大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu She貌ras Gunnach 鈥� no am Br脿isteach M貌r mar a chanadh daoine ris. Bha e na cheann-cinnidh aig na Gunnaich anns a鈥� ch貌igeamh linn deug. Agus bha caisteal aige ann an Ceann a鈥� Bhr脿ist no Kinbrace ann an D矛threabh Chat. Th脿inig coigreach agus fhuair e cuid na h-oidhche. Th脿inig dusan fear 貌g, 脿rd, eireachdail.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎n iad seo do mhic?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich an coigreach.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥溾�橲 iad,鈥� fhreagair am Br脿isteach M貌r, 鈥渁gus is beag an n脿ire a th鈥� orm gur ann leamsa a tha iad.鈥�

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔aodaidh tu a bhith moiteil asta,鈥� ars an coigreach. 鈥淐han eil mi e貌lach air aon duine ann an Gallaibh nach biodh farmadach dhiubh 鈥� ach a-mh脿in aonan.鈥�

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎gus c貌 e?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich am Br脿isteach M貌r.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢i fh矛n,鈥� fhreagair an srainnsear. Agus leig e a-mach c貌 e. 鈥淔aodaidh tu e貌las a chur orm a-nise,鈥� thuirt e. 鈥淐han eil eagal orm romhad, ged a tha sinn air a bhith nar dubh-n脿imhdean do ch猫ile, oir tha do chuid aoigheachd gam dh矛on an aghaidh cron. Is mise C猫ith Ackergill. Chuirinn mo dhusan mac an aghaidh do chuid fh猫in, a Ghunnaich, air latha sam bith a thogradh tu fh猫in, air bl脿r cothromach.鈥�

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Cho luath 鈥檚 a chuireadh an d霉bhlan, ghabhadh ris. Bhiodh tr矛 duine deug an aghaidh tr矛 duine deug, a h-uile duine dhiubh le l脿n armachd agus air muin eich. Bhiodh iad a鈥� coinneachadh ann an Gallaibh, ann an 脿ite a bha cho iomallach 鈥檚 nach b鈥� urrainn daoine eile gnothach a ghabhail ris a鈥� ch貌mhraig.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Chaidh aontachadh gum biodh na Gunnaich a鈥� dol a-steach don t-Srath Mh貌r ann an Gallaibh. Dh鈥檉haodadh iad stad aig allt sam bith a bha a鈥� ruith a-steach do dh鈥橴isge Gluta, far am faiceadh iad laoigh ag ionaltradh air a bhruaichean. Chaidh am Br脿isteach M貌r agus a dhusan mac air adhart agus r脿inig iad allt faisg air an 脿ite ris an canar An Gluta. A r猫ir an Urramaich D貌mhnall Saigeach, a sgr矛obh an cunntas, 鈥檚 e Allt nan Gamhna no 鈥渢he brook of the stirks鈥� a bh鈥� air an allt bho sin a-mach, ged nach eil an t-ainm air na mapaichean an-diugh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Nuair a th脿inig an d脿 bhuidhinn faisg air a ch猫ile, thug na Gunnaich an aire gun robh Clann Ch猫ith air a bhith ri foill. Bha dusan each aca, ach bha dithis ridire air gach each. Bu choma leis na Gunnaich, ge-t脿 鈥� cha robh iad a鈥� dol a theicheadh 脿 bl脿r a鈥� bhatail. Th脿inig iad far an each agus th貌isich an t-sabaid gharg. Bha na Gunnaich treun is gaisgeil ach bha cus n脿imhdean ann dhaibh. Chaidh an latha le Clann Ch猫ith. Chaidh am Br脿isteach M貌r agus seachdnar mhac a mharbhadh. Ghoid na C猫ithich a鈥� bhr脿iste ainmeil bho chorp a鈥� Bhr脿istich Mh貌ir. Agus ghoid iad claidheamh bhuaithe cuideachd.

