大象传媒

Nuair a tha i air a togail aig 脿m sp脿irne, thig na s矛thichean is bheir iad taic do na daoine leis a bheil i. Tachraidh sin, ge-t脿, d矛reach tr矛 tursan. 脌s d猫idh sin, chan obraich i tuilleadh. C貌 air a tha mi a-mach? Rudeigin anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Rudeigin ainmeil a bha, agus a tha, le Clann 鈥檌c Le貌id. Clann 鈥檌c Le貌id Dh霉n Bheagain.

Tha mi cinnteach, ma tha sibh e貌lach air eachdraidh an Eilein Sgitheanaich, gum bi fios agaibh gu bheil mi a鈥� bruidhinn mun Bhrataich Sh矛th 鈥� The Fairy Flag. Tha a鈥� bhratach seo air a d猫anamh de sh矛oda. Tha i air a cumail ann an Caisteal Dh霉n Bheagain. Tha i uabhasach sean. Agus uabhasach pr矛seil.

A r猫ir st貌iridh 脿 beul-aithris, bha Le貌dach air choreigin air eilthireachd don T矛r Naoimh. Bha e an s脿s ann an Cogaidhean na Croise. Latha a bha seo, bha ar gaisgeach a鈥� dol tarsainn abhainn nuair a thug s矛thiche ionnsaigh air. Bha str矛 mh貌r ann eadar an dithis. Ach rinn MacLe貌id a鈥� ch霉is air an t-s矛thiche. Mar thoradh air a bhuaidh, thug an s矛thiche duais do MhacLe貌id. 鈥橲 e a bh鈥� ann bogsa fiodha anns an robh bogsaichean na bu lugha, an ath fhear na bu lugha na 鈥檓 fear roimhe. Bha iad car coltach ris na li霉dhagan ainmeil Ruiseanach air am bi sibh e貌lach.

Dh鈥檉hosgail MacLe貌id bogsa 脿s d猫idh bogsa. Dh鈥檉hosgail e am bogsa mu dheireadh. Na bhroinn bha ce脿rnag de sh矛oda buidhe. 鈥橲 e bratach a bh鈥� ann 鈥� A鈥� Bhratach Sh矛th. Agus bha dualchas na cois. Nan togadh neach a鈥� bhratach, nochdadh sluagh m貌r de ghaisgich armaichte airson taic a thoirt dha.

Ach bha rabhadh na cois cuideachd. Nan robh i air a togail taobh a-staigh latha is bliadhna bhon latha sin, chan fh脿sadh b脿rr sam bith air an fhearann aig a鈥� ghaisgeach Le貌dach airson latha is bliadhna eile. Tron 霉ine sin, cha bhiodh uain aig caoraich, no laoigh aig crodh, no leanabh aig teaghlach air an fhearann sin.

Thill MacLe貌id don Eilean Sgitheanach agus thug e am bogsa don cheann-chinnidh aige. Thug an ceann-cinnidh am bogsa do a bhean. Agus thachair e d矛reach mar a chaidh innse ro l脿imh. Nochd arm sh矛thichean. Ach cha do dh鈥檉h脿s b脿rr. Agus cha do rugadh uan, laogh no leanabh 鈥� airson latha is bliadhna.

Chan eil fhios c貌 脿s a th脿inig a鈥� bhratach bho th霉s. Tha beachd ann gum buineadh i o shean do R矛gh Nirribhidh 鈥� Harald Hardradr. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun t脿inig an s矛oda, 脿s an deach a鈥� bhratach a thogail, 脿s an Ear-mheadhanach. Agus, na 貌ige, bha Harald ag obair do dh鈥櫭宮pire Chonstantinople. Bha a鈥� bhratach a鈥� barantachadh buaidh ann an cath. Chan eil mi cinnteach, ge-t脿, an robh i aig Harald aig Bl脿r Drochaid Stamford anns a鈥� bhliadhna m矛le, seasgad 鈥檚 a sia (1066). Chaill Harald an sin do dh鈥檃rm nan Sasannach.

Anns an arm aige air an latha sin bha fear Goraidh Cr貌bhan, a tha ainmeil ann an eachdraidh nan G脿idheal. Dh鈥櫭╥rich Goraidh gu bhith na cheannard air r矛oghachd a bha a鈥� gabhail a-steach Eilean Mhanainn agus p脿irtean de dh鈥橝lba is 脠irinn. An d鈥� fhuair esan a鈥� Bhratach Sh矛th bho Harald? Agus an d鈥� fhuair a鈥� chiad Le貌dach i bho Ghoraidh? C貌 aige a tha fios. Bheir sinn s霉il a bharrachd air a鈥� Bhrataich Sh矛th an ath-sheachdain.

蝉矛迟丑颈肠丑别补苍: fairies; Clann 鈥檌c Le貌id Dh霉n Bheagain: Clan MacLeod of Dunvegan; a鈥� Bhratach Sh矛th: The Fairy Flag; duais: reward; rabhadh: warning; ceann-cinnidh: clan chief; Goraidh Cr貌bhan: Godred Crovan; Eilean Mhanainn: Isle of Man.

nuair a tha i air a togail aig 脿m sp脿irne: when it is raised at a time of conflict; bheir iad taic do na daoine leis a bheil i: they will give help to the people that own it; tachraidh sin, ge-t脿, d矛reach tr矛 tursan: that will happen, however, only three times; chan obraich i tuilleadh: it won鈥檛 work any more; de sh矛oda: of silk; bha Le貌dach air choreigin air eilthireachd don T矛r Naoimh: some MacLeod or other was on a journey to the Holy Land; bha ar gaisgeach a鈥� dol tarsainn abhainn: our hero was crossing a river; rinn X a鈥� ch霉is air Y: X defeated Y; mar thoradh air a bhuaidh: in recognition of his victory; bogsa fiodha anns an robh bogsaichean na bu lugha: a wooden box in which there were smaller boxes; an ath fhear na bu lugha na 鈥檓 fear roimhe: the next one smaller than the previous one; na li霉dhagan ainmeil Ruiseanach: the famous Russian dolls; air am bi sibh e貌lach: that you will know; ce脿rnag de sh矛oda buidhe: a square of yellow silk; nan togadh neach a鈥� bhratach: if a person picked up the flag; nochdadh sluagh m貌r de ghaisgich armaichte: a large host of armed warriors would appear; chan fh脿sadh b脿rr air an fhearann: no crop would grow on the land; cha bhiodh uain aig caoraich, no laoigh aig crodh, no leanabh aig teaghlach: no sheep would have lambs, no cows calves and no family a child; gum buineadh i o shean do R矛gh Nirribhidh: that it belonged in olden times to the King of Norway; 脿s an Ear-mheadhanach: from the Middle East; a鈥� barantachadh buaidh ann an cath: guaranteeing victory in battle; an d鈥� fhuair a鈥� chiad Le貌dach i bho?: did the first MacLeod get it from?

bha dualchas na cois. There was a heritage accompanying it. I explained the usage of the compound preposition an cois (鈥渂eside, accompanying鈥�) in Litir 276 (08.10.04). In this Litir I have used it combined with a prepositional pronoun associated with ann (where English would use a personal pronoun eg 鈥渂eside her鈥� rather than a noun eg 鈥渂eside the road鈥�). Here鈥檚 how it will appear with all the persons: nam chois (beside me), nad chois (beside you), na chois (beside him), na cois (beside her), nar cois (beside us), nur cois (beside you), nan cois (beside them). In the Litir, I say na cois because the word bratach is feminine.

Cogaidhean na Croise: The Crusades [the wars of the cross].

听

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