大象传媒

Tha d脿 bhaile bheag ann an Gallaibh air a bheil Baile a鈥� Chlaidh 鈥� the township of the cemetery. Tha aon Bhaile a鈥� Chlaidh faisg air D霉n Bheithe. Tha e rudeigin ainmeil oir lorg airce貌laichean seann rudan inntinneach ann.聽Ach tha mi airson st貌iridh innse dhuibh a tha a鈥� tighinn bhon Bhaile a鈥� Chlaidh eile.

Tha sin anns a鈥� mhonadh letheach-slighe eadar D霉n Bheithe agus Bhatan. Tha an st貌iridh聽a鈥� tighinn bho bheul-aithris Gh脿idhlig na sg矛re, agus 鈥檚 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air 鈥淏ana-bhuidseach聽Bhaile a鈥� Chlaidh鈥�.

Bha boireannach uaireigin air an robh Am Fitheach mar far-ainm. Nise, do na seann daoine, bhiodh fitheach a鈥� riochdachadh droch rudan. Chanadh iad 鈥淏脿s an Fhithich Ort!鈥� mar mhallachd. Bhathar a鈥� creidsinn gum biodh fithich 貌ga a鈥� marbhadh nan seann fhitheach. Co-dhi霉, cha robh deagh bheachd aig muinntir an 脿ite air an t-seann bhoireannach.

Bha i a鈥� fuireach ann am bothag faisg air Baile a鈥� Chlaidh. Bha muinntir an 脿ite gu m貌r an urra ri math na b脿 aig an 脿m ud. Agus cha robh c霉isean a鈥� dol gu math do chuid. Cha robh m貌ran bainne no c脿ise aca. Ge-t脿, bha gu le貌r de na dh脿 aig teaghlaichean aig an聽robh c脿irdeas math don Fhitheach. Bha an fheadhainn nach robh a鈥� d猫anamh gu math dhen聽bheachd gu robh am Fitheach air an cur fo dhroch gheasaibh.

Latha a bha seo, air Latha na Bealltainne, th脿inig boireannach 脿 Meaghrath a ch猫ilidh air a鈥� bhana-bhuidsich airson a comhairle fhaighinn. Ach lorg i am Fitheach ritaobh allt. Bha i a鈥� r脿cadh an fhe貌ir le s矛oman; ceangailte ris an t-s矛oman bha badan fraoich.聽Bha am Fitheach ri buidseachd an aghaidh nan tuathanach.

Gu tric bhiodh daoine a鈥� faicinn ge脿rr am measg a鈥� chruidh. Chaidh coin a chur an t貌ir oirre. Ach cha deach aig na coin air a鈥� ghe脿rr a ghlacadh. Bhiodh a鈥� ghe脿rr a鈥� faighinn air falbh le bhith a鈥� ruith a dh鈥檌onnsaigh a鈥� chlaidh.

Aig amannan bhiodh daoine a鈥� faicinn na ge脿rra ann am Camstar鈥� an sg矛re gu sear air Baile a鈥� Chlaidh, thairis air a鈥� mhonadh. Tha aon chnoc gu deas air Baile a鈥� Chlaidh air聽a bheil 鈥淐noc na Ge脿rra鈥� ach chan urrainn dhomh a r脿dh co-dhi霉 chaidh ainmeachadh airson na ge脿rra seo.

Mhothaich na daoine gum biodh a鈥� ghe脿rr an-c貌mhnaidh a鈥� ruith anns na frithrathaideanaig na caoraich. Chuir fear dhiubh ribe ann am frith-rathad. Airson an ribe adh矛on an aghaidh buidseachd, rinn e an cnagan de dh鈥檉hiodh caorainn. Bidh fios agaibh uile聽gu bheil a鈥� chraobh-chaorainn ag obair an aghaidh buidseachd.

