大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun Bhr脿isteach Mh貌r, Se貌ras Gunnach, ceann-cinnidh nan Gunnach is mar a thug e ainm do Cheann a鈥� Bhr脿ist no Kinbrace. Dh鈥檌nns mi mar a chaidh e fh猫in agus seachdnar mhac aige a mharbhadh ann an c貌mhrag le Clann Ch猫ith Ackergill. Nochd a dh脿 uiread de cheatharnaich aig na C猫ithich 鈥檚 a chaidh aontachadh ro l脿imh. Ghoid na C猫ithich a鈥� bhr脿iste ainmeil agus claidheamh bho chorp a鈥� Bhr脿istich Mh貌ir.

Th猫ich an c貌ignear mhac eile aig a鈥� Bhr脿isteach Mh貌r. Bha fear dhiubh, Eanraig, feargach mu fhoill nan C猫itheach. Gheall e gum faigheadh e d矛oghaltas orra. Agus chuir e roimhe a鈥� bhr脿ist agus an claidheamh fhaighinn air ais. Cha robh na br脿ithrean aontaichte, ge-t脿. Dhi霉lt am fear a bu shine, Seumas, agus fear eile dhiubh an gnothach a thoirt na b鈥� fhaide. Thuirt Seumas gum faigheadh iad uile b脿s. Ach dh鈥檉halbh Eanraig agus dithis eile de a bhr脿ithrean an t貌ir air na C猫ithich.

Lorg iad iad aig Caisteal Dhirlot ann am meadhan Ghallaibh (chan eil ann a-nise dhen chaisteal ach tobhta). Bha an caisteal air mullach creige l脿imh ri Abhainn The貌rsa. Shreap na br脿ithrean a鈥� chreag gu socair, s脿mhach gun fhiosta don fheadhainn a bha am broinn a鈥� chaisteil. Dh鈥檉h脿g Eanraig a dhithis bhr脿ithrean aig an doras agus chaidh e fh猫in gu uinneag. Gu fortanach dha, bha an uinneag fosgailte. Chunnaic Eanraig na C猫ithich ag 貌l leann agus a鈥� c貌mhradh ri ch猫ile. Bha an ceann-cinnidh na shuidhe ri taobh an fhir leis an robh an caisteal. Bha clogaid air fhathast, ach bha a鈥� chidhis 鈥� no vizor 鈥� fosgailte.

Gu h-iongantach, bha an C猫itheach a鈥� bruidhinn air Eanraig fh猫in, oir bha e air a ghaisge a dhearbhadh air bl脿r a鈥� bhatail. Nam biodh a h-uile Gunnach air sabaid mar Eanraig, thuirt e, bha an latha air a dhol leotha. 鈥淒eoch-sl脿inte dha,鈥� thuirt an C猫itheach. Ach nuair a chuir e a鈥� chuach do a bhilean, leig Eanraig saighead dha ionnsaigh bhon bhogha aige. Chaidh an t-saighead tron chidhis agus mharbh e an ceann-cinnidh. 鈥�Iomacharag a鈥� Ghunnaich gu C猫ith,鈥� dh鈥櫭╥gh Eanraig 鈥� 鈥淕unn鈥檚 compliments to Keith.鈥�

Leum na C猫ithich don casan agus ruith iad chun an dorais. Ach bha na Gunnaich a鈥� feitheamh riutha agus, fear an d猫idh fir, chuir iad gu b脿s iad. Am measg na h-霉praid, fhuair Eanraig a-steach don chaisteal. Fhuair e gr猫im air a鈥� bhr脿ist agus claidheamh aig athair agus theich e leotha.

