: that it was a supernatural occurrence.

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA