大象传媒

Seo na th鈥� aig Dwelly, anns an fhaclair aige, mun fhacal 霉谤耻颈蝉驳: 鈥榖eing supposed to haunt lonely and sequestered places, water-god 鈥� the 霉谤耻颈蝉驳 had the qualities of man and spirit curiously commingled鈥�. Bha daoine a鈥� creidsinn annta ann am m貌ran 脿iteachan agus tha an dualchas l脿idir ann an Siorrachd Pheairt. Tha seann rann ag ainmeachadh an fheadhainn a b鈥� ainmeile ann am Braghad Albann:

Peallaidh an Sp霉it is Br霉naidh an Easain

Babaidh an Lochain is Br霉naidh an Eilein

Padarlan 脿 Fe脿rnan, Peadragan, Patragan

Triubhas-dubh 脿 Fairtirchill, Fuath Coire Ghamhnain

Cas-luath Leitir, Amhlagan Dubh

Catan Ceann-liath, is 脵ruisg Dubh Eas Amhlagan

B鈥� e Peallaidh an Sp霉it am fear a bha a鈥� fuireach ann am Bun Eas faisg air baile Obar Pheallaidh. Thug e ainm do dh鈥橭bar Pheallaidh. Bha Br霉naidh an Easain a鈥� fuireach anns an aon allt, d矛reach os cionn Pheallaidh. Thathar ag r脿dh gun tigeadh an dithis 霉谤耻颈蝉驳ean a-mach air an oidhche, a鈥� cur dragh air muinntir a鈥� bhaile. Cha chreid mi nach eil Br霉naidh a鈥� tighinn bhon Albais Broonie no Brownie. Air an l脿imh eile, tha urisk ann am Beurla a鈥� tighinn bhon Gh脿idhlig. Bha am Br霉naidh eile anns an rann 鈥� Br霉naidh an Eilein 鈥� a鈥� fuireach air eilean ann an Loch Tatha.

Cha robh na h-霉谤耻颈蝉驳ean olc ach bha iad draghail. Latha a bha seo aig 脌ird E貌naig air bruach a deas Loch Tatha, bha boireannach a鈥� d猫anamh bonnaich-choirce. Th脿inig 霉谤耻颈蝉驳 貌g a-steach, gun chuireadh, agus shuidh e aig an teine. Nuair a bha a鈥� chiad bhonnach deiseil, ghoid e e, agus dh鈥檌th e e. Rinn e an dearbh rud leis an d脿rna bonnach, agus an treas fear.

Bha am boireannach sg矛th dhen dol a-mach aige agus chuir i bonnach teth far an st貌bha air gl霉inean r霉isgte an 霉谤耻颈蝉驳. Leum e agus ruith e don eas, ag 猫igheachd. Th脿inig an seann 霉谤耻颈蝉驳 don taigh airson gearain, ach bha am boireannach air an doras a dh霉nadh is a ghlasadh agus chan fhaigheadh e a-steach. Bha iomadh st貌iridh aig a鈥� bhoireannach sin mu na h-霉谤耻颈蝉驳ean.

Agus tha st貌iridh on Bhl脿r Mh貌r air taobh eile an locha, far a bheil allt ann, agus linne air a bheil Linne na Slige. O chionn fhada bha 霉谤耻颈蝉驳, dom b鈥� ainm Sligeachan, a鈥� fuireach ann. Bha mac aig Sligeachan agus bhiodh esan gu tric a鈥� cur dragh air an t-seann bhean air a鈥� Bhl脿r Mh貌r. Bhiodh e a鈥� faighneachd dhith, gu d猫 an t-ainm a bh鈥� oirre. Ach bha i se貌lta. Cha chanadh i ach, 鈥淚s mise mi fh矛n; chan eil ann ach mi fh矛n.鈥�

Latha a bha seo bha e uabhasach draghail. 鈥淒猫 an t-ainm a th鈥� ort?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e a-rithist. 鈥淢i fh矛n, mi fh矛n,鈥� fhreagair am boireannach. Mu dheireadh thall, dh鈥檉h脿s i sg矛th dhen 霉谤耻颈蝉驳 貌g agus thilg i pana uisge teth air a chasan r霉isgte.