Nuair a choinnich an c貌ignear bhr脿ithrean a-rithist, dh鈥檌arr Seumas a鈥� bhr脿ist agus an claidheamh oir b鈥� esan am fear a bu shine 鈥� ged nach robh e air a bhith de貌nach cath a chur ris na C猫ithich air an son. Chaidh e fh猫in is Eanraig a-mach air a ch猫ile gu salach, agus dh鈥檉halbh Eanraig a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Gallaibh. Dhi霉lt e 鈥淕unnach鈥� a ghabhail air fh猫in no air a shliochd agus 鈥檚 ann bhuaithesan a th脿inig na Hendersons ann an Gallaibh, a r猫ir beul aithris. 鈥橲 e 鈥淐heannraigich鈥� a bha orra ann an G脿idhlig, a r猫ir a鈥� chunntais aig an Urramach D貌mhnall Saigeach.

Dh鈥檉huirich Seumas ann an Ceann a鈥� Bhr脿ist agus bhon uair sin 鈥檚 e Mac Sheumais Chataich a chanadh na G脿idheil ri ceann-cinnidh nan Gunnach. Ach a thaobh na br脿iste, chan eil fhios agam d猫 thachair dhi.

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Se貌ras Gunnach: George Gunn; Ceann a鈥� Bhr脿ist: Kinbrace; foill: deceit; 产谤脿颈蝉迟别: brooch; theich: fled; Eanraig: Henry; aontaichte: united, agreed; Caisteal Dhirlot: Dirlot Castle; Gallaibh: Caithness; tobhta: ruin; clogaid: helmet; cidhis: vizor; cuach: quaich, drinking vessel.

mar a chaidh seachdnar mhac aige a mharbhadh ann an c貌mhrag le Clann Ch猫ith Ackergill: how seven of his sons were killed in combat with the Keiths of Ackergill; a dh脿 uiread de cheatharnaich鈥檚 a chaidh aontachadh ro l脿imh: twice the number of fighters that was agreed beforehand; gum faigheadh e d矛oghaltas orra: that he would exact revenge on them; an t貌ir air na C猫ithich: in pursuit of the Keiths; mullach creige l脿imh ri Abhainn The貌rsa: a rock summit next to the Thurso River; gu socair, s脿mhach gun fhiosta don fheadhainn a bha am broinn a鈥� chaisteil: quietly without the knowledge of those inside the castle; ag 貌l leann agus a鈥� c貌mhradh ri ch猫ile: drinking ale and conversing; bha e air a ghaisge a dhearbhadh: he had proved his heroism; bha an latha air a dhol leotha: they would have won the day; deoch-sl脿inte dha: a toast to him; leig Eanraig saighead dha ionnsaigh bhon bhogha aige: Henry let fly an arrow from his bow; fhuair e gr猫im air a鈥� bhr脿ist agus claidheamh aig athair agus theich e leotha: he got hold of his father鈥檚 brooch and sword and fled with them; ged nach robh e air a bhith de貌nach cath a chur ris na C猫ithich: although he had not been willing to battle the Keiths; chaidh iad a-mach air a ch猫ile gu salach: they had a serious falling out; dhi霉lt e 鈥淕unnach鈥� a ghabhail air fh猫in no air a shliochd: he refused to use the name 鈥淕unn鈥� for himself or his descendants; 鈥檚 e Mac Sheumais Chataich a chanadh na G脿idheil ri X: the Gaels would call X 鈥渢he son of James of Sutherland.鈥�

fear an d猫idh fir: one after another. The compound preposition (or prepositional phrase) an d猫idh commands a following noun in the genitive case eg an d猫idh a鈥� chogaidh, an d猫idh na b脿innse. In modern Gaelic we tend only to inflect the noun where the article is present ie we would say an d猫idh cogadh and an d猫idh banais (without the article), but phrases sometimes preserve older grammatical modes and this is an example. If we were creating the phrase today, we鈥檇 say fear an d猫idh fear [as many would], although we鈥檇 also say an d猫idh an fhir (after the man). But the older mode of inflecting even without the article is retained in fear an d猫idh fir.

Iomacharag a鈥� Ghunnaich gu C猫ith: The Gunn鈥檚 compliments to Keith.

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