大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun Bhrataich Sh矛th 鈥� no Fairy Flag. Tha i ann an Caisteal Dh霉n Bheagain anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Bha daoine ag r脿dh 鈥� nuair a tha i air a togail aig 脿m sp脿irne, gun tig feachd sh矛thichean. Bidh na s矛thichean a鈥� toirt taic do na daoine aig a bheil a鈥� bhratach.

Ach tha c霉mhnant ann. Tha e a鈥� dol a thachairt tr矛 tursan. 脌s d猫idh sin, cha bhi a鈥� bhratach ag obair a-rithist. No, nas miosa na sin, bidh sgrios ann. Thuirt am fiosaiche ainmeil, Coinneach Odhar, gun robh ceithir rudan a鈥� dol a thachairt. Bhiodh an ceathramh Tormod (an ceann-cinnidh) a鈥� faighinn b脿s ann an tubaist; bhiodh Caimbeulach a鈥� faighinn sealbh air na stacan air a bheil 鈥淢aighdeannan MhicLe貌id鈥�; bhiodh 脿l aig sionnach ann an Caisteal Dh霉n Bheagain; agus bhiodh a鈥� Bhratach Sh矛th a-mach airson an treas turais. Nuair a bha a h-uile c脿il sin ann, bhiodh gl貌ir nan Le貌dach a鈥� falbh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ach cia mheud turas a thogadh a鈥� bhratach? Tha cuid ag r脿dh d矛reach d脿 thuras. 鈥橲 d貌cha aig Bl脿r B脿gh na Fala ann am Muile timcheall ceithir cheud deug is ochdad (1480). No 鈥檚 d貌cha anns an Eilean Sgitheanach fh猫in. Mar eisimpleir, bha cath anns an Tr霉mpan. Chuir feachd de Dh貌mhnallaich Chlann Raghnaill 脿 Uibhist teine ri eaglais. Bha coitheanal Le貌dach anns an eaglais. Ach th脿inig feachd Le貌dach 脿 D霉n Bheagain. Thug iad leotha a鈥� Bhratach Sh矛th. Thogadh a鈥� bhratach. Rinn iad a鈥� ch霉is air na D貌mhnallaich.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tha aithris ann gun deach a鈥� Bhratach Sh矛th a thoirt a-mach ann an d矛omhaireachd airson treas turais. Bha sin ann an seachd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a naoi (1799). Goirid 脿s d猫idh sin, fhuair an ceathramh Tormod b脿s aig muir. Cheannaich Caimbeulach Maighdeannan MhicLe貌id. Rugadh 脿l do shionnach ann an Caisteal Dh霉n Bheagain. Agus dh鈥檉halbh m貌ran dhen chumhachd is gl貌ir a bh鈥� aig Clann 鈥檌c Le貌id. D矛reach mar a thuirt Coinneach Odhar.

I was telling you about the Bratach Sh矛th 鈥� or Fairy Flag. It鈥檚 in Dunvegan Castle on Skye. People were saying 鈥� when it鈥檚 raised at a time of conflict, that a fairy host will come. The fairies will give help to the people who have the flag.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But there鈥檚 a condition. It鈥檚 going to happen three times. After that, the flag will not work again. Or, worse than that, there will be a disaster. The famous seer, the Brahan Seer, said that four things were going to happen. The fourth Norman (the clan chief) would die in an accident; a Campbell would gain ownership of the stacks called 鈥淢acLeod鈥檚 Maidens鈥�; a fox would give birth to a litter in Dunvegan Castle; and the Fairy Flag would be unfurled for the third time. When all of that had happened, the Mac-Leods鈥� glory would disappear.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But how many times was the flag raised? Some say just twice. Perhaps at the Battle of Bloody Bay in Mull around 1480. Or perhaps on Skye itself. For example, there was a battle in Trumpan. A force of MacDonalds of Clanranald from Uist set fire to a church. There was a MacLeod con-gregation inside. But a force of MacLeods came from Dunvegan. They took with them the Fairy Flag. The flag was raised. They defeated the MacDonalds.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It is reported that the Fairy Flag was taken out in secret for a third time. That was in 1799. Shortly after that, the fourth Norman died at sea. A Campbell bought MacLeod鈥檚 Maidens. A fox had a litter in Dunvegan Castle. And much of the power and glory of the MacLeods disappeared. Just as the Brahan Seer had said.