大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun mhallachd a bh鈥� air Muileann Bheannchair ann am B脿ideanach. Bha muinntir Ghleann Bheannchair agus Bhail鈥� 脵r an t-Sl猫ibh a鈥� cleachdadh a鈥� mhuilinn. Chaidh buidheann dhiubh gu taigh na bana-bhuidsich airson bruidhinn rithe. Dh鈥檌arr iad oirre a mallachd a thogail gus am biodh comas aig daoine a bhith ag obrachadh a鈥� mhuilinn.

Dh鈥檃ontaich a鈥� bhana-bhuidseach sin a dh猫anamh ach a-mh脿in air Latha F猫ill Br矛de. Air an latha sin gach bliadhna, duine sam bith a bhiodh ag obair sa mhuileann, bhiodh e a鈥� fulang gu dubh.

Air s脿illibh sin, cha do rinn muillear Ghleann Bheannchair obair sam bith air Latha F猫ill Br矛de. Sin mar a bha airson greis mh貌r. Ach th脿inig muillear 霉r, agus bha esan dhen bheachd nach robh anns a鈥� ghnothach ach saobh-chr脿bhadh gun bhr矛gh. Dh鈥檌nns e do mhuinntir a鈥� ghlinne gum biodh am muileann fosgailte, agus ag obair, air Latha F猫ill Br矛de.

Th脿inig an latha sin, agus cha do nochd aon duine aig a鈥� mhuileann. Ach bha arbhar aig a鈥� mhuillear fh猫in agus chuir e sin tron mhuileann. Fhad 始s a bha na clachan-br脿 a鈥� tionndadh, bha fuaim uabhasach mar dh矛osgan a鈥� tighinn bhuapa. Nuair a thug am muillear s霉il air a鈥� mhin, fhuair e a-mach gun robh i measgaichte le gainmheach, agus gun fheum sam bith mar bhiadh do dhuine no beathach.

Nuair a thug e s霉il air na clachan-br脿, lorg e t猫 a bha sg脿inte. Chuir e an t猫 sin am falach agus chuir e t猫 霉r na h-脿ite. Dh鈥檌nns e do mhuinntir Ghleann Bheannchair gun robh am muileann ag obair ceart gu le貌r, a dh鈥檃indeoin 始s gun robh e air a bhith a鈥� dol Latha F猫ill Br矛de.聽

Ge-t脿, nuair a th脿inig daoine eile le arbhar, cha b鈥� urrainn don mhuillear am muileann a chur air dol. Agus bha an s矛ol-lann 鈥� far an robh gr脿n air a st貌radh 鈥� l脿n radan. Dh鈥檌th na radain an gr脿n air fad. Dh鈥檉halbh am muillear mus robh a鈥� bhliadhna seachad. Ach loisg am muileann 霉r aige gu l脿r, agus chaochail am muillear ann am bochdainn.

An ceann 霉ine, th脿inig muillear 霉r a Mhuileann Bheannchair. Bha uchd-mhac aige a bhuineadh don luchd-siubhail. Ruith an dithis am muileann airson grunn bhliadhnaichean, ga chumail d霉inte air Latha F猫ill Br矛de. Cha robh duilgheadas sam bith aca.

Nuair a chaochail an duine seo, agus nuair a th脿inig fear eile na 脿ite, cha b鈥� urrainn dha am muileann a chur air dol. Chuir e fios don uchd-mhac aig an t-seann mhuillear. Dh鈥檌arr e taic air airson am muileann a chur air dol. Dh鈥檃ontaich an gille a chuideachadh ach bha e airson a bhith leis fh猫in anns a鈥� mhuileann. Bha p矛os fiodha s貌nraichte aige am falach anns a鈥� mhuileann. Le bhith a鈥� cleachdadh sin ann an d貌igh dh矛omhair, cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh am muileann ag obair a-rithist.

Dhi霉lt an gille an r霉n-d矛omhair aige innse do dhuine sam bith eile. Cha robh roghainn aig muinntir an 脿ite ach e fh猫in fhastadh mar mhuillear. Ach, ged a bha am muileann ag obair, cha robh an gille math mar mhuillear, agus dh霉in am muileann. Chan eil ann am Muileann Bheannchair a-nise ach tobhta. Ach tha cuimhne fhathast aig muinntir Bhail鈥� 脵r an t-Sl猫ibh air mar a bhiodh na seann daoine a鈥� di霉ltadh am muileann obrachadh air Latha F猫ill Br矛de.

Faclan na Litreach: Muileann Bheannchair: The Banchor Mill; B脿ideanach: Badenoch; Bail鈥� 脵r an t-Sl猫ibh: Newtonmore; Latha F猫ill Br矛de: St Bride鈥檚 Feast Day; arbhar: unmilled corn [cereal]; s矛ol-lann: granary; radain: rats; r霉n-d矛omhair: secret.

Abairtean na Litreach: Chaidh buidheann dhiubh gu taigh na bana-bhuidsich airson bruidhinn rithe: a group of them went to the witch鈥檚 house to speak to her; dh鈥檌arr iad oirre a mallachd a thogail: they asked her to lift her curse; bhiodh e a鈥� fulang gu dubh: he would suffer badly; sin mar a bha airson greis mh貌r: that鈥檚 how it was for quite some time; bha esan dhen bheachd nach robh anns a鈥� ghnothach ach saobh-chr脿bhadh gun bhr矛gh: he was of the opinion that the matter was simply meaningless superstition; fhad 始s a bha na clachan-br脿 a鈥� tionndadh: while the quernstones were turning; nuair a thug am muillear s霉il air a鈥� mhin: when the miller examined the meal; gun robh i measgaichte le gainmheach: that it was mixed with sand; gun fheum sam bith mar bhiadh do dhuine no beathach: useless as food for man or beast; lorg e t猫 a bha sg脿inte: he found one that was split; chuir e t猫 霉r na h-脿ite: he put a new one in its place; cha b鈥� urrainn don mhuillear am muileann a chur air dol: the miller couldn鈥檛 get the mill going; chaochail am muillear ann am bochdainn: the miller died in poverty; bha uchd-mhac aige a bhuineadh don luchd-siubhail: he had an adopted son who belonged to the travelling people; dh鈥檃ontaich an gille a chuideachadh ach bha e airson a bhith leis fh猫in anns a鈥� mhuileann: the lad agreed to help him but he wanted to be alone in the mill; mar a bhiodh X a鈥� di霉ltadh am muileann obrachadh air Latha F猫ill Br矛de: how X would refuse to work the mill on St Bride鈥檚 Feast Day.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: gus am biodh comas aig daoine a bhith ag obrachadh a鈥� mhuilinn: so that people were able to work the mill. In mainland Scotland and many islands, muileann is a masculine noun; in the genitive singular with the article it is a鈥� mhuilinn [here following the verbal noun ag obrachadh]. In Lewis and Harris, however, it is often a feminine noun with the genitive singular form na muilne.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: bha fuaim uabhasach mar dh矛osgan a鈥� tighinn bhuapa: a terrible sound like grating [eg teeth grating on each other] was coming from them.