大象传媒

Tha an 脥蝉濒别苍诲颈苍驳补产贸办 ag innse dhuinn gun robh papar 鈥� d矛threabhaich Gh脿idhealach 鈥� a鈥� fuireach ann an Innis T矛le nuair a chaidh na Lochlannaich ann an toiseach mar luchd-tuineachaidh. Bha sin anns a鈥� bhliadhna ochd ceud is seachdad (870). Dh鈥檉h脿g na papar an t-eilean goirid 脿s d猫idh do na Lochlannaich nochdadh oir cha robh s矛th ann dhaibh tuilleadh. Dh鈥檉h脿g iad clagan agus leabhraichean 脿s an d猫idh.

Ach an tug iad buaidh air na Lochlannaich ann an Innis T矛le? Tha e coltach nach tug. Dh鈥檉halbh iad agus cha do thill iad. Airson buaidh nan G脿idheal air na T矛lich a thuigsinn, feumaidh sinn coimhead air na thachair 脿s deidh nam papar. St猫idhichte air fianais DNA, eachdraidh, ainmean-脿ite is c脿nan, tha a鈥� chuid as motha de dh鈥檈貌laichean a鈥� gabhail ris gun robh an luchd-tuineachaidh na mheasgachadh de Lochlannaich agus G脿idheil. Thathar a鈥� tomhas na bh鈥� ann de Gh脿idheil anns an t-sluagh aig an toiseach eadar ceithir-deug agus ceathrad 脿s a鈥� cheud.

Tha cuid de luchd-eachdraidh ag r脿dh gun robh tr脿illean d矛reach a鈥� d猫anamh d矛reach beag-chuid de na Gh脿idheil. Tha feadhainn eile ag r脿dh gun robh tr脿illean anns a鈥� mh貌r-chuid. Ach thathar ag aontachadh gun robh na tr脿illean G脿idhealach.

Nan robh a鈥� mh貌r-chuid de na G脿idheil nan tr脿illean, bhiodh sin a鈥� m矛neachadh cho beag 鈥檚 a nochd de dh鈥檃inmean pearsanta G脿idhealach am measg nan T矛leach. Chaidh ainmean Lochlannach a chur orra. Agus chaill iad an c脿nan an ceann ginealach no dh脿.

Ach an robh iad ag innse sgeulachdan? An ann bho na tr脿illean G脿idhealach a fhuair na T矛lich an gr脿dh a th鈥� aca air st貌iridhean? Chan eil gaisgich Gh脿idhealach anns na sgeulachdan T矛leach. Ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gun deach iarraidh air na tr脿illean st貌iridhean aithris mu ghaisgich Lochlannach. Agus tha rudan ann a tha coltach eadar an d脿 dhualchas, co-dhi霉 nuair a thathar a鈥� coimhead air na faoinsgeulan T矛leach as sine.

Mus leig mi soraidh le Innis T矛le bu mhath leam innse dhuibh mu thuras a ghabh mi ann an ceann a deas an eilein. Airson mu uair a th矛de bha mi a鈥� dr脿ibheadh air rathad greabhail. Chunnaic mi d矛reach aon ch脿r. Air mo thaobh chl矛 bha t猫 de na beanntan as ainmeile anns an eilean. Tha i mun aon 脿irde ri Beinn Nibheis agus bho 脿m gu 脿m bidh i a鈥� spreadhadh. 鈥橲 e bholc脿no a th鈥� innte. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm oirre 鈥� Hekla.

Uair no uaireigin bidh Hekla a鈥� spreadhadh a-rithist. Chaidh i suas ceithir tursan anns an fhicheadamh linn. Chuir mi sin 脿s mo cheann nuair a bha mi air an rathad sin, ge-t脿. Ach d猫 mu dheidhinn a h-ainm? Tha hekla a鈥� ciallachadh 肠濒别貌肠补 鈥� agus, gu dearbh, bidh ce貌 na laighe oirre mar chle貌ca cha mh貌r fad na h-霉ine.

