大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Fhairtirchill ann an Siorrachd Pheairt. Tha an t-ainm a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渆aglais an d霉in鈥�. An robh an t-脿ite naomh do na p脿ganaich, mus robh eaglais ann? Tha cuid dhen bheachd gun robh oir tha craobh-iubhair ainmeil a鈥� f脿s ri taobh na h-eaglais. Tha i uabhasach sean. Tha iad ag r脿dh gur e sin a鈥� chraobh as sine anns an Roinn E貌rpa. Tha i eadar d脿 mh矛le is c貌ig m矛le bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois. Chan eil i sl脿n a-nis. Ach tha i fhathast be貌.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A bheil sibh e貌lach air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig air Iona? 鈥橲 e sin 脤 Chaluim Chille. Tha cuid de sgoilearan ag r脿dh gu bheil 脤 a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥淓ilean nan Craobh-iubhair鈥�. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun robh Eilean 脤 ainmeil do na Ceiltich ph脿ganach. Bha sin ro Chalum Cille. Bhiodh sin a鈥� m矛neachadh mar a thagh Calum Cille Eilean 脤 mar 脿ite airson a mhanachainn.

Ach carson a bha a鈥� chraobh-iubhair naomh do na p脿ganaich? Uill, chan eil mi cinnteach. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun robh e co-cheangailte ri aois na craoibhe, agus mar a dh鈥檉hanas i l脿n duilleagan tron gheamhradh. Agus bidh craobhan-iubhair be貌 uabhasach fh猫in fada.

Leis gun robh iad naomh do ph脿ganaich, ghabh Cr矛osdaidhean thairis iad. Bha iad an uair sin mar shamhla de Chr矛osdachd. Ann an Alba bha daoine a鈥� cur chraobhan-iubhair ri taobh eaglaisean. Bha na craobhan a鈥� samhlachadh aiseirigh Chr矛osda. Bha cuid de shagartan is ministearan a鈥� searmonachadh fo chraobhan-iubhair. Bha John Knox fh猫in ainmeil airson a bhith a鈥� searmonachadh fo chraobh-iubhair!

Tha fianais eile ann gun robh Fairtirchill naomh do ph脿ganaich. Faisg air an eaglais, tha barpa. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a tha air C脿rn nam Marbh. Tha an t-ainm a鈥� tighinn bhon cheathramh linn deug. Chaidh daoine a thiodhlacadh ann. Fhuair iad b脿s leis a鈥� phl脿igh.

I was telling you about Fortingall in Perthshire. The name means 鈥渢he church of the fort鈥�. Was the place sacred to the pagans, before there was a church there? Some people think it was because there is a famous yew tree growing next to the church. It鈥檚 very old. They say that it鈥檚 the oldest tree in Europe. It鈥檚 between two thousand and five thousand years old. It鈥檚 not whole now. But it鈥檚 still alive.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Do you know the Gaelic for Iona? That鈥檚 脤 Chaluim Chille. Some scholars say that 脤 means 鈥渢he island of the yew tree鈥�. Perhaps Iona was famous to the pagan Celts. That was before Columba. That would explanation why Columba selected Iona as a place for his monastery.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But why was the yew tree sacred to the pagans? Well, I鈥檓 not sure. Perhaps it was connected to the tree鈥檚 age, and how it remains full of leaves through the winter. And yew trees live for a very long time.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Because they were sacred to the pagans, Christians took them over. They were then a symbol of Christianity. In Scotland people were planting yew trees beside churches. The trees were representing the resurrection of Christ. Some priests and ministers were preaching under yew trees. John Knox was famous for preaching under a yew tree!

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 There is other evidence that Fortingall was sacred to pagans. Close to the church, there is a burial mound. It鈥檚 named 鈥渢he cairn of the dead鈥�. The name comes from the fourteenth century. People were buried there. They died from the plague.