大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Thaigh nam Bodach 鈥� no Taigh na Cailliche mar a ghabhas cuid air 鈥� ann an Gleann Cailliche, l脿imh ri Gleann L矛omhann ann an Siorrachd Pheairt. 鈥橲 e rud iongantach a th鈥� ann, ann an 脿ite br猫agha, s矛theil am measg nam beann. Bha mi e貌lach air ro l脿imh oir tha dealbh dheth air c貌mhdach an leabhair Folklore of the Scottish Highlands le Anna Ros. Ach bha e fada na b鈥� fhe脿rr a bhith ann is an rud fhaicinn dhomh fh矛n.

Tha an t-脿ite sa bheil e gu math fada a-mach 脿s an rathad, ach cha robh mi fh矛n 鈥檚 mo chompanaich buileach leinn fh猫in. Th脿inig fear a thadhal air an taigh fhad 鈥檚 a bha sinn faisg air. Chan eil mi cinnteach an robh e ag 霉rnaigh no d矛reach a鈥� me貌rachadh air beulaibh an taighe, ach bha e follaiseach gun tug an t-脿ite buaidh mh貌r air.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 e Taigh na Cailliche a tha Ros, a tha na sgoilear de bheul-aithris, a鈥� gabhail air. Tha iomadh ciall air cailleach, mar a bhios fios agaibh. Am measg an fheadhainn aig Dwelly tha old woman, nun agus seo: supernatural or malign influence dwelling in dark caves, woods and corries. 鈥橲 iomadh st貌iridh a th鈥� againn mu na cailleachan a bhiodh a鈥� fuireach anns na beanntan agus a bhiodh a鈥� d矛on nan sg矛rean aca. Tha mi air c貌rr is ceud ainm-脿ite a lorg ann an Alba anns a bheil am facal 鈥渃ailleach鈥� a鈥� nochdadh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha Anna Ros dhen bheachd gu bheil an cleachdadh aig Taigh na Cailliche co-cheangailte ri adhradh don Chaillich, rud a bha cumanta aig aon 脿m. Tha i a鈥� sgr矛obhadh mu dheidhinn 鈥渢he genuine antiquity of the cult鈥�. Agus tha i ag r脿dh gun robh muinntir an 脿ite a鈥� coimhead air a鈥� Chaillich mar spiorad coibhneil. Seo an st貌iridh a fhuair i 脿 beul-aithris: Air droch latha geamhraidh o chionn fhada, nuair a bha cur-is-cathadh ann, chunnacas fear agus bean a鈥� tighinn a-nuas far na beinne ann an ceann shuas a鈥� ghlinne. Bha iad le ch猫ile anabarrach m貌r.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥檌arr iad fasgadh is aoigheachd bho mhuinntir an 脿ite, agus fhuair iad sin. Bha na daoine coibhneil dhaibh. Thogadh taigh-tughaidh don dithis agus thug sin toileachas dhaibh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha am boireannach trom le leanabh agus tro th矛de rugadh leanabh-nighinne dhi. Bha an aimsir an-c貌mhnaidh f脿bharach nuair a bha an teaghlach a鈥� fuireach anns a鈥� ghleann. Bha an spr猫idh fallain agus bha am b脿rr math.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach th脿inig latha nuair a bha aig an teaghlach ri falbh. Mus do dh鈥檉halbh iad, thug iad gealltanas seachad 鈥� nam biodh an taigh aca air a chumail an 貌rdugh agus nam biodh muinntir an 脿ite gan cuimhneachadh, bhiodh na geamhraidhean ci霉in agus na samhraidhean bl脿th. Bhiodh s矛th is sonas is beartas aig na daoine a bh鈥� air a bhith coibhneil dhaibh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Mar chuimhneachan air a h-uile c脿il, chaidh ionad beag a thogail ann an cruth an taighe. Aig a鈥� Bhealltainn a h-uile bliadhna, bhiodh na tr矛 clachan a bha a鈥� riochdachadh nan tr矛 鈥渄iathan鈥� 鈥� a鈥� Chailleach, am Bodach agus an Nighean 鈥� air an toirt a-mach. Air an latha ro Oidhche Shamhna, bhiodh iad air an cur a-steach don taigh a-rithist airson an cumail bl脿th is cofhurtail fad a鈥� gheamhraidh. Agus chan eil an cleachdadh air sgur fhathast.

coibhneil: kind; cur-is-cathadh: snowing and blizzards; fasgadh: shelter; aoigheachd: hospitality; taigh-tughaidh: thatched house.

鈥檚 e rud iongantach a th鈥� ann: it鈥檚 an amazing thing; tha dealbh dheth air c貌mhdach an leabhair: there is a picture of it on the cover of the book; a-mach 脿s an rathad: out of the way; cha robh mi fh矛n 鈥檚 mo chompanaich buileach leinn fh猫in: myself and my companions weren鈥檛 entirely by ourselves; an robh e ag 霉rnaigh no d矛reach a鈥� me貌rachadh: was he praying or simply meditating; gun tug an t-脿ite buaidh mh貌r air: that the place had a big effect on him; a bhiodh a鈥� d矛on nan sg矛rean aca: who would protect their areas; co-cheangailte ri adhradh don Chaillich: connected to worshipping the Cailleach; chunnacas fear agus bean a鈥� tighinn a-nuas far na beinne: a man and wife were seen coming down from the mountain; ceann shuas a鈥� ghlinne: the upper part of the glen; le ch猫ile anabarrach m貌r: both extremely large; thug sin toileachas dhaibh: that made them happy; tro th矛de rugadh leanabh-nighinne dhi: in time a baby girl was born to her; an-c貌mhnaidh f脿bharach: always favourable; bha an spr猫idh fallain agus bha am b脿rr math: the livestock was healthy and the crops were good; nam biodh an taigh aca air a chumail an 貌rdugh: if their house were kept in order; bhiodh na geamhraidhean ci霉in agus na samhraidhean bl脿th: the winters would be calm and the summers warm; bhiodh iad air an cur a-steach don taigh a-rithist: they would be put into the house again.

Tha iomadh ciall air cailleach: [the word] cailleach has many meanings. Another look at cailleach this week, this time at its origins. Fascinatingly, given that it sometimes represents pre-Christian deities or supernatural feminine figures, the word is thought by some authorities to have Christian origins. Caille, a veil, might be derived from pallium, the Latin for a cloak, mantle or veil, a feature of dress within the Catholic Church. The Latin p- was converted by our Q-Celtic speaking ancestors to a c- (pallium is used in English in its original Latin form). Alternatively pallium and caille derive from a common ancestral root. A cailleach is a 鈥榲eiled one鈥� and is the term used for a Christian nun (sometimes made explicit as 鈥�cailleach dhubh鈥�). That a decidedly non-Christian figurine, representative of a deity, and a Christian holy woman should share the same word, without any sense of pejoration, might be seen as a legacy of a broad spiritual heritage in the G脿idhealtachd.

thug iad gealltanas seachad: they made [gave] a promise.

听

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