大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun bhrisgean, no silverweed. Tha e pailt far a bheil gainmheach. Tha e pailt air machraichean nan eilean.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥檉heuch mi am brisgean turas. Cha do shaoil mi m貌ran dheth. Bha na seann Gh脿idheil ga ithe nuair a bha biadh gann. Ach an robh iad ga ithe aig amannan eile?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha mi a鈥� leughadh mu threubhan d霉thchasach ann am Ameireagaidh a Tuath. Bha sin air an taobh an iar, eadar Washington is Alasga. Bha iad a鈥� f脿s a鈥� bhrisgein aca fh猫in. Bha iad a鈥� cumail lusan eile a-mach. Bha freumhan a鈥� bhrisgein a鈥� f脿s m貌r. Bha na daoine a鈥� buain a鈥� bhrisgein as t-fhoghar. Bha iad ga st貌radh thairis air a鈥� gheamhradh. 鈥橲 ann as t-fhoghar as fhe脿rr a tha am blas.

听听听听听听听听听听听 An robh an aon rud f矛or ann an Alba? An robh ar sinnsearan a鈥� f脿s a鈥� bhrisgein? Uill, bha. Ann an Carmina Gadelica, tha Alasdair MacIlleMh矛cheil ag innse dhuinn, mus do nochd am bunt脿ta anns na h-eileanan, gun robh daoine a鈥� f脿s a鈥� bhrisgein. Bha e a鈥� ruigsinn meudachd mh貌r nuair a bha e a鈥� f脿s leis fh猫in. Seo na sgr矛obh e: 鈥淎s certain places are noted for the cultivation of the potato, so certain places are remembered for the cultivation of silverweed鈥�.

听

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha e ag ainmeachadh 脿ite ann an Uibhist a Tuath. Bha daoine be貌 air a鈥� bhrisgean an sin. Uill, 鈥檚 e sin a chanas e fh猫in. Chanainn gun robh iad ag ithe gu le貌r de rudan eile cuideachd.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Co-dhi霉, tha MacIlleMh矛cheil a鈥� dearbhadh gun robh na G脿idheil a鈥� f脿s a鈥� bhrisgein, d矛reach mar a bha na t霉sanaich Ameireaganach. Bho linn nan sealgairean is luchd-cruinneachaidh gu linn nan tuathanach, chanainn gun robh Albannaich ag ithe a鈥� bhrisgein. Agus, eadhon nuair a th脿inig am bunt脿ta, bha cuid fhathast ag ithe a鈥� bhrisgein.

I was telling you about the brisgean, or silverweed. It is plentiful where there is sand. It is plentiful on the island machairs.

听听听听听听听 I tried the silverweed once. I didn鈥檛 think much of it. The old Gaels were eating it when food was scarce. But were they eating it at other times?

听听听听听听听 I was reading about native tribes in North America. That was in the west, between Washington and Alaska. They were growing their own silverweed. They were keeping other plants out. The roots of the silverweed were growing big. The people were harvesting the silverweed in the autumn. They were storing it over the winter. The taste is best in autumn.

听听听听听听听 Was the same thing true in Scotland? Were our ancestors growing the silverweed? Well, yes. In Carmina Gadelica, Alexander Carmichael tells us, before the potato appeared in the islands, that people were growing the silverweed. It was reaching a large size when growing on its own. Here鈥檚 what he wrote: 鈥淎s certain places are noted for the cultivation of the potato, so certain places are remembered for the cultivation of silverweed鈥�.

听听听听听听听 He names a place in North Uist. People were living on the silverweed there. Well, that鈥檚 what he says himself. I鈥檇 say that they were eating plenty of other things as well.

听听听听听听听 Anyway, Carmichael attests that the Gaels were growing the silver-weed, just as the native Americans were. From the time of the hunters and gatherers to the age of the farmers, I鈥檇 say that Scots were eating the silverweed. And, even when the potato came, some were still eating the silverweed.