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An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Fhèill na Bealltainn agus mu na teintean a bhathar a’ togail air mullaichean chnoc. Ann an Carmina Gadelica, tha Alasdair MacIlleMhìcheil ag innse dhuinn tuilleadh mun teine. Bha a h-uile teine anns an sgìre air a mhùchadh. Cha robh ann an uair sin ach an aon teine air mullach cnuic no mullach monaidh. ʼS e ³Ù±ð¾±²Ô±ð-è¾±²µ¾±²Ô²Ô a chanadh daoine ris an fhear sin. A rèir choltais, cha robh e air a chur thuige le bhith a’ cleachdadh lasairean no èibhleagan bho na seann teintean. ʼS e teine gu tur ùr a dh’fheumadh a bhith ann. Bha na teintean taighe air an dèanamh às ùr bhon teine mhòr seo.

Mar phàirt dhen deas-ghnàth, bha an ³Ù±ð¾±²Ô±ð-è¾±²µ¾±²Ô²Ô air a roinn na dhà leth. An uair sin, bha daoine agus crodh air an cur eadar ‘dà theine Bhealltainn’ mar dhòigh gus an dèanamh ‘fìorghlan’.

Nuair a bha e ann an Leòdhas ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad ʼs a trì (1873), chuala MacIlleMhìcheil seanfhacal mun chùis aig bodach: A Mhoire! A mhicein, bu dorra dhòmhsa sin a dhèanamh dhut na dhol eadar dà theine mhòr Bheaill. Nise, tha e doirbh a ràdh an tuirt am bodach ‘Bheaill’, mar a tha sgrìobhte ann an Carmina Gadelica, no ʼs dòcha ‘Bheul’. Ach ʼs e sin a chlàr MacIlleMhìcheil – Ah Mary! Lad, it would be more difficult for me to do that for you than to pass between the two great fires of Beall. A Mhoire! A mhicein, bu dorra dhòmhsa sin a dhèanamh dhut na dhol eadar dà theine mhòr Bheaill.

Bha an abairt aig daoine cuideachd – eadar dà Bhealltainn. O shean, bha e a’ ciallachadh bliadhna – an t-àm eadar a’ Bhealltainn agus an ath Bhealltainn. Ge-tà, a rèir choltais, dh’atharraich ciall na h-abairt an dèidh don mhìosachan atharrachadh. Bha i an uair sin a’ ciallachadh a’ chiad cheala-deug dhen Chèitean, eadar a’ Bhealltainn agus a’ Bhealltainn dhen t-seann nòs. ʼS e àm math a th’ ann a bhith a’ cur eadar an dà Bhealltainn. Tha mi a’ ciallachadh le sin a bhith a’ cur glasraich no lusan eile.

Chruinnich an sagart ainmeil, Maighstir Ailein, beul-aithris o chionn còrr is ceud bliadhna. Seo abairt a chruinnich e: Latha Buidhe Bealltainn, thig a’ chuthag às a taigh geamhraidh. At Beltane the cuckoo emerges from its winter home.

Tha a’ chuthag ceangailte gu mòr ris a’ Bhealltainn ann am mac-meanmna nan Gàidheal. Ach tha eun eile ann a fhuair ainm Gàidhlig ann an co-cheangal ris a’ Bhealltainn. ʼS e sin an leth-ghuilbneach. Ann am Beurla, canaidh daoine whimbrel ris. Ach ʼs e an t-ainm Gàidhlig as cumanta a th’ air – Eun-Bealltainn. Bidh e a’ tighinn am follais aig an an àm sin dhen bhliadhna. 

Tha ‘eun’ eile ceangailte ris an fhèill seo. ʼS e sin glaisean cumhach na Bealltainn – the mournful wee bird of Beltane. Chan e seo eun ann an dha-rìribh, ge-tà – ach gaoth fhuar a bhios a’ sèideadh ann am meadhan a’ Chèitein – mar a chanadh am bodach eile – am blast mu dheireadh dhen gheamhradh.

Faclan na Litreach: ³Ù±ð¾±²Ô±ð-è¾±²µ¾±²Ô²Ô: ‘need-fire’; fìorghlan: pure; a mhicein: lit. son sonnie (vocative case); glasraich: vegetables; cuthag: cuckoo; eun-Bealltainn: whimbrel.

Abairtean na Litreach: na teintean a bhathar a’ togail air mullaichean chnoc: the fires that were being built on hilltops; bha a h-uile teine anns an sgìre air a mhùchadh: every fire in the area was extinguished; cha robh e air a chur thuige le bhith a’ cleachdadh lasairean no èibhleagan bho na seann teintean: it wasn’t lit by the use of flames or embers from the old fires; ʼs e teine gu tur ùr a dh’fheumadh a bhith ann: it had to be a new fire; bha daoine agus crodh air an cur eadar ‘dà theine Bhealltainn’: people and cattle were put between the ‘two fires of Beltane’; dh’atharraich ciall na h-abairt an dèidh don mhìosachan atharrachadh: the meaning of the phrase changed after the calendars changed; a’ chiad cheala-deug dhen Chèitean, eadar a’ Bhealltainn agus a’ Bhealltainn dhen t-seann nòs: the first fortnight of May, between Beltane and the Old Style Beltane; ʼs e àm math a th’ ann a bhith a’ cur: it’s a good time to be planting; chruinnich an sagart ainmeil, Maighstir Ailein, beul-aithris: the famous priest, Father Allan, collected oral tradition; bidh e a’ tighinn am follais aig an an àm sin dhen bhliadhna: it becomes obvious at that time of the year; tha ‘eun’ eile ceangailte ris an fhèill seo: there is another ‘bird’ connected to this festival; glaisean cumhach na Bealltainn: the mournful wee bird (e.g. sparrow) of Beltane; chan e seo eun ann an dha-rìribh, ge-tà: this is not a bird in reality, however; gaoth fhuar a bhios a’ sèideadh ann am meadhan a’ Chèitein: a cold wind that blows in the middle of May: mar a chanadh am bodach eile: as the other old man would say [i.e. ‘as might be said’]; am blast mu dheireadh dhen gheamhradh: the last blast of winter.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Mar phàirt dhen deas-ghnàth, bha an ³Ù±ð¾±²Ô±ð-è¾±²µ¾±²Ô²Ô air a roinn na dhà leth: as part of the ceremony, the ‘need-fire’ was divided into two halves.

Seanfhacal na Litreach: Latha Buidhe Bealltainn, thig a’ chuthag às a taigh geamhraidh: on Beltane day, the cuckoo emerges from its winter home.