大象传媒

Air a鈥� mhadainn a dh鈥檉halbh mi a-mach do na h-Eileanan Westmann ann an Innis T矛le, cha robh ach tr矛 dathan rim faicinn 鈥� dubh, geal agus glas. 鈥橲 e latha gruamach a bh鈥� ann agus tha am port-aiseig air cladach dubh a th鈥� air a dh猫anamh de chloich bholc脿nach. Bha a鈥� mhuir glas. Agus, os cionn a h-uile n矛, bha ceap-deighe geal. Bha an ceap-deighe sin ainmeil air feadh na Roinn E貌rpa an-uiridh oir spreadh a鈥� bholc脿no a tha fodha, a鈥� cur luaithre don iarmailt. Chuir sin stad air itealain bho bhith a鈥� falbh don adhar.

听听听听听听 鈥橲 e ainm a鈥� chip-dheighe Eyjafjallaj枚kull. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渃eap-deighe beinn nan eilean鈥�. Agus 鈥檚 iad na h-eileanan anns an ainm na Vestmannaeyjar 鈥� na h-Eileanan Westmann a tha far a鈥� chladaich an sin.

听听听听听听 脌 t矛r-m貌r, chuir sealladh nan eilean Hiort nam chuimhne. Tha iad 脿rd, cas is rudeigin biorach. Bha iad air an d猫anamh le bholc脿nothan fon mhuir aona mh矛le dheug bliadhna air ais. Uill, chan eil sin uile-gu-l猫ir ceart. Nochd fear de na h-eileanan 鈥� Surtsey 鈥� bhon mhuir ann an naoi ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1963). Agus deich bliadhna an d猫idh sin, gun rabhadh, th貌isich spreadhadh 霉r air an eilean far a bheil an sluagh a鈥� fuireach 鈥� Heimaey. Th脿inig l脿bha agus luaithre a-mach agus b鈥� fheudar don t-sluagh 鈥� c貌ig m矛le dhiubh 鈥� an t-eilean fh脿gail.

听听听听听听 Airson c貌ig m矛osan ghluais trithead millean tonna de l脿bha thairis air taobh an ear an eilein. Dh鈥櫭╥rich cnoc m貌r 霉r agus chaidh c貌rr is tr矛 cheud taigh a sgrios. Eadhon na bu mhiosa na sin, bha an l脿bha a鈥� gluasad a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an aon chala anns an eilean. Nan cailleadh na daoine an cala, cha bhiodh comas aca fuireach anns na h-eileanan tuilleadh. Chaidh daoine air ais don eilean le pumpaichean m貌ra. Chuir iad milleanan de ghalanan de sh脿l air an l脿bha airson fhuarachadh. Bha iad soirbheachail agus stad an l脿bha goirid don chala.

听听听听听听 Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh gun cuala mi mac-talla de dh鈥橝lba anns na h-Eileanan Westmann. Air an t-slighe don phort air a鈥� bh脿t鈥�-aiseig chaidh mi seachad air eilean beag air a bheil Bjarnarey. Chan eil duine anns na h-Eileanan an Iar nach aithnicheadh sin. Tha barrachd air aon 鈥淏e脿rnaraigh鈥� againne.

听听听听听听 Agus dh鈥檌onnsaich mi gu bheil ceangal aig ainm nan Eilean Westmann fh猫in ris na G脿idheil. Tha westmann a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渄uine bhon taobh an iar鈥�. 鈥橲 e sin an t-ainm a bh鈥� aig na Lochlannaich air daoine 脿 Breatainn is 脠irinn. Gu tric, thathar ag r脿dh gu bheilear a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥溍坕reannaich鈥�. Ach tha cuid de dh鈥檈貌laichean ag r脿dh gun robh na h-Albannaich air an tomhas anns an aon d貌igh oir bha iad gu siar air a鈥� Chuan a Tuath.

听听听听听听 Seo mar a fhuair iad an ainm. B鈥� e Ing贸lfur Arnarson a鈥� chiad Lochlannach a rinn a dhachaigh ann an Innis T矛le. Thog e taigh far a bheil Reykjavik an-diugh. C貌mhla ris bha dl霉th-charaid aige, Hj枚rleifur Hr贸冒marsson, agus 迟谤脿颈濒濒ean G脿idhealach. Rinn Hj枚rleifur droch dh矛ol air na 迟谤脿颈濒濒ean. Mhuirt na 迟谤脿颈濒濒ean e. B鈥� fheudar dhaibh teicheadh, agus dh鈥檉halbh iad do na h-eileanan far costa deas na d霉thcha.

听听听听听听 Ach chaidh Ing贸lfur an t貌ir orra agus lorg e iad anns na h-eileanan. Mharbh e iad uile. Bhon uair sin, tha na h-eileanan air ainm nan 迟谤脿颈濒濒ean G脿idhealach a ghi霉lan.

Innis T矛le: Iceland; ceap-deighe: icecap; fodha: underneath it; itealain: aeroplanes; 濒脿产丑补: lava; pumpaichean: pumps; soirbheachail: successful; mac-talla: echo; Lochlannaich: Vikings (Scandinavians).

cha robh ach tr矛 dathan rim faicinn 鈥� dubh, geal agus glas: there were only three colours to be seen 鈥� black, white and grey; latha gruamach: a dismal day; tha am port-aiseig air cladach dubh: the ferry port is on a black shore; air a dh猫anamh de chloich bholc脿nach: made of volcanic rock; ainmeil air feadh na Roinn E貌rpa: famous throughout Europe; a鈥� cur luaithre don iarmailt: sending ash high into the atmosphere; a tha far a鈥� chladaich: that lie offshore; chuir sealladh nan eilean Hiort nam chuimhne: the view of the islands reminded me of St Kilda; rudeigin biorach: somewhat pointed; le bholc脿nothan fon mhuir aona mh矛le dheug bliadhna air ais: by submarine volcanoes eleven thousand years ago; gun rabhadh, th貌isich spreadhadh 霉r: without warning, a new eruption began; b鈥� fheudar don t-sluagh an t-eilean fh脿gail: the population had to leave the island; eadhon na bu mhiosa na sin: even worse than that; a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an aon chala: towards the only harbour; nan cailleadh na daoine X: if the people were to lose X; chuir iad milleanan de ghalanan de sh脿l air an l脿bha airson fhuarachadh: they put millions of gallons of seawater on the lava to cool it; nach aithnicheadh sin: that wouldn鈥檛 recognise that; air an tomhas anns an aon d貌igh: characterised in the same way; mhuirt na 迟谤脿颈濒濒ean e: the slaves murdered him; b鈥� fheudar dhaibh teicheadh: they had to flee; chaidh X an t貌ir orra: X pursued them.

stad an l脿bha goirid don chala: the lava stopped close to the harbour.

听

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