C脿ite eile a bheil beinn air a bheil Hecla? Tha ann an Uibhist a Deas. Chanainn gum bi ce貌 na laighe oirrese cuideachd ach dh鈥檉haodadh muinntir Uibhist mo chur ceart air sin! Tha cuid air smuain a chur air adhart, ge-t脿, gur ann 脿 Uibhist a th脿inig an t-ainm T矛leach. Tha iad ag r脿dh gun deach feadhainn 脿s na h-Eileanan an Iar a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Innis T矛le o chionn fhad an t-saoghail agus gun tug iad an t-ainm sin leotha. 鈥橲 e smuain a tha sin. Ach tha aon rud f矛or. Tha e nas s脿bhailte a bhith a鈥� fuireach faisg air a鈥� Hecla ann an Uibhist!

诲矛迟丑谤别补产丑补颈肠丑: hermits, people living in the wilderness; Innis T矛le: Iceland; luchd-tuineachaidh: settlers, colonists; clagan: bells; 迟谤脿颈濒濒别补苍: slaves; gaisgich: heroes; a鈥� spreadhadh: erupting; 产丑辞濒肠脿苍辞: volcano; 肠濒别貌肠补: cloak; Uibhist a Deas: South Uist.

goirid 脿s d猫idh do na Lochlannaich nochdadh: shortly after the Norse appeared; cha robh s矛th ann dhaibh tuilleadh: they no longer had peace; airson buaidh nan G脿idheal air na T矛lich a thuigsinn: to understand the effect of the Gaels on the Icelanders; st猫idhichte air fianais DNA: based on DNA evidence; tha a鈥� chuid as motha de dh鈥檈貌laichean a鈥� gabhail ris: most experts accept; thathar a鈥� tomhas na bh鈥� ann de Gh脿idheil anns an t-sluagh: it is reckoned that the number of Gaels in the population was; ceathrad 脿s a鈥� cheud: forty percent; gun robh tr脿illean anns a鈥� mh貌r-chuid: that slaves were in the majority; thathar ag aontachadh gun robh na tr脿illean G脿idhealach: it is agreed that the slaves were Gaelic; cho beag 鈥檚 a nochd de dh鈥檃inmean pearsanta G脿idhealach am measg nan T矛leach: how few Gaelic personal names appeared amongst the Icelanders; an ceann ginealach no dh脿: after a generation or two; an gr脿dh a th鈥� aca air st貌iridhean: the love they have for stories; nuair a thathar a鈥� coimhead air na faoinsgeulan T矛leach as sine: when the oldest Icelandic sagas are examined; mus leig mi soraidh le: before I bid farewell to bha mi a鈥� dr脿ibheadh air rathad greabhail: I was driving on a gravel road; mun aon 脿irde ri Beinn Nibheis: about the same height as Ben Nevis; ceithir tursan anns an fhicheadamh linn: four times in the twentieth century; chuir mi sin 脿s mo cheann: I put that out of my thoughts; bidh ce貌 na laighe oirre: mist lies on her; dh鈥檉haodadh muinntir Uibhist mo chur ceart: the people of Uist could put me right; nas s脿bhailte: safer.

gun robh an luchd-tuineachaidh na mheasgachadh de Lochlannaich agus G脿idheil: that the settlers were a mixture of Norse and Gaels. Luchd is a tricky word to deal with as it is conceptually plural but must be dealt with as a singular masculine word in terms of the grammatical rules. We would say gun robh iad nam measgachadh de鈥� or gun robh na T矛lich nam measgachadh de鈥� using the plural form (鈥渋n their mixture鈥�). But with luchd we have to say na mheasgachadh (鈥渋n his mixture鈥�). With clann, which is a singular word but of feminine gender (although conceptually plural) we鈥檇 say bha a鈥� chlann na measgachadh de 鈥� (鈥渋n her mixture鈥�).

o chionn fhad an t-saoghail: a very long time ago.