大象传媒

A r猫ir beul-aithris ann an Eilean Le貌dhais, thuirt fear ainmeil na faclan a leanas o chionn c貌rr is ceithir cheud bliadhna: 鈥�Nam bithinn air deic luinge far am bu duilich do fhear seasamh, sti霉ireadh na mara gu tric, cha bhodach mise dhut, a mhacain.鈥� Nise, chan eil mi buileach cinnteach mun Gh脿idhlig 鈥� agus co-dhi霉 tha i uile-gu-l猫ir ceart. Ach sin mar a thathar ag aithris na c霉ise. Agus c貌 bha anns an duine nach robh toilichte gun do ghabh fear eile 鈥渂odach鈥� air? Niall MacLe貌id. Thuirt e na faclan sin ann an D霉n 脠ideann air an treas latha dhen Ghiblean sia ceud deug is tr矛-deug (1613). Bha an crochadair a鈥� feitheamh ris.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Aig deireadh an t-siathamh linn deug agus toiseach an t-seachdamh linn deug, chaidh buidheann de Ghoill 脿 F矛obh gu ruige Ste貌rnabhagh. Bha iad ag amas air tuineachas a dh猫anamh, agus Le貌dhas a dh猫anamh Gallta agus d矛leas don R矛gh, Seumas VI. Sheas Niall MacLe貌id, Niall Odhar, agus Le貌daich eile, nan aghaidh. Thug iad ionnsaigh air d霉n nam F矛obhach. Rinn iad sgrios air, agus chuir iad na F矛obhaich air ais gu t矛r-m貌r. Bhiodh cuid a鈥� tomhas N猫ill mar eucoireach. Ach, mura b鈥� e Niall agus a ch脿irdean, am biodh Eilean Le貌dhais air a Gh脿idhlig a chall o chionn fhada?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha an riaghaltas ann an D霉n 脠ideann m矛-thoilichte. Thug iad cead do cheann-cinnidh Clann 鈥檌c Coinnich Chinn T脿ile a dhol an t貌ir air Niall 脿s leth a鈥� Chr霉in. Chaidh Niall agus buidheann de luchd-taice a dh鈥檉huireach ann an eilean beag Bhearasaigh far cladach an iar Le貌dhais.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Fhad 鈥檚 a bha Niall ann am Bearasaigh, fhuair e a-steach air sp霉inneadair Sasannach. As t-samhradh sia ceud deug is deich (1610), nochd an long, am Priam, ann an uisgeachan taobh an iar Le貌dhais. B鈥� e Peter Love an sgiobair oirre. Bha Love, a r猫ir aithris, a 鈥淟ewis鈥� eile 鈥� Lewes ann an Sussex. Bha st貌ras m貌r aige de rudan luachmhor air b貌rd.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Thug Niall comraich do Love. Ach rinn e brath air. Chuir e Love agus a chriutha ann an gr猫im agus thug e seachad iad don riaghaltas. Bha MacLe貌id an d貌chas maitheanas fhaighinn bhon riaghaltas airson na rinn e air na F矛obhaich. Ach cha d鈥� fhuair. Agus chaidh Love a chrochadh gu b脿s ann an L矛te ann an sia ceud deug is deich (1610).