Nuair a chuala Sligeachan am fear 貌g a鈥� sgriachail, th脿inig e na dheann. 鈥淒猫 thachair?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e. 鈥�Chaidh mo chasan a sgaldadh le uisge teth,鈥� thuirt an t-霉谤耻颈蝉驳 貌g. 鈥淎gus c貌 rinn e?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Sligeachan. 鈥淢i fh矛n, mi fh矛n!鈥� thuirt am fear 貌g. 鈥淚s math sin,鈥� arsa Sligeachan, 鈥渘am biodh duine eile air a dh猫anamh, bhithinn ga pheanasachadh.鈥�

Tha e coltach nach do chuir an t-霉谤耻颈蝉驳 貌g dragh air a鈥� bhoireannach tuilleadh, agus nach d鈥� fhuair Sligeachan a-mach riamh c貌 thilg uisge teth air a mhac.

tha seann rann ag ainmeachadh an fheadhainn a b鈥� ainmeile ann am Braghad Albann: an old verse names the best-known ones in Breadalbane; ann am Bun Eas faisg air baile Obar Pheallaidh: in Moness near the town of Aberfeldy; Br霉naidh an Easain: the brownie of the small waterfall; gun tigeadh an dithis 霉谤耻颈蝉驳ean a-mach air an oidhche: that the two urisks would come out at night time; gun chuireadh, agus shuidh e aig an teine: without an invitation, and he sat at the fire; ghoid e e, agus dh鈥檌th e e: he stole it and ate it; rinn e an dearbh rud leis an d脿rna bonnach: he did the same thing with the second bannock; chuir i bonnach teth far an st貌bha air gl霉inean r霉isgte an 霉谤耻颈蝉驳: she put a hot bannock from the stove on the urisk鈥檚 bare knees; bha am boireannach air an doras a dh霉nadh is a ghlasadh: the woman had closed and locked the door; on Bhl脿r Mh貌r: from Blairmore; dom b鈥� ainm Sligeachan: called Sligeachan; bhiodh e a鈥� faighneachd dhith, gu d猫 an t-ainm a bh鈥� oirre: he would ask her what her name was; is mise mi fh矛n: I am myself; thilg i pana uisge teth air a chasan r霉isgte: he threw a pan of hot water on his bare legs; am fear 貌g a鈥� sgriachail: the young one screaming; th脿inig e na dheann: he came in haste; c貌 rinn e?: who did it?; nam biodh duine eile air a dh猫anamh, bhithinn ga pheanasachadh: if another person had done it, I would punish him; nach do chuir an t-霉谤耻颈蝉驳 貌g dragh air a鈥� bhoireannach tuilleadh: the young urisk didn鈥檛 annoy the woman again.

The Gaelic 霉谤耻颈蝉驳 and the Scots brownie seem to be very similar, and a large collection could be made of stories of these supernatural creatures from around Scotland. They鈥檙e not particularly evil; rather they are like mischievous children, so they would be ideal to employ as a way of interesting children in our landscape and cultural heritage. I鈥檝e found the word 霉谤耻颈蝉驳 on OS maps in two places 鈥� Coire nan 脵ruisgean at the eastern end of Loch Katrine and Coire an 脵ruisge near Salen on Mull, but they are recalled in oral tradition from many other localities. Have you any good stories of 霉谤耻颈蝉驳ean that you tell to children (or adults!)? I鈥檇 love to hear from you.

Chaidh mo chasan a sgaldadh le uisge teth: my legs were scalded with hot water. The Gaelic sgald is a borrowing from English.

听

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