Th猫ich an c貌ignear mhac eile aig a鈥� Bhr脿isteach Mh貌r agus chuir iad seachad an oidhche aig Allt Thorcuill, allt eile a鈥� tha sruthadh a-steach do dh鈥橴isge Gluta aig ceann shuas an t-sratha. Thathar ag r脿dh gun d鈥� fhuair an t-allt ainm leis gun do chuir fear de na br脿ithrean, Torcuill, bannan air na lotan aig c脿ch. Bha na mic claoidhte is le貌nte ach cha robh iad uile-gu-l猫ir ceannsaichte. Bha fear dhiubh, Eanraig, air leth feargach mu fhoill nan C猫itheach agus gheall e gum faigheadh e d矛oghaltas. Ch矛 sinn d猫 thachair an-ath-sheachdain.

Se貌ras Gunnach: George Gunn; Ceann a鈥� Bhr脿ist: Kinbrace; 肠貌颈驳谤别补肠丑: stranger; cuid na h-oidhche: a night鈥檚 accommodation; 诲耻产丑-苍脿颈尘丑诲别补苍: deadly enemies; C猫ith Ackergill: Keith of Ackergill (sometimes Keith is rendered K脿igh in pseudo-Gaelic spelling); Uisge Gluta: The Water of Glutt; An t-Urramach D貌mhnall Saigeach: Rev Donald Sage; garg: fierce; Eanraig: Henry.

mar a chanadh daoine ris: as people would call him; dusan fear 貌g, 脿rd, eireachdail: a dozen young, tall, handsome men; is beag an n脿ire a th鈥� orm gur ann leamsa a tha iad: I鈥檓 not ashamed [to say] they鈥檙e mine; moiteil asta: proud of them; chan eil mi e貌lach air aon duine ann an Gallaibh nach biodh farmadach dhiubh 鈥� ach a-mh脿in aonan: I don鈥檛 know one man in Caithness who would not be envious of them 鈥� except one; chan eil eagal orm romhad: I鈥檓 not afraid of you; tha do chuid aoigheachd gam dh矛on an aghaidh cron: your hospitality protects me from harm; latha sam bith a thogradh tu fh猫in, air bl脿r cothromach: on any day of your choosing, on a fair field; cho luath 鈥檚 a chuireadh an d霉bhlan, ghabhadh ris: as soon as the challenge was given, it was accepted; le l脿n armachd agus air muin eich: fully armed and on horseback; cho iomallach 鈥檚 nach b鈥� urrainn daoine eile gnothach a ghabhail ris a鈥� ch貌mhraig: so remote that no others could interfere with the combat; gun robh Clann Ch猫ith air a bhith ri foill: that the Keiths had been deceitful; dithis ridire: two mounted soldiers; 脿 bl脿r a鈥� bhatail: from the battlefield; treun is gaisgeil ach bha cus n脿imhdean ann dhaibh: brave and valorous but they had too many enemies; a ghoid iad claidheamh bhuaithe cuideachd: they stole a sword from him also; bannan air na lotan aig c脿ch: bandages on the others鈥� wounds; claoidhte is le貌nte ach cha robh iad uile-gu-l猫ir ceannsaichte: exhausted and wounded but they were not completely defeated; gheall e gum faigheadh e d矛oghaltas: he promised to get revenge.

Th脿inig iad far an each: they came off their horses. In Litir 66 (25.08.00) I explained far an eich (鈥渙ff/from the horse鈥�) 鈥� far takes the genitive case, in that case the genitive singular. In the current Litir, we have a plural situation. The genitive plural of each is each (the same as the nominative singular) as in Meall nan Each (the hill of the horses) and 谤猫颈蝉-别补肠丑 (a horse race, race of horses). 鈥淥ff the horses鈥� would be far nan each. But in the Litir, the possessive pronoun (third person plural) takes the place of the article so that 鈥渇rom their horses鈥� is far an each. 鈥淥ff our horses鈥� would be far ar n-each.

thug na Gunnaich an aire: The Gunns noticed.