大象传媒

Ann an Siorrachd Pheairt, faisg air 脌th Maol Ruibhe, tha Gleann Cuaich. Anns a鈥� ghleann tha loch air a bheil Loch Fraochaidh. Ciamar a fhuair an loch ainm? A bheil e co-cheangailte ris an lus 鈥� fraoch? Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha nach eil, co-dhi霉 a r猫ir beul-aithris.

Tuigidh sibh gur e ainm boireann a th鈥� ann an Heather. Ach, ann am beul-aithris, 鈥檚 e ainm fireann a th鈥� ann am Fraoch. Cha bhiodh e iomchaidh Fraoch a bhith air boireannach mar ainm oir tha am facal cuideachd a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渇earg鈥�! Anns an st貌iridh thraidiseanta seo 鈥檚 e Fraoch ainm fir. Tha mi a鈥� dol a dh鈥檌nnse dhuibh Mar a Fhuair Loch Fraochaidh Ainm.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha boireannach uaireigin a鈥� fuireach anns an sg矛re. 鈥橲 e Maoidh an t-ainm a bh鈥� oirre. Ghabh i trom ghaol air Fraoch 鈥� Fraoch Mac Maothaich, am fear a bu mhaisiche san Fh猫inn. Bha nighean aig Maoidh. 鈥橲 e Aoirlinn an t-ainm a bh鈥� oirre. Bha i air leth maiseach. Thug Fraoch a ghr脿dh do dh鈥橝oirlinn agus ph貌s iad. Bha Maoidh feargach. Chuir i roimhpe cur 脿s do Fhraoch.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥檉h脿s Maoidh tinn. Thuirt i nach robh ann ach aon n矛 a bhiodh na leigheas dhi. Seo mar a dh鈥檃ithris i a鈥� ch霉is: 鈥淔on ghr猫in chan eil leigheas, mo thruaighe, ach caorann an Eilein Fhuair, 鈥檚 gun duine ga bhuain ach Fraoch.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 B鈥� e an t-Eilean Fuar eilean b貌idheach anns an loch. Anns an eilean bha craobh-chaorainn a鈥� f脿s. Ach cha b鈥� urrainn do dhuine dhol faisg air a鈥� chraoibh oir bha biast mh貌r a鈥� fuireach aig a bonn.

Ach bha Fraoch misneachail is gaisgeanta. Shn脿imh e a-mach don eilean. Lorg e a鈥� chraobh-chaorainn. Aig a bonn bha a鈥� bhiast 鈥� ach bha i na cadal. Shr脿ic Fraoch geugan far na craoibhe agus dh鈥檉halbh e leotha. Thug e do Mhaoidh iad.

Cha robh d霉il aig Maoidh gun tilleadh Fraoch. Bha i an d貌chas gun cuireadh a鈥� bhiast 脿s dha. Nuair a chunnaic i an geug caorainn, cha robh i taingeil idir. Thuirt i ri Fraoch nach robh i s脿saichte leis a鈥� gheug. Bha i ag iarraidh na craoibhe gu l猫ir.

Thill Fraoch don eilean. Bha a鈥� bhiast na suain aig bonn na craoibhe. Sp矛on Fraoch a鈥� chraobh-chaorainn 脿s an talamh. Agus dh鈥檉halbh e leatha. Ach dh霉isg a鈥� bhiast. Thug i ionnsaigh air Fraoch. Cha robh sgian aig Fraoch. Ghleac e fh猫in is a鈥� bhiast gus an do thuit iad marbh air a鈥� chladach.

Chaidh Aoirlinn don loch. Nuair a chunnaic i Fraoch marbh, thuit i na neul air an fheur. Nuair a th脿inig i thuige, seo na thuirt i:

听

鈥橲 duibhe na fitheach b脿rr d鈥� fhuilt,

鈥橲 gile na 鈥檔 gruth caoin do chneas,

鈥橲 deirge na 鈥檔 caorann do dh脿 ghruaidh,

鈥橲 truagh nach robh sgian aig Fraoch.

听

Togamaid a-nise an cuan Fhraoich,

Corp an laoich an caisil-chr貌;

O 鈥檚 truagh nach ann an c貌mhrag laoch

A thuit Fraoch mun d鈥� phronn mi de貌ir.

听

Nuair a chuala Maoidh mu bh脿s Fhraoich, fhuair i 霉rachadh na cridhe. Dh鈥檉h脿g a dosgainn i. Agus chaidh ainm a鈥� ghaisgich a thoirt don loch, ris an canar Loch Fraochaidh chun an latha an-diugh.

Siorrachd Pheairt: Perthshire; 脌th Maol Ruibhe: Amulree; Gleann Cuaich: Glen Quaich; Loch Fraochaidh: Loch Freuchie; fraoch: heather; fireann: masculine; ainm fir: a man鈥檚 name; uaireigin: at one time; misneachail: confident; gaisgeanta: heroic; shn脿imh e: he swam; geugan: branches; na suain: slumbering; 诲丑霉颈蝉驳: wakened; ghleac: struggled.

gur e ainm boireann a th鈥� ann an X: that X is a feminine name; cha bhiodh e iomchaidh X a bhith air boireannach mar ainm: it wouldn鈥檛 be appropriate to call a woman X; ghabh i trom ghaol air: she fell madly in love with; air leth maiseach: extremely beautiful; chuir i roimhpe cur 脿s do Fhraoch: she decided to kill Fraoch; aon n矛 a bhiodh na leigheas dhi: one thing that would cure her; mo thruaighe: [an expression of woe]; ach caorann an Eilein Fhuair, 鈥檚 gun duine ga bhuain ach Fraoch: except the rowan of the cold island, and nobody plucking it except Fraoch; bha biast mh貌r a鈥� fuireach aig a bonn: a great beast was living at its base; nuair a th脿inig i thuige: when she came around; 鈥檚 duibhe na fitheach b脿rr d鈥� fhuilt: blacker than a raven is the top of your hair; 鈥檚 gile na 鈥檔 gruth caoin do chneas: whiter than the smooth curds is your skin; 鈥檚 deirge na 鈥檔 caorann do dh脿 ghruaidh: redder than the rowan berry are your two cheeks; 鈥檚 truagh nach robh sgian aig X: it鈥檚 a pity X had no knife; togamaid a-nise an cuan Fhraoich: let us now pick up in Fraoch鈥檚 loch; corp an laoich an caisil-chr貌: the body of the hero on a wicker bier; 鈥檚 truagh nach ann an c貌mhrag laoch a thuit X: it鈥檚 a pity it wasn鈥檛 in a battle between [of] champions that X fell; mun d鈥� phronn mi de貌ir: before I shed tears; fhuair i 霉rachadh na cridhe: she was renewed in her heart; dh鈥檉h脿g a dosgainn i: her liability to cause trouble left her.听

脌th Maol Ruibhe: Amulree. The Gaelic form of this name is surely as good an example as we can get of why we should encourage bilingual signage. What does 鈥淎mulree鈥� mean to anyone (unless of course, you鈥檙e local and in the know)? Unless you鈥檝e heard it, would you even know how to pronounce it? Is it AM-ul-ree or am-UL-ree or am-ul-REE? Once you see the Gaelic (whose pronunciation is beyond dispute) you realise that here is a place dedicated to one of our most famous saints 鈥� Maol Rubha 鈥� who established a monastery in Applecross in 673 AD and who worked in many parts of Scotland. It means something! And the pronunciation of the anglicised form becomes fairly obvious too. The ford, now bridged, would have been crossed by countless thousands of cattle as this was a meeting point of droving roads.听

thuit i na neul: she fell in a [her] swoon.