大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun Bhrataich Sh矛th 鈥� no Fairy Flag 鈥揳nn an Caisteal Dh霉n Bheagain anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Bhathar ag r脿dh 鈥� nuair a bhiodh i air a togail aig 脿m sp脿irne, gun tigeadh feachd mh貌r sh矛thichean. Bhiodh na s矛thichean a鈥� toirt taic do na daoine leis an robh a鈥� bhratach.

听 听听Ge-t脿, bha c霉mhnant an cois sin. Bhiodh e a鈥� tachairt d矛reach tr矛 tursan. 脌s d猫idh sin, chan obraicheadh draoidheachd na brataich tuilleadh. No, nas miosa na sin, thachradh sgrios. Thuirt Coinneach Odhar, am fiosaiche, a r猫ir choltais, gum faigheadh an ceathramh Tormod 鈥� an ceann-cinnidh 鈥� b脿s ann an tubaist; gun gabhadh Caimbeulach sealbh air na stacan air a bheil 鈥淢aighdeannan MhicLe貌id鈥�; gum biodh 脿l aig galla sionnaich ann an t霉r ann an Caisteal Dh霉n Bheagain; agus gum biodh a鈥� Bhratach Sh矛th air a toirt a-mach airson an treas turais. Nuair a thachradh a h-uile c脿il a bha sin, thuirt e, dh鈥檉halbhadh gl貌ir nan Le貌dach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach cia mheud turas a thogadh a鈥� bhratach? Chan eil sin soilleir. Agus chan eil e soilleir 鈥� ged a bha i an l脿thair aig batail no dh脿, an robh i air a toirt a-mach is air a sealltainn do na saighdearan. A r猫ir beul-aithris, bha i an cois nan Le貌dach aig Bl脿r B脿gh na Fala ann am Muile timcheall na bliadhna ceithir cheud deug is ochdad (1480). Bha na Le貌daich a鈥� toirt taic do E貌in, Tighearna nan Eilean, ann an cogadh an aghaidh a mhic, Aonghas 脪g. Feumaidh nach deach a鈥� bhratach a thogail air an latha sin oir chaill E貌in.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Cuin, ma-th脿, le cinnt a chaidh a鈥� Bhratach Sh矛th a thoirt a-mach 脿s a鈥� bhogsa sa bheil i, is a thogail air beulaibh dhaoine? 鈥橲 d貌cha aig cathannan eadar na fineachan anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Cathannan leithid ann an Gleann Sligeachan aig deireadh a鈥� cheathraimh linn deug, Gleann Dail anns a鈥� ch貌igeamh linn deug, no san Tr霉mpan no Bhatairnis anns an t-siathamh linn deug.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Anns an Tr霉mpan, chuir feachd de Dh貌mhnallaich Chlann Raghnaill 脿 Uibhist teine ri eaglais nuair a bha coitheanal Le貌dach na broinn. Rinn iad sgrios agus chaidh mnathan is clann gu le貌r a mharbhadh. Ach mus d鈥� fhuair muinntir Chlann Raghnaill air falbh, th脿inig feachd Le貌dach 脿 D霉n Bheagain. Cha robh m貌ran dhiubh ann ach thug iad leotha a鈥� Bhratach Sh矛th. Sa mhionaid a chaidh a鈥� bhratach a thogail, bha coltas ann gun robh na ceudan ghaisgeach aig na Le貌daich. Rinn iad a鈥� ch霉is air na D貌mhnallaich. 鈥橲 e gl猫 bheag de na D貌mhnallaich a rinn dol-脿s.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha cuid ag r脿dh nach deach a鈥� Bhratach Sh矛th a thoirt a-mach ach d脿 thuras thuige seo. Ge-t脿, tha aithris ann gun deach a toirt a-mach ann an d矛omhaireachd airson treas turais ann an seachd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a naoi (1799). Goirid 脿s d猫idh sin, fhuair an ceathramh Tormod ann an sreath a bha na cheann-cinnidh b脿s aig muir; cheannaich Caimbeulach Maighdeannan MhicLe貌id; rugadh 脿l do ghalla sionnaich a bha na peata do dh鈥檉hear MacIlleathain a bha a鈥� fuireach ann an t霉r ann an Caisteal Dh霉n Bheagain; agus shearg m貌ran dhen chumhachd is gl貌ir a bh鈥� aig Clann 鈥檌c Le貌id o shean. Ach thuirt Coinneach Odhar aon rud eile 鈥� gun tilleadh an gl貌ir dhaibh nuair a dh鈥櫭╥readh ceann-cinnidh 霉r air an robh Iain Breac. 鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheilear a鈥� feitheamh ris fhathast.

A鈥� Bhratach Sh矛th: The Fairy Flag; Caisteal Dh霉n Bheagain: Dunvegan Castle; Coinneach Odhar: The Brahan Seer; ceann-cinnidh: clan chief; an l脿thair: present; Bl脿r B脿gh na Fala: The Battle of Bloody Bay; Muile: Mull; Tighearna nan Eilean: The Lord of the Isles; Bhatairnis: 痴补迟别谤苍颈蝉丑.听

aig 脿m sp脿irne: at a time of conflict; gun tigeadh feachd mh貌r sh矛thichean: that a big host of fairies would come; bha c霉mhnant an cois sin: there was a condition attached to that; chan obraicheadh draoidheachd na brataich tuilleadh: the flag鈥檚 magic wouldn鈥檛 work any more; gum faigheadh an ceathramh Tormod b脿s ann an tubaist: that the fourth Norman would die in an accident; na stacan air a bheil 鈥淢aighdeannan MhicLe貌id鈥�: the stacks called 鈥淢acLeod鈥檚 Maidens鈥�; nuair a thachradh a h-uile c脿il a bha sin: when all of that happened; dh鈥檉halbhadh gl貌ir nan Le貌dach: the MacLeods鈥� glory would disappear; an robh i air a sealltainn do na saighdearan?: was it shown to the soldiers?; air beulaibh: in front of; cathannan eadar na fineachan: battles between the clans; Gleann Dail anns a鈥� ch貌igeamh linn deug: Glendale in the fifteenth century; feachd de Dh貌mhnallaich Chlann Raghnaill 脿 Uibhist: a host of MacDonalds of Clanranald from Uist; nuair a bha coitheanal Le貌dach na broinn: when a MacLeod congregation was inside; 鈥檚 e gl猫 bheag a rinn dol-脿s: very few escaped; shearg m貌ran dhen chumhachd is gl貌ir a bh鈥� aig X o shean: much of X鈥檚 old power and glory withered away; nuair a dh鈥櫭╥readh ceann-cinnidh 霉r air an robh Iain Breac: when a new clan chief arose called pock-marked John.

nach deach a鈥� Bhratach Sh矛th a thoirt a-mach ach d脿 thuras thuige seo. Ge-t脿, tha aithris ann gun deach a toirt a-mach ann an d矛omhaireachd airson treas turais. That the Fairy Flag was only taken out twice to this point in time. However, there is a report that it was taken out secretly for a third time. Are you clear as to why we say a thoirt a-mach in the first sentence but a toirt a-mach in the second? In the first the noun is present so the verbal noun is lenited (this is a general rule in passives made with 鈥渞ach鈥� regardless of whether the noun is masculine or feminine, singular or plural). However, in the second sentence there is no noun; we use instead the possessive article with the verbal noun (literally we say 鈥渉er taking out鈥�). As the feminine third person singular possessive does not lenite a noun, we get toirt rather than thoirt. 鈥�That they were taken out鈥� would be 鈥�gun deach an toirt a-mach鈥�.

rugadh 脿l do ghalla sionnaich: a vixen had a litter.

听

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