大象传媒

Tha sgeulachd agam dhuibh a Gallaibh聽an t-seachdain seo. Tha i 脿 sg矛re Dh霉n聽Bheithe. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a tha oirre Na聽Tr矛 Snaidhmeannan. The Three Knots.聽Tha i a鈥� t貌iseachadh ann an Liabost 鈥撀犫�檚 e sin a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air Lybster 鈥� baile聽beag ann an taobh an earra-dheas聽Ghallaibh.聽Ann am meadhan an naoidheamh聽linn deug bha iasgach an sgadain聽a鈥� dol. Chaidh b脿ta 脿 Liabost gu ruige聽Port Mo Cholmaig ann an Siorrachd聽Rois. Bha na h-iasgairean a鈥� dol a聽cheannach chl脿ran-baraille. Air an t-slighe聽eadar Liabost agus Port Mo聽Cholmaig, bha an aimsir math. Chan聽eil mi a鈥� ciallachadh gun robh i ci霉in.聽Bha na b脿taichean feumach air a鈥櫬爂haoith. Bha iad a鈥� se貌ladh. Cha robh聽einnseanan aca.聽Chuir iad an cargu air b貌rd a鈥櫬燽h脿ta ann am Port Mo Cholmaig. Rinn聽iad deiseil airson falbh an ath latha.聽Ach shocraich a鈥� ghaoth. Anns a鈥� 聽mhadainn bha f猫ath ann. Bha an聽sgiobair 鈥� fear Seumas 鈥� m矛-thoilichte.聽Bha e a鈥� bruidhinn mun ch霉is ri caraid.聽Thuirt a charaid ris gum bu ch貌ir dha聽bruidhinn ri bana-bhuidseach anns a鈥櫬燽haile. Chaidh Seumas a ch猫ilidh air a鈥櫬燽hana-bhuidsich.聽Thug a鈥� bhana-bhuidseach dha聽p矛os sn脿ithlein. Bha tr矛 snaidhmeannan聽ann. 鈥淣uair a tha sibh a鈥� falbh,鈥� thuirt i聽ri Seumas, 鈥渇uasgail a chiad shnaidhm.聽Thig beagan gaoithe. Nuair a tha sibh聽aig muir, fuasgail an d脿rna snaidhm.聽Thig barrachd gaoithe. Th猫id sibh聽dhachaigh gu luath. Ach na fuasgail an聽treas snaidhm.鈥澛燚h鈥檉halbh Seumas don chala.聽Rinn e am b脿ta deiseil. Dh鈥檉huasgail e聽a鈥� chiad shnaidhm. Dh鈥櫭╥rich a鈥� ghaoth聽beagan. She貌l iad a-mach 脿 cala Phort聽Mo Cholmaig.聽Nuair a bha iad aig muir,聽dh鈥檉huasgail Seumas an d脿rna聽snaidhm. Dh鈥檉h脿s a鈥� ghaoth na bu聽l脿idire. She貌l am b脿ta gu math. Nuair a聽bha iad faisg air Liabost, dh鈥檌arr gille聽dhen chriutha air Seumas an treas聽snaidhm fhuasgladh. Dh鈥檉huasgail聽Seumas an treas snaidhm. Cho luath 鈥檚聽a rinn e sin, thionndaidh a鈥� ghaoth.聽Dh鈥櫭╥rich i gu 矛re g猫ile. Chaidh am聽b脿ta a sguabadh a-mach gu muir. B鈥櫬爁heudar dhaibh tilleadh gu Port Mo聽Cholmaig! 脪bh 貌bh!

I have a story from Caithness for聽you this week. It鈥檚 from the聽Dunbeath area. It鈥檚 called The聽Three Knots. It starts in Liabost 鈥撀爐hat鈥檚 the Gaelic for Lybster 鈥� a聽village in the south-eastern part of聽Caithness.聽In the middle of the nineteenth聽century the herring fishing was on聽the go. The boat from Lybster went聽to Portmahomack in Ross-shire. The聽fishermen were going to buy staves聽for barrels. On the way between聽Lybster and Portmahomack, the聽weather was good. I don鈥檛 mean it聽was calm. The boats needed [the]聽wind. They were sailing. They did聽not have engines. 聽They put the cargo on board聽the boat in Portmahomack. They聽made ready to leave the next day.聽But the wind died. In the morning it聽was dead calm. The skipper 鈥� a man聽called James 鈥� was unhappy. He聽was talking the matter over with a聽friend. His friend said to him that he聽should speak to a witch in the聽village. James went to speak to the聽witch.聽The witch gave him a piece of聽thread. There were three knots in it.聽鈥淲hen you are leaving,鈥� she said to聽James, 鈥渦ndo the first knot. A light聽wind will come. When you are at聽sea, loosen the second knot. More聽wind will come. You鈥檒l go home聽quickly. But do not undo the third聽knot.鈥澛燡ames left for the harbour. He聽made the boat ready. He undid the聽first knot. The wind arose a little.聽They sailed out of Portmahomack聽harbour.聽When they were at sea, James聽loosened the second knot. The wind聽got stronger. The boat sailed well.聽When they were near Lybster, a lad聽in [of] the crew asked James to undo聽the third knot. James undid the third聽knot. As soon as he did that, the聽wind changed direction. It rose to聽gale force. The boat was driven out聽to sea. They had to return to聽Portmahomack. Oh dear!聽