Co-dhi霉, chaidh ge脿rr a ghlacadh anns an ribe. Ach nuair a r脿inig an duine i, cha b鈥� ege脿rr a bh鈥� innte ach boireannach. Am Fitheach. Bhon latha sin a-mach, bha droch fhortan聽aig an duine. Beagan mh矛osan 脿s d猫idh sin, chaidh a bh脿thadh ann an Uisge The貌rsa.

Tha cr矛och ne貌nach air an st貌iridh. Bha d脿 thursa mh貌r nan seasamh faisg air l脿imh. Chaidh am Fitheach don chiad tursa. Ruith i timcheall air seachd tursan deiseil, an聽uair sin seachd tursan tuathail. Rinn i an aon rud aig an tursa eile. Shuidh i air mullach na聽cloiche is th脿inig i s矛os. Rinn i sin seachd tursan. Agus rinn i an dearbh rud air an tursa eile.

D脿 latha 脿s d猫idh sin, chunnacas i a鈥� coiseachd a dh鈥檌onnsaigh a鈥� chinn a deas. Shuidh i greis air 脿irde a chaidh ainmeachadh Creag an Fhithich 脿s a d猫idh. Agus lean ioirre. Chaidh i tarsainn an 脵ird Ghallaich agus cha chuala muinntir Ghallaibh guth oirre tuilleadh.

Baile a鈥� Chlaidh: Ballachly; bana-bhuidseach: witch; fitheach: raven;bothag: small bothy; Latha na Bealltainne: the day of Beltane; ge脿rr: hare; ribe: snare;deiseil: sunwise; tuathail: anti-sunwise; chunnacas: was seen.

lorg airce貌laichean seann rudan inntinneach: archaeologists foundinteresting old things; anns a鈥� mhonadh letheach-slighe eadar D霉n Bheithe agus Bhatan: on聽the hill country halfway between Dunbeath and Watten; bhiodh fitheach a鈥� riochdachadh聽droch rudan: a raven would represent bad things; bhathar a鈥� creidsinn gum biodh fithich聽貌ga a鈥� marbhadh nan seann fhitheach: it was believed that young ravens would kill the old聽ravens; cha robh deagh bheachd aig X air Y: X did not have a good opinion of Y; an urra ri聽math na b脿 aig an 脿m ud: dependent upon dairy products at that time; bha gu le貌r de na dh脿聽aig X: X had enough of both; teaghlaichean aig an robh c脿irdeas math do X: families that聽had a good relationship with X; air an cur fo dhroch gheasaibh: had put them under a bad聽spell; th脿inig boireannach 脿 Meaghrath a ch猫ilidh air: a woman came from Reay to visit;聽airson a comhairle fhaighinn: to get her advice; a鈥� r脿cadh an fhe貌ir le s矛oman: raking the聽grass with a heather rope; badan fraoich: clumps of heather; buidseachd an aghaidh nan聽tuathanach: witchcraft against the farmers; am measg a鈥� chruidh: among the cattle; chaidh聽coin a chur an t貌ir oirre: dogs were set after it; cnagan de dh鈥檉hiodh caorainn: a peg of聽rowan wood; chaidh a bh脿thadh ann an Uisge The貌rsa: he was drowned in the ThursoRiver; tarsainn an 脵ird Ghallaich: over the Ord of Caithness.

d脿 bhaile bheag: two small settlements. This is a revision ofa point made in a couple of earlier Litrichean 鈥� how to deal with an adjective qualifying anoun that is in the dual case following d脿. It is lenited (if it can be). That is why I also saidd脿 thursa mh貌r (two large standing stones), and it is the reason we say d脿 X dheug for 12x鈥檚 regardless of the gender of the noun x 鈥� eg d脿 bhogsa dheug (masc) and d脿 bhr貌igdheug (fem). Deug works like an adjective and it is always lenited in the dual case. Hereare some other examples: d脿 bhonnach bheag (two small cakes), d脿 ch霉 dhubh (two blackdogs), d脿 ubhal mh貌r (two large apples).

death of the raven be upon you! A聽curse.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA