大象传媒

Bidh daoine a鈥� faighneachd dh矛om, 鈥淎n e facal G脿idhlig a th鈥� ann an Hogmanay?鈥� Uill, chan e. Th脿inig Hogmanay don Bheurla is Albais bhon Fhraingis 丑辞驳耻颈苍补苍茅. Th脿inig sin bhon t-seann Fhraingis aguillaneuf, a鈥� ciallachadh tiodhlac a bhite a鈥� toirt seachad air an oidhche mu dheireadh dhen bhliadhna.

鈥橲 e a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air Hogmanay A鈥� Challainn no Oidhche Challainn. Tha Callainn a鈥� tighinn bhon Laidinn calendae, a鈥� ciallachadh a鈥� chiad latha dhen mh矛os. 鈥橲 ann 脿s a sin a tha sinn a鈥� faighinn na Beurla calends. Agus tha an aon fhreumh aig calendar.

Gu traidiseanta air Oidhche Challainn, bhiodh na balaich a鈥� ruith timcheall, a鈥� cluich iomain agus a鈥� d猫anamh mhucan sneachda. Bhiodh fear dhiubh a鈥� cur seiche mairt timcheall a chinn. Bhiodh na balaich a鈥� bualadh na seiche, a鈥� d猫anamh fuaim coltach ri druma. Bhiodh an c貌mhlan a鈥� dol timcheall gach taigh anns a鈥� bhaile tr矛 tursan deiseil. Gach turas a thigeadh iad gu doras, dh鈥櫭╥gheadh iad:

A Challainn a鈥� bhuilg bhuidhe bhoicinn,

Buail an craiceann air an tobhta

Cailleach sa chill, cailleach sa ch霉il,

Cailleach eile 鈥檔 c霉il an teine,

Bior na d脿 sh霉il, bior na goile

A鈥� Challainn seo, leig a-staigh mi!

Mus fhaigheadh na balaich a-steach bha aca ri rann aithris. Tha mi a鈥� dol a dh鈥檃ithris p脿irt de rann Callainn traidiseanta dhuibh. Ach feumaidh mi abairt chudromach a mh矛neachadh an toiseach. 鈥橲 e sin caisean Callainn. Nise, chan e seo c脿ise Callainn 鈥� ged a bha c脿ise cudromach aig 脿m na Bliadhn鈥� 脵ire cuideachd. Tha caisean a鈥� ciallachadh rud sam bith a tha cas no dualach 鈥� curled ann am Beurla. Agus 鈥檚 e caisean uchd no caisean Callainn an stiall-fhe貌la a tha fon chn脿imh bhroillich aig caora no a leithid.

Bhite a鈥� marbhadh caora airson na Nollaig. Agus bhite a鈥� cumail na st猫ill-fhe貌la sin airson an caisean Callainn a dh猫anamh. Nuair a thigeadh na balaich a-steach don taigh, 脿s d猫idh dhaibh rann Callainn aithris, bhiodh fear an taighe a鈥� suaineadh a鈥� chaisein Challainn timcheall ceann a-mach camain. Bhiodh an fhe貌il air a d脿thadh anns an teine. Bhiodh i air a cur tr矛 tursan deiseil timcheall a鈥� ch貌mhlain, agus air a cur ri sr貌n gach duine. Bhathar a鈥� creidsinn gun obraicheadh sin mar gheas an aghaidh dhroch spioradan. Seo a-nise p脿irt de rann Callainn:

Th脿inig mise seo air t霉s

A dh鈥櫭箁achadh na Callainn,

Cha ruig mi leas a bhith ga innse,

Bha i ann ri linn mo sheanar.

Caisean Callainn na mo ph貌ca

鈥橲 math an ce貌 thig 脿s an fhear ud,

Gheibh fear an taighe e air th霉s

鈥橲 cuiridh e shr貌n san teallach.

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Seo a-nise p矛os eile dhen rann:

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脠irich a-nuas, a bhean ch貌ir

鈥橲 a鈥� bhean 貌g a choisinn cli霉,

脠irich a-n矛os, mar bu dual,

鈥橲 thoir a-nuas ar Callainn dhuinn.

A鈥� ch脿bag air 鈥檅heil an aghaidh r猫idh

鈥檚 an t-矛m nach do bheum s霉il,

Agus mura bheil sin agad air ch貌ir

F貌ghnaidh aran 鈥檚 fe貌il dhuinn.

Tha bogan na mo bhr貌gan

鈥橲 tha mo mhe貌irean air an gearradh,

Is ann a-staigh, taobh an teine

Tha an rud a n矛 mo leigheas,

鈥橲 ma tha 脿it鈥� agad gu gluasad,

脠irich 鈥檚 thoir a-nuas a鈥� ghlainne.

Sin e bho Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh airson na Bliadhna d脿 mh矛le 鈥檚 a deich (2010). Tha mi an d貌chas gun toir a鈥� Bhliadhna 脵r sonas is s矛th dhuibh uile.

tiodhlac a bhite a鈥� toirt seachad: present that would be given; seiche mairt timcheall a chinn: a cow hide around his head; gach turas a thigeadh iad gu doras, dh鈥櫭╥gheadh iad: every time they came [would come] to a door, they would shout; a鈥� bhuilg bhuidhe bhoicinn: of the yellow bag of hide; buail an craiceann air an tobhta: hit the skin on the wall; cailleach sa chill: an old woman in the graveyard; 鈥檔 c霉il an teine: in the fire nook; bior na d脿 sh霉il, bior na goile: a pointed stick in her two eyes, a pointed stick in her stomach; bha aca ri: they had to; an stiall-fhe貌la a tha fon chn脿imh bhroillich aig caora: the strip of flesh that is below the breastbone of a sheep; bhite a鈥� marbhadh caora: a sheep would be killed; air a d脿thadh: singed; cha ruig mi leas a bhith ga innse: I don鈥檛 need to be telling it; ri linn mo sheanar: in my grandfather鈥檚 time; cuiridh e shr貌n san teallach: he鈥檒l put its nose in the fire; 猫irich a-nuas, a bhean ch貌ir: rise and come down, good wife; 猫irich a-n矛os, mar bu dual: rise and come up, as is your wont; a鈥� ch脿bag air 鈥檅heil an aghaidh r猫idh: the cheese that has the smooth face; 矛m nach do bheum s霉il: butter that did not strike eye; mura bheil sin agad air ch貌ir: if you do not have that near you; f貌ghnaidh aran 鈥檚 fe貌il dhuinn: bread and meat will suffice; bogan na mo bhr貌gan: water in my shoes; tha mo mhe貌irean air an gearradh: my fingers are cut; ma tha 脿it鈥� agad gu gluasad: if you have room to move.

Don鈥檛 confuse caisean Callainn with c脿ise Callainn (note the accented 鈥渁鈥�). The latter is Hogmanay cheese. A piece of c脿ise Callainn was cut, preserved and a hole made through it. John Gregorson Campbell, the collector of Gaelic folklore, said that 鈥渁 person losing his way during the ensuing year, in a mist or otherwise, has only to look through the hole and he will see his way clearly.鈥� The caisean uchd or caisean Callainn was the breast-stripe of a sheep. It was wrapped around the end of a shinty stick, singed in the fire and put three times deiseil (sunwise) around the group and held to the noses of all. No drink was taken until this ceremony had been performed.

a鈥� d猫anamh mhucan sneachda: making enormous snowballs. A muc-shneachda (鈥渟now-pig鈥�) is a gigantic snowball of the type you get by rolling a snowball in more snow.

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