听听听听听听听听听听听 A r猫ir beul-aithris, dh鈥檉h脿g Niall Bearasaigh nuair a chuir Clann 鈥檌c Coinnich mnathan is c脿irdean an fheadhainn anns an eilean air sgeir a bhiodh air a c貌mhdachadh leis an l脿n. Chaidh Niall gu ruige Na Hearadh far an do chuir e e fh猫in ann an l脿mhan a鈥� chinn-chinnidh, Ruairidh MacLe貌id. Bha Ruairidh a鈥� dol a thoirt N猫ill a Lunnainn airson coinneachadh ris an R矛gh. Ach nuair a r脿inig iad Glaschu, dh鈥檌arradh air Ruairidh Niall a thoirt a Dh霉n 脠ideann, agus rinn e sin.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Th脿inig latha a鈥� chrochaidh. Bha Niall dhen bheachd gun tigeadh 貌rdugh maitheanais aig a鈥� mhionaid mu dheireadh. Cha robh e ann an cabhaig an r貌p fhaighinn timcheall amhaich. Bha fear de na crochadairean m矛-fhoighidneach. 鈥淐ome on, Bodach,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥渨e haven鈥檛 got all day.鈥� Dh鈥櫭╥gh MacLe貌id, 鈥淣am bithinn air deic luinge far am bu duilich do fhear seasamh, sti霉ireadh na mara gu tric, cha bhodach mise dhut, a mhacain.鈥� Ach an t脿inig maitheanas aig a鈥� mhionaid mu dheireadh? Innsidh mi dhuibh anns an ath Litir.

crochadair: hangman; 尝别貌诲补颈肠丑: MacLeods; Bearasaigh: Berisay; uisgeachan: waters; comraich: sanctuary; 尝矛迟别: Leith.

bha an crochaire a鈥� feitheamh ris: the hangman was waiting for him; chaidh buidheann de Ghoill 脿 F矛obh gu ruige Ste貌rnabhagh: a band of Lowlanders from Fife went to Stornoway; ag amas air tuineachas a dh猫anamh: aiming to set up a colony; Le貌dhas a dh猫anamh Gallta: to make Lewis Lowland in character; bhiodh cuid a鈥� tomhas N猫ill mar eucoireach: some would reckon Neil a criminal; mura b鈥� e X: if it weren鈥檛 for X; thug iad cead do cheann-cinnidh Clann 鈥檌c Coinnich Chinn T脿ile dhol an t貌ir air Niall: they gave permission to the clan chief of the Mackenzies of Kintail to pursue Neil; 脿s leth a鈥� Chr霉in: on behalf of the Crown; bha st貌ras m貌r aige de rudan luachmhor air b貌rd: he had a big store of valuable items on board; an d貌chas maitheanas fhaighinn bhon riaghaltas: hoping to receive a pardon from the government; airson na rinn e air na F矛obhaich: for what he did to the Fifers; nuair a chuir X mnathan is c脿irdean an fheadhainn anns an eilean air sgeir: when X put the wives and relations of those on the island on a skerry; air a c貌mhdachadh leis an l脿n: covered by the high tide; gu ruige Na Hearadh far an do chuir e e fh猫in ann an l脿mhan a鈥� chinn-chinnidh: to Harris where he put himself in the hands of the clan chief; dh鈥檌arradh air Ruairidh Niall a thoirt a Dh霉n 脠ideann: Ruairidh was asked to take Neil to Edinburgh; gun tigeadh 貌rdugh maitheanais: that an order of pardon would come; ann an cabhaig an r貌p fhaighinn timcheall amhaich: in a hurry to get the rope around his neck.

Nam bithinn air deic luinge far am bu duilich do fhear seasamh, sti霉ireadh na mara gu tric, cha bhodach mise dhut, a mhacain: this means, 鈥淚f I were on the deck of a ship where it was difficult to stand, often navigating the sea, I wouldn鈥檛 be an old man to you, laddie.鈥� I feel that the quote is possibly incorrect. I think it likely that what he really said was, 鈥�Nam bithinn air deic luinge far am bu dual dhomh a bhith a鈥� seasamh, a鈥� sti霉ireadh na mara gu tric, cha [bu] bhodach mise dhut, a mhacain.鈥� This would mean 鈥淚f I were on the deck of a ship where I would be accustomed to stand, often navigating the sea, I wouldn鈥檛 be an old man to you, laddie.鈥� Any thoughts from a reader?

fhuair e a-steach air sp霉inneadair Sasannach: he got pally with an English pirate.

听

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