大象传媒

Brisgean beannaichte an Earraich, seachdamh aran a鈥� Gh脿idheil. Tha mi air a bhith a鈥� bruidhinn mun bhrisgean, lus a bhiodh na seann Gh脿idheil ag ithe agus, uaireannan, a鈥� f脿s, co-dhi霉 anns na h-eileanan machaireach. Thug mi an seanfhacal sin dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh. Agus seo fear eile 鈥� Am brisgean biadhtach, an seachdamh biadh as ciataiche a thig tro thalamh. Uill, 鈥檚 e a鈥� cheist a th鈥� agam 鈥� mas e am brisgean an seachdamh aran, d猫 na sia eile a th鈥� ann?

听听听听听听听听听听听 Anns an leabhar The Gaelic Otherworld, cruinneachadh de bheul-aithris a rinn Iain MacGhriogair Caimbeul, tha an Deasaiche, Raghnall MacIlleDhuibh, a鈥� toirt s霉il air an dearbh cheist sin. Seo an co-dh霉nadh aige: aran-coirce is aran-e貌rna a bha le ch猫ile air an ithe gu cumanta, agus aran-seagail is aran-peasrach nach robh cho cumanta. Sin ceithir. D猫 na dh脿 eile a bhiodh ann? Uill 鈥檚 d貌cha d脿 aran a bhiodh na h-uaislean ag ithe 鈥� aran cruithneachd (an se貌rsa as cumanta againne) agus aran-milis 鈥� se貌rsa a bhiodh na ceannaichean-siubhail a鈥� toirt leotha gu f猫illtean-reic. Agus an seachdamh aran 鈥� aran-brisgein.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ann an Carmina Gadelica, thathar ag innse dhuinn gun robh na daoine dha-r矛ribh a鈥� bleith freumh tioram a鈥� bhrisgein airson min a dh猫anamh. Dh猫anadh iad aran no brochan leatha. A bharrachd air sin, bhiodh daoine ag ithe nam freumhan amh no gan goil no gan r貌stadh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha am brisgean f矛or chudromach aig 脿m gorta agus ch霉m cuid ann an Uibhist iad fh猫in be貌 air brisgean is maorach 脿s d猫idh gun deach am fuadachadh bho na dachannan aca. Ann an Tiriodh bha droch bhliadhna ann, goirid 脿s d猫idh Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair, air an robh Bliadhna nam Brisgeanan. Leis gun robh cogadh catharra air a bhith ann, cha robh am fearann air obrachadh mar bu ch貌ir. As t-Earrach bha am brisgean pailt far am bu ch貌ir b脿rr eile a bhith. Ach rinn na daoine biadh 脿s.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh gu robh mi e貌lach air d矛reach aon ainm-脿ite leis an fhacal brisgean ann. Uill, lorg mi aithris air fear eile 鈥� Lag nam Brisgean faisg air Stafainn anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. A-rithist, chan fhaigh mi lorg air air na mapaichean, ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gum bi fios aig feadhainn air an Taobh Sear ca鈥� bheil e.

听听听听听听听听听听听 An robh na seann Gh脿idheil a鈥� cur a鈥� bhrisgein gu feum sam bith eile, ach mar bhiadh? Uill, bha. Uaireannan, bhiodh daoine a鈥� cur nan duilleagan am broinn am 产谤貌驳 mar l矛nig, airson f脿ileadh an cas a laigeachadh. Bh矛te a鈥� cleachdadh nan duilleagan cuideachd airson cl貌 a dhathadh. Gheibhear dath l脿idir buidhe bhuapa.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ann am m貌ran d霉thchannan, bha am brisgean air a chleachdadh mar leigheas airson iomadach rud, nam measg an t-orc, fiabhras, losgadh-br脿ghad agus comharran na brice air a鈥� chraiceann. Agus, mu dheireadh, tha Raghnall MacIlleDhuibh ag aithris gun cuala e bhon 脌rd-ollamh D貌mhnall Meek gum fac鈥� esan daoine ann an Tiriodh, a鈥� f霉darachadh a鈥� bhrisgein. An uair sin, chuir iad am f霉dar do na p矛oban aca, agus ghabh iad ce貌 a鈥� bhrisgein, mar a bhios daoine a鈥� gabhail ce貌 tombaca!

brisgean: silverweed; Raghnall MacIlleDhuibh: Ronald Black; amh: raw; Barraigh: Barra; maorach: shellfish; Tiriodh: Tiree; Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair: The Battle of Culloden; leigheas: cure; a鈥� f霉darachadh: making a powder.

brisgean beannaichte an Earraich, seachdamh aran a鈥� Gh脿idheil: blessed silverweed of the spring, the seventh bread of the Gael; co-dhi霉 anns na h-eileanan machaireach: at least in the islands where machair abounds; am brisgean biadhtach, an seachdamh biadh as ciataiche a thig tro thalamh: the food-giving silverweed, the seventh nicest food that comes through the ground; aran-coirce is aran-e貌rna a bha le ch猫ile air an ithe gu cumanta: oat-bread and barley-bread that were both commonly eaten; aran-seagail is aran-peasrach: rye bread and pease bread; a bhiodh na h-uaislean ag ithe: that the gentry would eat; aran cruithneachd agus aran-milis: wheaten bread and ginger bread; a bhiodh na ceannaichean-siubhail a鈥� toirt gu f猫illtean-reic: that the travelling salesmen would take to festivals; a鈥� bleith freumh tioram a鈥� bhrisgein airson min a dh猫anamh: grinding the dry root of the silverweed to make meal; gan goil no gan r貌stadh: boiling them or roasting them; aig 脿m gorta: at a time of famine; 脿s d猫idh gun deach am fuadachadh: after they had been evicted; cogadh catharra: a civil war; cha robh am fearann air obrachadh: the land wasn鈥檛 worked; Stafainn anns an Eilean Sgitheanach: Staffin on the Isle of Skye; bh矛te a鈥� cleachdadh nan duilleagan airson cl貌 a dhathadh: the leaves would be used to dye cloth; an t-orc, fiabhras, losgadh-br脿ghad agus comharran na brice: cramp, fever, indigestion and the marks left by smallpox; ghabh iad ce貌: they smoked.

air an Taobh Sear: in Trotternish. It might sound strange when it means 鈥榦n the east side鈥� but it is widely used for referring to the peninsula in the north-east of Skye.

听

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