大象传媒

Hal貌 a-rithist. Tha mi a鈥� dol a chur cr矛och air an sgeulachd thraidiseanta 脿s a鈥� Bhr脿igh Mh貌r ann an Gallaibh 鈥� Bodach Dubh na M貌r-bheinne. Bha na fir an t貌ir air a鈥� Bhodachair an t-seachdamh latha dhen Iuchar. Ruith am Bodach air falbh aig peilear a bheatha a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na M貌r-bheinne. Dh鈥櫭╥gh e faclan ne貌nach ann an G脿idhlig, feuch an ce貌 a thoirt a-nuas. Ach cha t脿inig an ce貌 an turas seo. Cha robh cumhachd mar sin aige air an聽t-seachdamh latha dhen t-seachdamh m矛os.

Chunnaic na daoine am Bodach, agus e a鈥� dol 脿 sealladh tro fhosgladh air cliathaich na beinne. Nuair a chaidh na fir faisg air an fhosgladh, chuala iad am Bodach. Bha e fhathast ag 猫igheach faclan d矛omhair ann an G脿idhlig, feuch an ce貌 a thoirt a-nuas.

Bha am Bodach air clach uachdarach a鈥� mhuilinn a chur thairis air an fhosgladh. Chuir sin stad air na daoine. Agus bha e cunnartach dhaibh tighinn faisg, oir bha am Bodach a鈥� losgadh saighdean tro sh霉il na br脿than 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin an toll anns a鈥� chloich. Mudheireadh, fhuair na fir faisg gu le貌r. An uair sin thilg am Bodach a鈥� chlach don taobh agus leum e a-mach. Ach cha robh e a鈥� gluasad gu si霉bhlach. Bha e cuagach. Chaidh eair falbh agus chaidh na fir a-steach don uaimh aige.

Abair an sealladh! Bha an uamh l脿n seudan is rudan pr矛seil de gach se貌rsa. Chuir na fir saighead anns an talamh gus nach cailleadh iad am fosgladh, agus ruith iad 脿s d猫idh a鈥� Bhodaich. Loisg iad saighdean air, ach cha d鈥� fhuair na saighdean tro a chraiceann. Ge-t脿, bha na fir air r貌pan a chur anns an fhraoch. Thuit am Bodach thairis air fear de na r貌pan. Chuir na fir an gr猫im e agus cheangail iad e leis an r貌p. Dh鈥檌arr am Bodach orra a bhith tr貌caireach dha. 鈥淭hoir m鈥� ionmhas ach na toir mo bheatha,鈥� thuirt e. 鈥淢a mharbhas sibh mi, chan fhaigh sibh m鈥� ionmhas gu br脿th.鈥�

鈥淎maideas!鈥� thuirt na fir. 鈥淐iamar a bheir e an t-ionmhas bhuainn nuair a tha e marbh?鈥�
鈥淭hug mi crodh, biadh is ionmhas bhuaibh, ceart gu le貌r,鈥� thuirt am Bodach, 鈥渁ch cha do mharbh mi aon duine. 鈥橲 e beatha duine an rud as pr矛seile fon ghr猫in agus am fear聽a bheir beatha duine air falbh, cha bhi e beartach a-chaoidh. Tha na cnuic agus nabeanntan a鈥� toirt biadh dhuibh agus, mar dh矛oladh, tha mi air a bhith a鈥� toirt cuid de ur n-ionmhas.鈥�

Bha am Bodach, a r猫ir choltais, a鈥� riochdachadh spiorad na beinne. Ach cha robh fir a鈥� Bhr脿igh Mh貌ir airson 猫isteachd ris. Rinn iad teine m貌r agus thilg iad am Bodach ann.聽

Ach nuair a thill iad a dh鈥檜amh a鈥� Bhodaich, far an robh an saighead a鈥� stobadh anns an talamh, cha do lorg iad aon saighead. Bha na ceudan saighdean ann air feadh na聽beinne, agus cha robh sgeul air a鈥� chloich mhuilinn no air an uaimh. Agus cha do lorg iad an t-ionmhas.

Bhon uair sin chunnaic grunn luchd-coiseachd a鈥� chlach mhuilinn air a鈥� bheinn. Ach, nuair a thug iad muinntir an 脿ite ann airson a faicinn, cha robh sgeul oirre. Agus tha ceithir fichead bliadhna air a dhol seachad bhon turas mu dheireadh a chunnacas i.
Ach,nuair a chluinnear t脿irneanaich air a鈥� Mh貌r-bheinn, tuigidh sibh gur e sin guth a鈥� Bhodaich Dhuibh. Tha e a鈥� toirt rabhadh do dhaoine gun a bhith a鈥� dol faisg air an ionmhas a bhuineas 鈥� chan ann dhaibhsan 鈥� ach dha fh猫in agus don bheinn.

Am Br脿igh M貌r: Braemore; cunnartach: dangerous; cuagach:limping; tr貌caireach: merciful; amaideas: foolishness; bhuaibh: from you; ceudan:hundreds; luchd-coiseachd: walkers.

tha mi a鈥� dol a chur cr矛och air: I鈥檓 going to finish; an t貌ir air: inpursuit of; feuch an ce貌 a thoirt a-nuas: in an attempt to bring the mist down; 脿 sealladh tro fhosgladh air cliathaich na beinne: out of sight through an opening in the side of the mountain; ag 猫igheach faclan d矛omhair: shouting mysterious words; bha X air clach uachdarach a鈥� mhuilinn a chur thairis air: X had put the upper quern stone over; a鈥� losgadh saighdean: firing arrows; an toll anns a鈥� chloich: the hole in the stone; thilg X a鈥檆hlach don taobh: X threw the stone aside; a鈥� gluasad gu si霉bhlach: moving fluidly; a-steach聽don uaimh aige: into his cave; l脿n seudan is rudan pr矛seil: full of jewels andvaluable things; gus nach cailleadh iad am fosgladh: so they wouldn鈥檛 lose the opening; tro a chraiceann: through his skin; bha na fir air r貌pan a chur anns an fhraoch: the men had put ropes in the heather; thoir m鈥� ionmhas ach na toir mo bheatha: take my treasure but don鈥檛 take my life; 鈥檚 e beatha duine an rud as pr矛seile fon ghr猫in: a man鈥檚 life is themost valuable thing there is; cha bhi e beartach a-chaoidh: he will never be rich; mar dh矛oladh, tha mi air a bhith a鈥� toirt cuid de ur n-ionmhas: in compensation, I鈥檝e beentaking some of your riches; a鈥� riochdachadh spiorad na beinne: representing the mountain spirit; airson a faicinn: to see it; cha robh sgeul oirre: there was no sign of it;nuair a chluinnear t脿irneanaich: when thunder is heard; a bhuineas do: which belongs to.

tro sh霉il na br脿than: through the hole in the millstone.The hole in the millstone is literally 鈥渢he eye of the quern鈥�. Br脿than is the (irregular) genitive singular form of br脿, a quern. The upper stone, which I have referred to in the Litir as a clach uachdarach can also be called a br脿 脿rd; the lower stone on which theclach uachdarach moves is the clach 矛ochdarach or br脿 矛osal. If you鈥檇 like to know more about the Gaelic vocabulary associated with traditional milling of grain, looking under鈥渂r脿鈥� in Dwelly鈥檚 dictionary.

Ruith am Bodach air falbh aig peilear a bheatha: theBodach ran for his life [lit. at the bullet of his life].

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