大象传媒

Bha mi a鈥� bruidhinn ri boireannach 脿 Nis ann an Le貌dhas o chionn ghoirid agus dh鈥檉haighnich mi, 鈥淐iamar a tha thu?鈥� 鈥淥ch uill,鈥� thuirt i, 鈥渢ha mi ag 猫irigh 鈥檚 a鈥� gearain 鈥檚 a鈥� cagnadh an arain.鈥� Ch貌rd sin rium. Tha e a鈥� ruith gu math, nach eil? Tha mi ag 猫irigh 鈥檚 a鈥� gearain 鈥檚 a鈥� cagnadh an arain.

鈥橲 iomadh adhbhar a th鈥� againn airson gearain, tha mi cinnteach. 鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheil sinn airson gearain mun aimsir, mun riaghaltas, mun teaghlach no mun sgioba ball-coise againn. Ach smaoinich air an fheadhainn a tha a鈥� fulaing ana-ceartas m貌r. Tha deagh adhbhar acasan a bhith a鈥� gearain.

An-diugh tha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh air an fheadhainn ann an Alba a bha nam 鈥渂uidsichean鈥� no 鈥渂ana-bhuidsichean鈥�, agus a dh鈥檉hulaing airson sin. Tha mi a鈥� ciallachadh feadhainn air an deach casaid a thoirt gu robh iad ri buidseachd.

Ron bhliadhna sia ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1662), bha buidheann de Leathanaich 鈥� sin feadhainn de Chloinn 鈥檌c Illeathain 鈥� air a bhith a鈥� fuireach air Oighreachd Shrath Ghlais. B鈥� e sin an oighreachd aig ceann-cinnidh nan Siosalach. Aig an 脿m sin, b鈥� e fear Alasdair Siosalach an ceann-cinnidh. Chaidh casaid a chur air feadhainn de na Leathanaich 鈥� no 鈥檚 d貌cha a h-uile duine aca 鈥� gu robh iad ri buidseachd. Seo mar a thachair e.

Le taic bho na ministearan air an oighreachd aige, thug an Siosalach c貌ig duine deug don eaglais ann an Cnoc Mhoire. Bha iad fo amharas gu robh iad ri buidseachd. 鈥橲 e boireannaich a bh鈥� ann an ceithir-deug aca. Chaidh ceathrar eile a thoirt ann le uachdaran eile. B鈥� e sin naoi duine deug ann an Eaglais Chnoc Mhoire fo chasaid de bhuidseachd.

Rinn fear MacPheadrais sgr霉dadh air a h-uile duine aca. Bha esan air a bhith air feadh Alba, feuch buidsichean is bana-bhuidsichean a chomharrachadh le deuchainn 脿raidh. Bha pr矛ne fada pr脿ise aige. Bhiodh e an toiseach a鈥� maolachadh cinn nan daoine. Bhiodh e a鈥� toirt orra an cuid aodaich a chur bhuapa. Bhiodh e a鈥� suathadh a l脿mhan thairis air am bodhaigean (cuimhnichibh gur e boireannaich a bha sa chuid mh貌ir dhiubh), agus bhiodh e a鈥� stobadh a鈥� phr矛ne aige a-steach annta. Fad an rathaid a-steach. Mura faigheadh an duine lorg air a鈥� phr矛ne gu furasta, bhiodh MacPheadrais ag r脿dh gur e buidseach no bana-bhuidseach a bh鈥� ann.

Ma tha sibh air an leigheas deilgneach fhaighinn, tuigidh sibh nach eil e furasta pr矛ne mar sin a lorg annad. Chaidh m貌ran daoine neo-chiontach a chur gu b脿s air s脿illeabh na deuchainn鈥� a bha seo. Agus an l脿 sin ann an Eaglais Chnoc Mhoire, tha e coltach gun do dh鈥檉h脿ilnich air a h-uile duine, no cha mh貌r a h-uile duine, faighinn tron deuchainn.

Bha an Siosalach toilichte. Bha e ag iarraidh gum biodh na Leathanaich a bha seo air an cur gu b脿s. Dh鈥檌arr e air a鈥� Chomhairle Dh矛omhair ann an D霉n 脠ideann leigeil leis coimisean a st猫idheachadh airson s霉il a thoirt air a鈥� ch霉is. Chaidh cead airson sin a thoirt seachad anns an 脪gmhios sia ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1662). Ach c貌 na buill a bh鈥� air a鈥� choimisean? A, uill, an Siosalach fh猫in, a bhr脿thair agus dithis de na co-oghaichean aige. Bha c霉isean a鈥� coimhead gu math dubhach do na Leathanaich. Ach bha cuideigin a鈥� dol a ghabhail gnothach ris a鈥� ch霉is, feuch ceartas fhaighinn dhaibh. Innsidh mi dhuibh c貌 bh鈥� ann an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: bana-bhuidsichean: witches; Leathanaich: Macleans; Srath Ghlais: Strathglass; Cnoc Mhoire: Kirkhill; a鈥� maolachadh: shaving (making bald) their heads; an leigheas deilgneach: acupuncture; A鈥� Chomhairle Dh矛omhair: The Privy Council.

Abairtean na Litreach: 鈥檚 iomadh adhbhar a th鈥� againn: we have many reasons; a tha a鈥� fulaing ana-ceartas m貌r: who are suffering great injustice; air an deach casaid a thoirt gu robh iad ri buidseachd: who were accused of being involved in witchcraft; ceann-cinnidh nan Siosalach: clann chief of the Chisholms; le taic bho na ministearan: with assistance from the ministers; bha iad fo amharas: they were under suspicion; 鈥檚 e boireannaich a bh鈥� ann an ceithir-deug aca: fourteen of them were women; rinn fear MacPheadrais sgr霉dadh air a h-uile duine aca: a man called Paterson scrutinised all of them; le deuchainn 脿raidh: with a particular test; pr矛ne fada pr脿ise: a long brass pin; bhiodh e a鈥� suathadh a l脿mhan thairis air am bodhaigean: he would run his hands over their bodies; bhiodh e a鈥� stobadh a鈥� phr矛ne aige a-steach annta: he would stick the pin into them; air fh脿gail air uachdar: left on the surface; air s脿illeabh na deuchainn鈥� a bha seo: because of this test; c貌 na buill a bh鈥� air a鈥� choimisean?: who were the members who were on the commission?; dithis de na co-oghaichean aige: two of his cousins; bha cuideigin a鈥� dol a ghabhail gnothach ris a鈥� ch霉is: somebody was going to get involved in the issue.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: mun sgioba ball-coise againn: about our football team. Why did I chose to say sgioba ball-coise rather than sgioba buill-choise? This is explained succinctly by Michel Byrne in his excellent 鈥淕r脿mar na G脿idhlig鈥� (St貌rlann/Acair), in the section about indefinite masculine possessives: 鈥淥n its own the masculine noun changes by slenderising, but if it has an adjective it tends nowadays not to change at all: seacaid balaich but seacaid balach beag鈥�. This is a relatively modern phenomenon and only occurs without the article being present. Ball-coise is a compound noun but it acts grammatically like a noun and accompanying adjective. We would say meudachd a鈥� bhuill (the size of the ball), meudachd a鈥� bhuill-choise (the size of the football), meudachd buill (the size of a ball), BUT meudachd ball-coise (the size of a football).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: tha mi ag 猫irigh 鈥檚 a鈥� gearain 鈥檚 a鈥� cagnadh an arain: I am rising, complaining and chewing the bread [it doesn鈥檛 really translate!]