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�. Ach an robh an t-脿ite naomh mus robh Cr矛osdachd anns an sg矛re? Tha cuid dhen bheachd gun robh, gu seachd 脿raidh leis gu bheil craobh iubhair ainmeil a鈥� f脿s ri taobh na h-eaglais. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh 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.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Carson nach cunntar na f脿inneachan f脿is innte airson faighinn a-mach le cinnt d猫 cho sean 鈥檚 a tha i? Uill, 鈥檚 e an t-adhbhar airson sin gun do dh鈥檉halbh laodhan na craoibhe o chionn fhada. Gu dearbh, tha aithrisean ann gum biodh buidhnean de luchd-adhraidh a鈥� coiseachd tro mheadhan na craoibhe anns an t-seann aimsir, nuair a bha i ann an cumadh bogha. Bhiodh iad a鈥� d猫anamh sin air an rathad do thiodhlacadh sa chladh, agus ciste-laighe nan cois. Chaidh p矛osan dhen chraoibh a ghearradh dheth agus a ghoid. Ach, a dh鈥檃indeoin a h-uile c脿il, tha i be貌 fhathast, ged a tha i ann am p矛osan a-nise.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Anns an t-seann Gh脿idhlig 鈥檚 e iogh a bh鈥� againn airson iubhar. B鈥� e iogh t猫 de na litrichean anns an t-seann aibidil chraobhaich. Tha Iain Camshron anns an leabhar Gaelic Names of Plants ag r脿dh gun robh iogh a鈥� ciallachadh pian oir bhathar a鈥� cleachdadh s霉gh na craoibhe mar phuinnsean. Tha iubhar, dha r猫ir, a鈥� tighinn bho fhreumh a tha a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渂iorach鈥� oir bhite a鈥� d猫anamh shaighdean dhen fhiodh. Tha cuid de sgoilearan dhen bheachd gu bheil 脤 ann an 脤 Chaluim Chille a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥淓ilean nan Craobh-iubhair鈥�. Agus thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh an seann ainm Ceilteach a bh鈥� air Iorc ann an Sasainn 鈥� Eborakon 鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥溍爄te nan craobh-iubhair鈥�.

鈥橲 d貌cha gun robh an d脿 脿ite 鈥� Eilean 脤 agus Iorc 鈥� naomh do na Ceiltich ph脿ganach. Bhiodh sin a鈥� m矛neachadh carson a thagh Calum Cille Eilean 脤 mar 脿ite airson manachainn a chur air chois.

Ach carson a bha a鈥� chraobh-iubhair naomh do na p脿ganaich? Uill, chan eil mi cinnteach. Tha amharas agam gun robh e co-cheangailte ri aois na craoibhe, agus mar a dh鈥檉hanas i l脿n duilleagan tro mh矛osan a鈥� gheamhraidh. Nuair a gheibh gach rud eile b脿s, fanaidh na craobhan sin be貌, a r猫ir choltais, gu s矛orraidh.

Leis gun robh iad naomh do ph脿ganaich, ghabh Cr矛osdaidhean thairis iad mar shamhla de Chr矛osdachd. Ann an Alba bhite a鈥� cur chraobhan-iubhair ri taobh eaglaisean. Bhathar a鈥� gabhail riutha mar gun robh iad a鈥� samhlachadh aiseirigh Chr矛osda. Agus, ann am mac-talla de sheann chleachdaidhean nan draoidhean, bhiodh cuid de phearsaichean eaglais a鈥� searmonachadh fo chraobhan-iubhair. Thachair sin eadhon le ministearan na h-Eaglais Ath-leasaichte. 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 air a bheil C脿rn nam Marbh. Tha an t-ainm a鈥� tighinn bhon cheathramh linn deug, nuair a chaidh daoine a thiodhlacadh ann, 脿s d猫idh dhaibh b脿s fhaighinn leis a鈥� phl脿igh. Ach, a r猫ir beul-aithris, bhiodh muinntir an 脿ite a鈥� togail teine air an tom aig an t-Samhain gach bliadhna, agus a鈥� dannsadh timcheall air. Craobh-iubhair, teintean Samhna agus eaglais Chr矛osdail uile cha mh貌r air an aon l脿raich. Nach e sin air dualchas?

eaglais an d霉in: the church of the fort; naomh mus robh Cr矛osdachd anns an sg矛re: holy before there was Christianity in the area; gu seachd 脿raidh leis gu bheil craobh iubhair ainmeil a鈥� f脿s ri taobh na h-eaglais: particularly as a famous yew tree grows next to the church; a鈥� chraobh as sine anns an Roinn E貌rpa: the oldest tree in Europe; carson nach cunntar na f脿inneachan f脿is?: why won鈥檛 the growth rings be counted?; 鈥檚 e an t-adhbhar airson sin: the reason for that is; gun do dh鈥檉halbh laodhan na craoibhe o chionn fhada: that the heart of the tree disappeared a long time ago; gum biodh buidhnean de luchd-adhraidh a鈥� coiseachd tro mheadhan na craoibhe: that bunches of worshippers would walk through the middle of the tree; air an rathad do thiodhlacadh sa chladh, agus ciste-laighe nan cois: on the way to a funeral in the graveyard, carrying a coffin; t猫 de na litrichean anns an t-seann aibidil chraobhaich: one of the letters in the old arboreal alphabet; bhathar a鈥� cleachdadh s霉gh na craoibhe mar phuinnsean: the sap of the tree was used as a poison; do na Ceiltich ph脿ganach: to the pagan Celts; mar a dh鈥檉hanas i l脿n duilleagan tro mh矛osan a鈥� gheamhraidh: as it remains full of leaves through the winter months; be貌, a r猫ir choltais, gu s矛orraidh: alive, it appears, forever; ghabh Cr矛osdaidhean thairis iad mar shamhla de Chr矛osdachd: Christians adopted them as a symbol of Christianity; a鈥� samhlachadh aiseirigh Chr矛osda: representing Christ鈥檚 resurrection; ann am mac-talla de sheann chleachdaidhean nan draoidhean: in an echo of the old customs of the druids; bhiodh cuid de phearsaichean eaglais a鈥� searmonachadh: some church figures would preach; 脿s d猫idh dhaibh b脿s fhaighinn leis a鈥� phl脿igh: after they had died of the plague; air an tom aig an t-Samhain: on the hillock at Halloween; uile cha mh貌r air an aon l脿raich: all pretty much on the same site.

nuair a bha i ann an cumadh bogha: when it [fem] was in the shape of an arch.

听

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