大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu na Leathanaich a bha a鈥� fuireach air oighreachd ceann-cinnidh nan Siosalach, is mar a dh鈥檉heuch an Siosalach ri dearbhadh gu robh iad ri buidseachd. Dh鈥檃ontaich a鈥� Chomhairle Dh矛omhair ann an D霉n 脠ideann ri iarrtas an t-Siosalaich airson coimisean a chur air chois airson a鈥� ch霉is a sgr霉dadh. Bha an Siosalach fh猫in, a bhr脿thair agus co-oghaichean aca nam buill dhen choimisean.

Chaidh na Leathanaich don cheann-chinnidh acasan, feuch taic fhaighinn. Bha sin a dh鈥檃indeoin 鈥檚 gu robh iad air a bhith a鈥� fuireach airson dh脿 no thr矛 cheud bliadhna air fearann nan Siosalach. B鈥� e ceann-cinnidh nan Leathanach Sir Ailean MacIlleathain 脿 Dubhaird, ann am Muile. Chuir esan tagradh don Chomhairle Dh矛omhair, agus tharraing iadsan an cead, a thug iad roimhe, don t-Siosalach, airson a鈥� choimisein.

Tha e inntinneach coimhead air na h-ainmean a bh鈥� air feadhainn de na Leathanaich. Ged is e 鈥淢aclean鈥� a bh鈥� air cuid, a r猫ir cl脿r-obrach na Comhairle, cha robh air feadhainn eile ach sloinnidhean 鈥� mar eisimpleir Janet nighean Ruairidh Bhuidhe agus Katherine nighean E貌ghainn mhic Coinnich. Bha aon t猫 ann air an robh 鈥淏akie鈥� mar ainm 鈥� Bakie nighean Iain Duibh Mhic Fhionnlaidh. 鈥橲 d貌cha gur e 鈥淧eigi鈥� a thathar a鈥� ciallachadh.

Bha na casaidean an aghaidh an t-Siosalaich gu math l脿idir. Chuir Sir Ailean MacIlleathain as a leth gun do ghabh e gr脿in mh貌r air na Leathanaich a chionn 鈥檚 nach deach aige air am fuadachadh bhon fhearann aige gu laghail. Thuirt e gun deach geur-leanmhainn a dh猫anamh air na Leathanaich. Thuirt e gu robh iad air an crochadh bhon 貌rdagan is gun deach buinn an casan a losgadh a dh鈥檃ona-ghnothach le bhith air an cumail faisg air teine. Thuirt e gur ann 脿s d猫idh gun deach droch-dh矛ol a dh猫anamh orra, a 鈥渄h鈥檃idich鈥� cuid gu robh iad air a bhith an s脿s ann am buidseachd.

An 脿ite dhol a Dh霉n 脠ideann, chaidh aontachadh gun toireadh fear de bh脿illidhean Inbhir Nis s霉il air an fheadhainn a bha a鈥� cumail a-mach gun do dh鈥檉huiling iad droch l脿imhseachadh fhad 鈥檚 a bha iad sa phr矛osan fo 貌rdugh an t-Siosalaich. B鈥� esan Fionnladh Friseal. Thug e s霉il air na casan is air na l脿mhan aca, feuch comharra fhaicinn de r貌p no losgadh no rudeigin dhen t-se貌rsa sin. Tha e coltach nach do lorg e dad.

D猫 thachair, ma-th脿, do 鈥渂huidsichean is bana-bhuidsichean鈥� Shrath Ghlais? Uill, tha e coltach gun do chaochail feadhainn dhiubh sa phr矛osan. B鈥� iad sin an fheadhainn nach do dh鈥檃idich a-riamh gu robh iad air a bhith ri buidseachd. Ach an fheadhainn a dh鈥檃idich 鈥� uill, tha e coltach gun d鈥� fhuair iadsan dheth oir cha deach an coimisean, a bha a鈥� dol gan sgr霉dadh, ath-nuadhachadh. Tha fhathast feadhainn air a bheil 鈥淢acIlleathain鈥� a鈥� fuireach anns an sg矛re sin, agus tha iad ag r脿dh gu bheil iad air a bhith ann a sin airson ceudan bhliadhnaichean.

鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheil cuimhne agaibh air MacPheadrais 鈥� air an tug mi iomradh an t-seachdain sa chaidh. B鈥� esan am fear a bhiodh a鈥� 鈥渄earbhadh鈥� gu robh duine ri buidseachd le bhith a鈥� stobadh pr矛ne pr脿ise a-steach ann. Uill, tha mi ag r脿dh 鈥渇ear鈥�, ach tha e coltach nach e fear a bh鈥� ann idir 鈥� ach boireannach a bha a鈥� dol timcheall ann an riochd fir, le aodach fir oirre. Ann an seachd ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a sia (1736), chaidh cur 脿s don achd a leig le droch dhaoine mar sin prothaid a dh猫anamh 脿 fulangas dhaoine eile.

Faclan na Litreach: Leathanaich: Macleans; buidseachd: witchcraft, sorcery; Dubhaird: Duart; geur-leanmhainn: persecution; dh鈥檃idich: admitted; MacPheadrais: Paterson.

Abairtean na Litreach: mar a dh鈥檉heuch an Siosalach ri dearbhadh: how [the] Chisholm tried to prove; dh鈥檃ontaich a鈥� Chomhairle Dh矛omhair ri: the Privy Council agreed; airson a鈥� ch霉is a sgr霉dadh: to examine the matter; don cheann-chinnidh acasan, feuch taic fhaighinn: to their clan chief, in an effort to get help; tharraing iadsan an cead: they withdrew their permission; na casaidean an aghaidh an t-Siosalaich: the charges against Chisholm; gun do ghabh e gr脿in mh貌r air: that he developed a great hatred towards; a chionn 鈥檚 nach deach aige air am fuadachadh bhon fhearann aige: because he didn鈥檛 succeed in putting them off his land; gun deach buinn an casan a losgadh a dh鈥檃ona-ghnothach: that the soles of their feet were deliberately burned; gur ann 脿s d猫idh gun deach droch-dh矛ol a dh猫anamh orra: that it was after they had been ill-treated; gun toireadh fear de bh脿illidhean Inbhir Nis s霉il air: that one of the baillies of Inverness would examine; feuch comharra fhaicinn de r貌p no losgadh: in an attempt to discern the mark of a rope or burning; nach do lorg e dad: that he didn鈥檛 find anything; gun do chaochail feadhainn dhiubh: that some of them died; gun d鈥� fhuair iadsan dheth: that they got off; cha deach an coimisean ath-nuadhachadh: the commission was not renewed; boireannach a bha a鈥� dol timcheall ann an riochd fir: a woman who was going around in the guise of a man; a leig le X prothaid a dh猫anamh: which allowed X to profit.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: A historical point this week about the appearance of the Gaelic sloinneadh in records throughout the historical G脿idhealtachd. The listing of Gaelic 鈥渟urnames鈥� as patronymics, rather than clan names, is diagnostic of the language possessing a vigour now found only in the most Gaelic communities in the west. In earlier times such terminology was common in the eastern Highlands, including the town of Inverness. The names are usually given in anglicised form but these can be readily deciphered. Although the persecuted people in Strathglass were described as 鈥淢acleans鈥�, and owed an ancient allegiance to that clan, many were known locally by their patronymic (sloinneadh), rather than by their clan name (cinneadh). Two examples of this group, not given in the Litir, will suffice. Kathrine Nien ane oar vic ean vic Culleam would be Catr矛ona nighean Iain Odhair mhic Iain mhic Uilleim (Katherine daughter of dun John, son of John, son of William). And Christian Nein Farquhar vic ean would be Cairist矛ona nighean Fhearchair mhic Iain (Christine daughter of Farquhar, son of John).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: air an tug mi iomradh: whom I mentioned.