大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Leum MhicGriogair ann an Gleann L矛omhann. Tha an t-ainm a鈥� dol air ais don t-siathamh linn deug nuair a bha ceann-cinnidh Griogaraich Ghleann Sreith a鈥� teicheadh bho bhuidheann de Chaimbeulaich. A r猫ir beul-aithris, tha d矛reach aon duine bhon uair sin air an aon rud fheuchainn. B鈥� esan teud-chleasaiche, no acrobat, a bha anns an sg矛re.

Bha am fear seo a鈥� creidsinn gum b鈥� urrainn dha leum mar a leum MacGriogair, ach cha robh gr脿isg de dhaoine is coin air a th貌ir. Gu m矛-fhortanach, dh鈥檉h脿ilnich air, agus chaill e a bheatha. Bha c脿rn air a thogail dha air an robh C脿rn an Duine Ghointe agus bha daoine a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh e air a thiodhlacadh fodha. Dh鈥檉h脿s an c脿rn m貌r oir bhiodh muinntir an 脿ite a鈥� cur clach air gach turas a bha iad a鈥� dol seachad.

Chan eil an c脿rn ann an-diugh oir chaidh a sgrios nuair a bhathar a鈥� leasachadh an rathaid airson charbadan. Cha do lorgadh cn脿mhan sam bith fodha agus, mar sin, tha daoine a-nise a鈥� smaoineachadh gun deach an teud-chleasaiche a thiodhlacadh anns a鈥� chladh ann am Fairtirchill.

听听听听听听听听听听听 脌s d猫idh dhomh a bhith aig Leum MhicGriogair, lean mi an rathad fada, br猫agha suas Gleann L矛omhann. Aig a鈥� cheann shuas, tha na beanntan a鈥� f脿s nas 脿irde is nas maoile. Tha na craobhan a鈥� falbh. Chan e b脿rr a th鈥� aig na tuathanaich, ach caoraich. R脿inig mi ceann rathad nan carbadan aig geata ri taobh Loch L矛omhann, agus choisich mi air rathad a tha a鈥� dol ri taobh an locha. Bha mi airson a dhol ann airson 脿ite s貌nraichte fhaicinn 鈥� Taigh nam Bodach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 e sin an t-ainm a th鈥� air an 脿ite air a鈥� mhapa, ach bidh cuid ga ainmeachadh mar Taigh na Cailliche agus, ceart gu le貌r, tha e suidhichte ri taobh Allt Cailliche ann an Gleann Cailliche. Agus tha 鈥渂odach鈥� is 鈥渃ailleach鈥� a鈥� fuireach ann!

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 e a th鈥� ann n脿dar de thogalach beag 矛osal air a dh猫anamh de chlach, fiodh agus sgrathan. Tha e mu dh脿 mheatair a dh鈥檉haid, meatair gu leth ann an leud agus timcheall air leth-mheatair ann an 脿irde. Na bhroinn tha clachan iongantach 鈥� ochd dhiubh. Tha tr矛 dhiubh ainmichte mar Am Bodach, A鈥� Chailleach is An Nighean; chan eil fhios agam a bheil ainmean cl脿raichte airson a鈥� ch貌rr.

Thuirt mi gu bheil na clachan am broinn an taighe, ach chan eil sin f矛or fad na bliadhna. Tha iad na bhroinn anns a鈥� gheamhradh. Ach tha iad air an toirt a-mach aig 脿m na Bealltainn gach bliadhna is air an cur ann an cearcall air beulaibh an taighe. Tha an taigh fosgailte don 脿ird an ear. Aig 脿m na Samhna tha iad air an cur a-steach a-rithist airson a鈥� gheamhraidh. Bha na seann daoine a鈥� creidsinn gun cumadh am Bodach 鈥檚 a鈥� Chailleach d矛on air an spr猫idh a bha be貌 anns a鈥� ghleann, a tha gu sear air Taigh nam Bodach. Nam biodh an spr猫idh s脿bhailte, bhiodh na daoine s脿bhailte.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bidh sibh a鈥� smaoineachadh 鈥� feumaidh gu bheil p脿ganachd fhathast be貌 ann an Gleann L矛omhann. Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 mu dheidhinn sin, ach tha e a鈥� coimhead coltach gu bheil an cleachdadh a鈥� dol air ais gu linn na p脿ganachd ann an Alba. Ma tha sin f矛or, dh鈥檉haodadh Taigh nam Bodach a bhith am measg nan l脿raichean p脿ganach as sine anns an Roinn E貌rpa.

Leum MhicGriogair: MacGregor鈥檚 Leap; Gleann L矛omhann: Glenlyon; Griogaraich Ghleann Sreith: The MacGregors of Glenstrae; teud-chleasaiche: acrobat; Fairtirchill: Fortingall; 辫脿驳补苍补肠丑诲: paganism.

tha d矛reach aon duine air an aon rud fheuchainn: only one man has tried the same thing; a鈥� creidsinn gum b鈥� urrainn dha leum: believing that he could leap; cha robh gr脿isg de dhaoine is coin air a th貌ir: there wasn鈥檛 a gang of men and dogs in pursuit of him; dh鈥檉h脿ilnich air, agus chaill e a bheatha: he failed, and he lost his life; C脿rn an Duine Ghointe: the cairn of the wounded man; air a thiodhlacadh fodha: buried under it; chaidh a sgrios: it was destroyed; nuair a bhathar a鈥� leasachadh an rathaid airson charbadan: when the road was being developed for vehicles; cha do lorgadh cn脿mhan: no bones were found; nas maoile: more bare; chan e b脿rr a th鈥� aig na tuathanaich, ach caoraich: the farmers don鈥檛 have crops, but sheep; ceann rathad nan carbadan aig geata: the end of the vehicular road at a gate; air a dh猫anamh de chlach, fiodh agus sgrathan: made of stone, wood and turf; mu dh脿 mheatair a dh鈥檉haid: about two metres long; a bheil ainmean cl脿raichte airson a鈥� ch貌rr: if names are recorded for the others; am broinn an taighe: inside the house; air an toirt a-mach aig 脿m na Bealltainn: brought out at the time of Beltane; 脿m na Samhna: Halloween time; gun cumadh X d矛on air an spr猫idh: that X would protect the livestock; am measg nan l脿raichean p脿ganach as sine: among the oldest pagan sites.

bidh cuid ga ainmeachadh mar Taigh na Cailliche: some people name it The House of the Cailleach. It鈥檚 difficult to translate cailleach here and it鈥檚 best to leave it in Gaelic [the word is often used in Highland English in reference to old women anyway]. It鈥檚 widely considered that the frequent and widespread reference to cailleachan in the Highland landscape (including in the immediate vicinity of this site) is a relic of an ancient Celtic religious cult in which the cailleach was a type of deity 鈥� and not just a grumpy old woman protecting her patch of land! In fact there is no tradition of grumpiness in the Glenlyon example 鈥� she appears to have been a benign spirit. In some countries such a feature as Taigh nam Bodach/Taigh na Cailliche would be celebrated nationally, and it would be protected. Do we in Scotland sometimes fail to recognise the wealth of our own heritage?

n脿dar de thogalach beag 矛osal: a type of small, low house.

听

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