大象传媒

Fada air ais, ann an Litir fichead 始s a h-ochd (28), rinn mi aithris air Fionnladh Dubh MacRath. Bha e car ainmeil ri a linn fh猫in. Bha e na gheamair o chionn ceudan bhliadhnaichean anns an sg矛re eadar Cinn t-S脿ile, Cill Fhaolain, Gleann Afraig agus Gleann Canaich.

An-diugh, tha mi airson sgeul eile innse dhuibh mun dearbh dhuine 鈥� Fionnladh Dubh nam Fiadh, mar a chanadh daoine ris. Chan e a-mh脿in geamair a bh鈥� ann. Bha e cuideachd na thuathanach. Bha e fh猫in agus a bhean a鈥� fuireach ann an 脿ite ris an canar Coille R矛gh ann an Gleann Eilcheig ann an Cinn t-S脿ile.

Feasgar a bha seo, chaidh Fionnladh a-mach a choimhead air a chrodh. Bha feadhainn dhiubh air a dhol a dh矛th. Bha fios aig Fionnladh c貌 a bu choireach 鈥� ceatharnaich 脿 Loch Abar a bhiodh a鈥� togail creach.

Chaidh Fionnladh 脿s an d猫idh. R脿inig e air an oidhche iad. Bha na ceatharnaich uile nan cadal. Mharbh Fionnladh iad. Dh鈥檉halbh e dhachaigh le a chrodh. Bha e an d貌chas nach fhulaingeadh e creach mar sin a-rithist fhad 始s a bu bhe貌 e.

Chaidh na seachdainean seachad 始s na seachdainean seachad, agus bha c霉isean a鈥� dol gu math do Fhionnladh. Ach latha a bha seo, bha e a鈥� saodachadh a chruidh don aonach. 始S e sin a chanas muinntir na sg矛re sin ris a鈥� mhonadh far am bi crodh ag ionaltradh 鈥� an t-aonach.聽

Dh鈥檉h脿s e sg矛th agus ghabh e fois airson greis. Chunnaic e tri霉ir fhear a鈥� te脿rnadh a-bh脿n leis an aonach. Bha iad a鈥� tighinn ga ionnsaigh agus bha fios taghta aige nach buineadh iad don 脿ite. Bha amharas aige gur e luchd-t貌ir a bh鈥� annta is gun robh iad a鈥� dol a thoirt t貌rachd a-mach. Shuidh e far an robh e.

Th脿inig iad thuige. Thuirt fear dhiubh ris, 鈥楥oigreach a th鈥� annad san 脿ite seo?鈥�

鈥極, chan e,鈥� fhreagair Fionnladh. 鈥楤idh mi gu tric anns an 脿ite seo.鈥�

鈥楢 bheil thu e貌lach air fear ris an can iad 鈥淔ionnladh Dubh nam Fiadh鈥�?鈥� thuirt a鈥� chiad fhear.

鈥極 tha,鈥� dhearbh Fionnladh. 鈥楾ha mi na mo bhuachaille aige.鈥�

Cha robh a dh矛th air na sp霉inneadairean ach sin. Dh鈥檌arr iad air Fionnladh an toirt gu dachaigh a mhaighstir. 鈥楿ill, gabhaibh mo leisgeul,鈥� arsa Fionnladh, 鈥榓ch tha mi rudeigin ciorramach agus tha mi slaodach air mo chasan.鈥�

鈥楬ut,鈥� arsa fear de na coigrich, 鈥榗obhairidh sinne thu.鈥� Rinn iad cobhair air agus mu dheireadh r脿inig iad taigh Fhionnlaidh. Chomharraich Fionnladh an taigh. Bha a bhean aig an doras. Feumaidh gun do rinn Fionnladh comharra air choreigin dhi. Thuig i gun robh na coigrich ann airson an duine aice a mharbhadh.

鈥楴ach tig sibh a-steach,鈥� thuirt i riutha. 鈥楪heibh sibh biadh.鈥�

鈥楾ha sinn coma mu bhiadh, tha sinn a鈥� coimhead airson fear an taighe,鈥� thuirt fear dhen tri霉ir. 鈥楢 bheil e a-staigh?鈥�

鈥楾ha e a-staigh,鈥� fhreagair ise, 鈥榓ch chan eil e a鈥� cumail gu math. Cha do dh鈥櫭╥rich e fhathast.鈥� Bha i a鈥� cur biadh air a鈥� bh貌rd airson aire nan daoine a chumail. Nuair nach robh iad a鈥� coimhead oirre, chuir i bogha is saigheadan a-mach air an uinneig. Bha Fionnladh a鈥� feitheamh air an taobh a-muigh.

Chaidh Fionnladh don doras leis a鈥� bhogha is saigheadan agus mharbh e an tri霉ir am broinn an taighe. Agus sin mo st貌iridh mu Fhionnladh Dubh nam Fiadh.

Faclan na Litreach: Fionnladh Dubh MacRath: Black Finlay MacRae; sp霉inneadairean: raiders; ciorramach: disabled.

Abairtean na Litreach: ri a linn fh猫in: in his own day; bha e na gheamair: he was a gamekeeper; eadar Cinn t-S脿ile, Cill Fhaolain, Gleann Afraig agus Gleann Canaich: between Kintail, Killilan, Glen Affric and Glen Cannich; bha e fh猫in agus a bhean a鈥� fuireach ann an Gleann Eilcheig: he and his wife were living in Glen Elchaig; bha feadhainn dhiubh air a dhol a dh矛th: some of them had gone missing; c貌 a bu choireach: who was responsible; ceatharnaich 脿 Loch Abar a bhiodh a鈥� togail creach: caterans from Lochaber who would plunder cattle; chaidh na seachdainean seachad 始s na seachdainean seachad: many many weeks went past (this is the idiom the storyteller used); 始s e sin a chanas muinntir na sg矛re ris a鈥� mhonadh far am bi crodh ag ionaltradh: this is what the people of the area call the high country where cattle graze; chunnaic e tri霉ir fhear a鈥� te脿rnadh a-bh脿n leis an aonach: he saw three men descending from the hill; bha iad a鈥� tighinn ga ionnsaigh: they were coming towards him; bha fios taghta aige nach buineadh iad don 脿ite: he well knew that they did not belong to the area; bha amharas aige gur e luchd-t貌ir a bh鈥� annta: he suspected they were avengers; gun robh iad a鈥� dol a thoirt t貌rachd a-mach: that they were going to exact revenge; th脿inig iad thuige: they came to him; coigreach a th鈥� annad san 脿ite seo?: you鈥檙e a stranger in this place?; tha mi na mo bhuachaille aige: I鈥檓 a cowherd for him; cobhairidh sinne thu: we鈥檒l help you; feumaidh gun do rinn X comharra air choreigin: X must have made some sign or other; bha i a鈥� cur biadh air a鈥� bh貌rd airson aire nan daoine a chumail: she was putting food on the table to retain the men鈥檚 attention; leis a鈥� bhogha is saigheadan: with the bow and arrows; mharbh e an tri霉ir am broinn an taighe: he killed the three men inside the house.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: bha e a鈥� saodachadh a chruidh don aonach: he was driving the cattle to the hill pastures. This story was collected by Calum Iain Maclean from John Finlayson of Drumbuie in Lochalsh. The storyteller actually explains in the story that the local term for hill pasture is 鈥榓辞苍补肠丑鈥�.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: nach fhulaingeadh e creach mar sin a-rithist fhad 始s a bu bhe貌 e: that he would never suffer a plundering like that again as long as he lived.