大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun Sgitheanach, C猫 Tormod D貌mhnallach. Dh鈥檉hoillsich e an leabhar Puirt-a-Beul ann an naoi ceud deug 鈥檚 a h-aon (1901). Chaidh ath-fhoillseachadh a dh猫anamh dhen leabhar am-bliadhna. Thug an deasaiche, Uilleam Lamb, s霉il air t霉s phort-脿-beul.

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 An t脿inig iad gu bith a chionn 鈥檚 gun robh casg air seinn na p矛ob-mh貌ir? Bha an 鈥渃asg鈥� an cois Achd an Toirmisg ann an seachd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a seachd (1747). Tha Lamb ag r脿dh nach t脿inig. Bha an achd a鈥� cur stad air daoine bho bhith a鈥� cur 猫ideadh G脿idhealach orra. Ach cha robh casg air seinn na p矛oba.

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 Tha smuain eile air a bhith ann. 鈥橲 e sin gun robh luchd nan ionnsramaidean a鈥� seinn nam port aca. Bha sin airson na puirt a ghleidheadh. Carson? A chionn 鈥檚 gun robh casg, ann an cuid de dh鈥櫭爄teachan, ann am meadhan an naoidheamh linn deug, air cluich ionnsramaidean. Bha sin air sg脿th d霉sgadh anns an Eaglais.

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 Ach tha cunntasan ann de phuirt-脿-beul roimhe sin. Chaidh fear a chruinneachadh ann an Hiort timcheall air seachd ceud deug is seachdad (1770). Rinn Boswell is MacIain dannsa-ruidhle, gu port-脿-beul, air mullach D霉n Cana ann an Ratharsair. Bha sin ann an seachd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1773). Bha puirt-脿-beul gu cinnteach ann san ochdamh linn deug.

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 Ach an robh iad ann fada roimhe sin? Tha Lamb a鈥� d猫anamh iomradh air cunntas 脿s a鈥� bhliadhna c貌ig ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1593). Aig an 脿m sin, bha na h-霉ghdarrasan a鈥� d矛teadh cuid de bhoireannaich. Bha iad ag r脿dh gur e bana-bhuidsich a bha annta. Bha tri霉ir bhoireannach 脿 Eilginn anns a鈥� ch霉irt. Bha iad air a bhith a鈥� seinn 貌ran-dannsaidh deamhnaidh.

听听听听听听听聽聽聽聽 鈥橲 e gillatrype an t-ainm Beurla a bha air an t-se貌rsa seinn sin. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun t脿inig gillatrype 脿s a鈥� Gh脿idhlig gille a鈥� truimb. 鈥橲 e sin port a bhiodh a鈥� leantainn d貌igh-sheinn an truimb. Bha daoine a鈥� d猫anamh phort-dannsaidh leis an tromb, a bharrachd air a鈥� ghuth.

I was telling you about the Skyeman Keith Norman MacDonald. He published the book Puirt-a-Beul in 1901. A republication of the book was made this year. The editor, William Lamb, examined the origin of puirt-脿-beul.

听听听听听听听 Did they originate because there was a ban on playing the bagpipes? The 鈥渂an鈥� was assoc-iated with the Act of Proscription in 1747. Lamb says that is not the case. The act prevented people from wearing Highland garb. But there wasn鈥檛 a ban on the playing of the pipes.

听听听听听听听 There has been another thought around. That is that instrumentalists were singing their tunes. That was to preserve tunes. Why? Because there was a ban, in some places, in the middle of the 19th century, on the playing of instruments. That was because of a rise in evangelism in the Church.

听听听听听听听 But there are accounts of puirt-脿-beul before that. One was collected in St Kilda around 1770. Boswell and Johnson danced a reel, to port-脿-beul, on the summit of Dun Caan on Raasay. That was in 1773. Puirt-脿-beul were certainly in existence in the eighteenth century.

听听听听听听听 But were they around long before that? Lamb mentions an account from the year 1593. At that time, the authorities were condemn-ing some women. They were saying that they were witches. Three women from Elgin were in court. They had been singing a devilish dancing song.

听听听听听听听 Gillatrype is the English name for that type of singing. It鈥檚 thought that gillatrype came from the Gaelic gille a鈥� truimb. That鈥檚 a tune that would follow the way of playing a trump. People were making dancing tunes with the trump, as well as the voice.