大象传媒

Bha mi o chionn ghoirid ann am fear de na glinn as fhaide 鈥� agus as b貌idhche 鈥� ann an Alba. Tha Gleann L矛omhann ann an Siorrachd Pheairt ann an ceann a deas na G脿idhealtachd 鈥� an 矛re mhath ann an meadhan na h-Alba. A bharrachd air a b貌idhchead, tha an sg矛re sin ainmeil airson eachdraidh agus beul-aithris. Ann an Litir leth-cheud 鈥檚 a dh脿 (52), air ais sa bhliadhna d脿 mh矛le (2000), dh鈥檌nns mi dhuibh mun riaghladair R貌manach, Pontius Pilat. 鈥橲 e Pilat a cheadaich ceusadh 脤osa Chr矛osd. A r猫ir beul-aithris, rugadh e ann am Fairtirchill ann an Gleann L矛omhann oir bha athair ann an Alba mar ph脿irt de dh鈥檃rm na R貌imhe.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥橲 e baile beag br猫agha a th鈥� ann am Fairtirchill. Agus chan eil e cho fada on a bha G脿idhlig aig muinntir an 脿ite. Chithear sin anns a鈥� chladh, ri taobh na seann eaglais, far a bheil carragh-cuimhne cogaidh ann. Sgr矛obhte air a鈥� charragh, tha seo: To the Glory of God and in Memory of Those from Fortingall district who fell in the Great War 1914-1919. Agus an aon rud ann an G脿idhlig: Chum Gl貌ir Dh猫 agus mar Chuimhneachan orra-sa a thuit 脿 Fairtichill ann sa Chogadh Mh貌r 1914-1919.

D猫 tha an t-ainm Fairtirchill a鈥� ciallachadh? Bha mi a鈥� leughadh l脿rach-l矛n an latha eile a bha a鈥� cumail a-mach gur e 鈥淔eart nan Gall鈥� a bh鈥� ann, the Stronghold of the Strangers. Uill, cha chreid mi gu bheil sin ceart. Ch矛 sibh gur e Fairtichill seach Fairtirchill a th鈥� air a鈥� bhaile air a鈥� charragh-chuimhne. Ach tha e dearbhte gun robh an d脿rna 鈥渞鈥� anns an ainm o shean. Bha an t-ainm cl脿raichte ann an d脿 cheud dheug is ceathrad (1240) mar Forterkill. Bha Uilleam MacBh脿tair dhen bheachd gu bheil kill a鈥� riochdachadh na G脿idhlig cill, no church. Agus bha e dhen bheachd gu bheil fortair a鈥� ciallachadh d霉n no caisteal. Mar sin tha Fartairchill a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渆aglais an d霉in鈥�.

鈥橲 d貌cha nach eil sibh ag aithneachadh an fhacail Gh脿idhlig fortair. Ach seo na sgr矛obh MacBh脿tair mu dheidhinn: 鈥淚 have learned recently from Mr Duncan Campbell, late editor of the Northern Chronicle, a Glenlyon man, that one of the ancient round forts in Glenlyon is called in Gaelic an Fhortair [f-h-o-r-t-a-i-r]鈥�. Agus bha MacBh脿tair dhen bheachd gun robh an aon t霉s aig Fortair ann an Gleann 脤le agus Forthar ann am F矛obh. Bha e a鈥� smaoineachadh gur e fortair facal G脿idhlig a th脿inig bhon Chruithnis o shean, gu dearbh bhon t-seann Cheilteis verterae 鈥� a tha cl脿raichte ann an seann l脿mh-sgr矛obhainnean.

Agus an robh d霉n ann am Fairtirchill? Gu dearbh, bha. Ri taobh na h-eaglais tha Baile na Creige. Agus os cionn sin tha creag, mar a bhiodh d霉il bho ainm a鈥� bhaile. Bha t霉r cruinn air mullach na creige sin anns an t-seann aimsir. Mar sin, tha 鈥渆aglais an d霉in鈥� a鈥� d猫anamh ciall.

Tha deagh theans ann gun deach an eaglais a thogail air l脿rach a bha naomh do na p脿ganaich Cheilteach a bha a鈥� fuireach anns an sg矛re mus t脿inig a鈥� Gh脿idhlig agus Cr矛osdachd. Agus ri taobh na h-eaglais, tha t猫 de na craobhan as sine anns an Roinn E貌rpa 鈥� craobh-iubhair ainmeil air a bheil, ann am Beurla, the Fortingall Yew. An robh na p脿ganaich ag adhradh dhi? Bheir sinn s霉il air a鈥� cheist sin an-ath-sheachdain.

fear de na glinn as fhaide: one of the longest glens; ceann a deas na G脿idhealtachd: the southern Highlands; a bharrachd air a b貌idhchead: in addition to its [her] beauty; eachdraidh agus beul-aithris: history and oral tradition; mun riaghladair R貌manach, Pontius Pilat: about the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate; a cheadaich ceusadh 脤osa Chr矛osd: who authorised the crucifixion of Jesus Christ; arm na R貌imhe: the army of Rome; chan eil e cho fada on a bha G脿idhlig aig muinntir an 脿ite: it鈥檚 not so long since the local people spoke Gaelic; cha chreid mi gu bheil sin ceart: I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 correct; gun robh an aon t霉s aig Fortair ann an Gleann 脤le agus Forthar ann am F矛obh: that Fortair in Glenisla and Forthar in Fife have the same origin; a th脿inig bhon Chruithnis o shean: that came from the Pictish language in ancient times; bha t霉r cruinn air mullach na creige sin: there was a round tower on the summit of that crag; tha deagh theans ann: there is a good chance; gun deach an eaglais a thogail air l脿rach a bha naomh do na p脿ganaich Cheilteach: that the church was built on a site that was sacred to the Celtic pagans; t猫 de na craobhan as sine anns an Roinn E貌rpa: one of the oldest trees in Europe; ag adhradh dhi: worshipping it.

Chum Gl貌ir Dh猫: To the Glory of God. Chum, a preposition which takes the genitive case, is rather old-fashioned and might be considered a little 鈥淏iblical鈥� today. It can be translated as 鈥渢o, for, in order that, for the purpose of鈥�; its full expression is a chum. Here are some examples of how it might appear: a chum a鈥� ch霉is a mhineachadh dha (in order to explain the matter to him), gum biodh na h-uile air an d猫anamh a chum do ghl貌ire (may all things be done for your glory), th脿inig iad dham ionnsaigh a chum mo chuideachadh (they came to me for the purpose of aiding me).

Chithear sin anns a鈥� chladh: that can [will] be seen in the graveyard.