大象传媒

Bliadhna no dh脿 air ais, fhuair mi post-d bho dhuine as aithne dhomh ann an Sasainn. Tha f矛or dheagh Gh脿idhlig aige. Sgr矛obh e gun robh e d矛reach air a bhith ann an 脌th nan Damh. Mhe貌raich mi greis air an ainm-脿ite. 脌th nan Damh. An uair sin, th脿inig e thugam 鈥� 鈥榯he ford of the oxen鈥� no Oxford. Uill, tha mi a鈥� f脿s cleachdte ris an ainm, mean air mhean. Cha chreid mi, ge-t脿, gum biodh Drochaid Cham a鈥� d猫anamh a鈥� ghnothaich cho math airson 鈥楥ambridge鈥�!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Co-dhi霉, tha ceist agam dhuibh. D猫 an ceangal a th鈥� ann eadar a鈥� Gh脿idhlig, seann abaid ann an ceann a deas na h-Alba, colaiste oilthigh ann an 脌th nan Damh, agus fear a bha na R矛gh Albannach airson ceithir bliadhna?听 Na gabhaibh dragh 鈥� tha sibh fhathast ag 猫isteachd ri Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh, seach Round Britain Quiz ann an G脿idhlig! Bheir mi am fuasgladh dhuibh 鈥� Diorbhail. Boireannach air an robh Diorbhail mar ainm.

听听听听听听听听听听听 B鈥� e Diorbhail Baintighearna Ghall-Gh脿idhealaibh anns an treas linn deug. Ann am Beurla, 鈥檚 e Devorgilla an t-ainm a bh鈥� oirre. Ach 鈥檚 e sin dreach Laidinn air an ainm Gh脿idhlig Dearbhfhorghaill. Tha mi an d霉il gur e Diorbhail an dreach G脿idhlig a th鈥� againn air an ainm sin anns an latha an-diugh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha Diorbhail na nighinn aig Ailean, Tighearna Ghall-Gh脿idhealaibh. Bha mi a鈥� bruidhinn ri fear-eachdraidh anns an sg矛re sin an-uiridh, agus dh鈥檌nns esan dhomh gum biodh G脿idhlig gu cinnteach aig Diorbhail agus a h-athair. Nuair a bha i tr矛 bliadhn鈥� deug a dh鈥檃ois, ph貌s i Iain, c貌igeamh baran Bhalliol, aig an robh fearann m貌r ann an ceann a tuath Shasainn. Bha Iain na chomhairleach aig R矛gh Shasainn.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ann an d脿 cheud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1263), bha Balliol an s脿s ann an connspaid mu fhearann le Easbaig Dhurham. Chaidh a鈥� ch霉is an aghaidh Bhalliol agus chaidh iarraidh air, mar pheanas, colaiste a st猫idheachadh ann an Oilthigh 脌th nan Damh airson nan daoine bochda. C貌ig bliadhna an d猫idh sin, chaochail Balliol. Ach lean a bhanntrach, Diorbhail, le bhith a鈥� cur airgead ris a鈥� cholaiste airson 鈥檚 gum biodh i seasmhach. Tha Balliol College ann chun an latha an-diugh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach d猫 mu dheidhinn na seann abaid agus an R矛gh Albannach? Uill, ann an da cheud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1273), st猫idhich Diorbhail abaid mar chuimhneachan air an duine aice. Bhon a chaochail e, bha ise air a bhith a鈥� gi霉lan a chridhe 蝉辫矛辞蝉谤补颈肠丑迟别 cuide rithe fad na h-霉ine. Bha e ann an ciste bheag 矛bhri.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nuair a chaochail ise ann an d脿 cheud deug is naochad (1290), bha a鈥� chiste air a tiodhlacadh ri a taobh. Mar chomharra air a鈥� ghaol a bh鈥� aice air an duine aic鈥�, ghabh na manaich Dulce Cor no 鈥楽weetheart鈥� air an abaid. Sweetheart Abbey. 鈥橲 e togalach dr霉idhteach a th鈥� ann a dh鈥檉huiling an d猫idh an Ath-leasachaidh. Ach tha e br猫agha mar thobhta.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Cha robh Diorbhail be貌 fada gu le貌r airson faicinn mar a chaidh inbhe R矛gh na h-Alba a bhuileachadh air a鈥� ghille aice, Iain. Bha e na R矛gh airson faisg air ceithir bliadhna ach aig droch 脿m nuair a bha R矛gh Eideard Shasainn a鈥� feuchainn ri smachd a ghabhail air Alba. Ach, mar a thuirt am fear m貌r, 鈥檚 e sgeulachd airson latha eile a tha sin. Beannachd leibh.

Bliadhna no dh脿 air ais: a year or two back; bho dhuine as aithne dhomh ann an Sasainn: from a man I know in England; mhe貌raich mi greis: I considered for a while; a鈥� f脿s cleachdte ris an ainm, mean air mhean: slowly getting used to the name; Baintighearna Ghall-Gh脿idhealaibh: Lady of Galloway; Tighearna Ghall-Gh脿idhealaibh: Lord of Galloway; bha Iain na chomhairleach aig R矛gh Shasainn: John was an adviser to the King of England; an s脿s ann an connspaid mu fhearann le Easbaig Dhurham: involved in a land dispute with the Bishop of Durham; chaidh iarraidh air, mar pheanas, colaiste a st猫idheachadh: he was required, as a penance, to establish a college; le bhith a鈥� cur airgead ris a鈥� cholaiste airson 鈥檚 gum biodh i seasmhach: by funding the college so that it would be long-lasting; ann an ciste bheag 矛bhri: in a small ivory kist; air a tiodhlacadh ri a taobh: buried by her side; mar chomharra air a鈥� ghaol a bh鈥� aice air an duine aic鈥�: as a mark of the love she had for her husband; 鈥檚 e togalach dr霉idhteach a th鈥� ann: it鈥檚 an impressive building; a dh鈥檉huiling an d猫idh an Ath-leasachaidh: which suffered after the Reformation; br猫agha mar thobhta: beautiful as a ruin; cha robh Diorbhail be貌 fada gu le貌r: Devorgilla wasn鈥檛 alive long enough; airson faicinn mar a chaidh inbhe R矛gh na h-Alba a bhuileachadh air a鈥� ghille aice, Iain: to see how her son John became declared King of Scotland; aig droch 脿m nuair a bha R矛gh Eideard Shasainn a鈥� feuchainn ri smachd a ghabhail air Alba: at a bad time when King Edward of England was trying to gain control of Scotland; 鈥檚 e sgeulachd airson latha eile a tha sin: that鈥檚 a story for another day.

I have given the woman鈥檚 name as Diorbhail in (modern) Gaelic and Devorgilla in its (Latinized) English form but it actually exists in other forms as well. The college she endowed, Balliol at Oxford, which is celebrating its 750th anniversary this year, provides scholarships for woman known as Dervorguilla scholarships, demonstrating another spelling of the name. The Gaelic original is thought to be Dearbhfhorghaill, alternatively given as Derborgaill or Dearbhorgil.

bha ise air a bhith a鈥� gi霉lan a chridhe 蝉辫矛辞蝉谤补颈肠丑迟别 cuide rithe fad na h-霉ine: she had been carrying his embalmed heart with her all the time.

听

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