大象传媒

Bidh 猫iteagan, no clachan beaga geala, a鈥� nochdadh gu tric ann an co-cheangal ri geasan ann am beul-aithris na Gaidhealtachd. Tha mi cinnteach gun cuala sibh, mar eisimpleir, an naidheachd ainmeil mun chloich ghil a chleachd Calum Cille nuair a bha e ann an Inbhir Nis airson tadhal air Br霉d, R矛gh nan Cruithneach. Bha an t-脿rd-dhraoidh aig Br霉d, fear Broichean, a鈥� cumail nighean Ghaidhealach am bruid, ach bha e cuideachd a鈥� fulaing droch shl脿inte. Dh鈥檃ontaich Calum Cille cobhair a dh猫anamh air nan leigeadh e an nighean ma sgaoil.B鈥� e an leigheas dha 鈥� an 猫iteag aig Calum Cille a chur ann an uisge, agus an t-uisge 貌l. Nuair a dh鈥檃ontaich Broichean an nighean a leigeil ma sgaoil, thug Calum Cille a鈥� chlach dha. Gu h-iongantach, cha d鈥� rachadh i fodha anns an uisge. Dh鈥檉han i air uachdar. Agus dh鈥檕braich an leigheas, oir nuair a dh鈥櫭瞝 Broichean an t-uisge, chaidh e am feabhas sa mhionaid.Ged a bha Calum Cille a鈥� ceangal a鈥� ghnothaich ri Dia nan Cr矛osdaidhean, bha e a鈥� leantainn air gn脿ths p脿ganach, agus feumaidh gun do choisinn e sp猫is am measg nan Cruithneach p脿ganach don chreideamh aige fh猫in anns an d貌igh sin. Agus, ged a ghabh an creideamh 霉r greim l脿idir air muinntir na h-Alba, lean na seann d貌ighean anns a鈥� choimhearsnachd gu 矛re air choreigin thairis air na linntean bhon uair sin.Bha mi a鈥� leughadh an l脿 eile mu thachartas ann am Baile Dhubhthaich, ann an taobh sear Rois, mu mheadhan an naoidheamh linn deug. Bha fear-siubhail ann am Baile Dhubhthaich nuair a dh鈥檉h脿s e tinn. Cha mh貌r nach do dh鈥檉hanntaich e. Ghabh bean an taighe, far an robh e a鈥� fuireach, dragh m貌r mu dheidhinn, agus dh鈥檉halbh i a dh鈥檌arraidh cobhair bho a n脿baidhean. Nuair a th脿inig na boireannaich sin cruinn c貌mhla ann an l脿thaireachd an duine, thuirt iad 鈥淕habh s霉il air鈥�. Bha iad a鈥� ciallachadh an droch-sh霉il. 鈥橲 e sin nuair a tha comas aig cuideigin neach eile a chur fo gheasaibh le bhith a鈥� coimhead air. An droch-sh霉il. Bhathar a鈥� creidsinn sin, no 鈥檚 d貌cha thathar a鈥� creidsinn sin, ann am m貌ran d霉thchannan, an fheadhainn Cheilteach nam measg.Co-dhi霉, chuir na boireannaich an duine seo leth-r霉isgte air b貌rd. An uair sin l矛on iad peile fiodha le uisge. Agus chuir iad tr矛 buinn airgid anns an uisge 鈥� leth-chr霉n, tastan agus crotag, 鈥檚 e sin bonn luach sia sgillinn. Chuir iad an t-uisge anns a鈥� pheile mun cuairt agus, fhad 鈥檚 a bha iad a鈥� d猫anamh sin, dh鈥檃ithris iad ortha sl脿nachaidh nach do thuig an duine tinn idir. An uair sin ghlan na boireannaich an t-euslainteach leis an uisge.Gu ruige seo, cha tug mi iomradh air 猫iteag. B鈥� e sin an rud mu dheireadh a bh鈥� ann mar phairt dhen leigheas annasach seo. 脌s d猫idh dhaibh an duine a ghlanadh leis an uisge, a bha a-nise coisrigte ann am beachd nam ban, thug iad a-mach clach chruinn. Agus leig t猫 de na boireannaich a鈥� chlach don uisge. Gu h-annasach chualas siosarnaich bhon pheile, agus bhris a鈥� chlach ann am p矛osan. Gu h-obann, th脿inig feabhas air an fhear thinn. Ann am priobadh na s霉la 鈥� ma dh鈥檉haodas mi sin a r脿dh (chan e droch-sh霉il a bhiodh ann co-dhi霉) 鈥� bha e na b鈥� fhe脿rr.Bha an duine dhen bheachd gur e a bh鈥� anns a鈥� chloich ach p矛os de dh鈥檃ol-be貌 agus gur d貌cha nach robh dad ce脿rr air ach droch stamag. Bha e dhen bheachd gur e gun do chuir an gnothach an t-eagal air a thug a dheagh shl脿inte air ais dha cho luath!

猫iteag: white pebble; R矛gh nan Cruithneach: King of the Picts; 脿rd-dhraoidh: chief druid; p脿ganach: pagan; Baile Dhubhthaich: Tain; an droch sh霉il: the evil eye; leth-r霉isgte: half-naked; ortha-sl脿nachaidh: healing incantation; euslainteach: patient; siosarnaich: hissing; gu h-obann: suddenly; aol-be貌: quicklime; droch stamag: a bad stomach.

an naidheachd ainmeil mun chloich ghil: the famous wee story about the white stone; b鈥� e an leigheas dha...: his cure was...; cha d鈥� rachadh i fodha: it [fem.] wouldn鈥檛 go under; chaidh e am feabhas sa mhionaid: his condition immediately improved; feumaidh gun do choisinn e sp猫is: he must have won respect; lean na seann d貌ighean: the old ways continued; gu 矛re air choreigin: to some degree; cha mh貌r nach do dh鈥檉hanntaich e: he almost fainted; dh鈥檉halbh i a dh鈥檌arraidh cobhair: she went to get help; ghabh s霉il air: he has suffered the evil eye; l矛on iad peile-fiodha: they filled a wooden pail; leth-chr霉n, tastan agus crotag: a half-crown, a shilling and a sixpence: chuir iad an t-uisge mun cuairt: they stirred the water; cha tug mi iomradh air: I haven鈥檛 mentioned; a bha coisrigte ann am beachd nam ban: which was sacred, in the women鈥檚 opinion; leig t猫 de na boireannaich a鈥� chlach don uisge: one of the women dropped the stone into the water; ann am priobadh na s霉la: in the twinkling of an eye; a thug a dheagh shl脿inte air ais dha: which gave him back his good health.

nuair a tha comas aig cuideigin neach eile a chur fo gheasaibh le bhith a鈥� coimhead air: when somebody has the ability to put another person under a spell by looking at him. You might have wondered what fo gheasaibh meant, particularly as the noun is in a case which has virtually disappeared from modern Gaelic. Geasaibh is the old dative plural form of geas, a charm, enchantment or spell. It is here in the dative because it follows the simple preposition fo (which also causes its lenition). Dative plural forms (ending in 鈥搃bh) were universal at one time, but they have been replaced by the equivalent form to the nominative plural (making it easier for learners!) Thus we should now say fo gheasan as I said ri geasan. There would be nothing wrong with this but in some instances an archaic form of a noun is preserved in a particular phrase and this is a good example (think of 鈥渉olier than thou鈥� instead of 鈥渉olier than you鈥� and you will see that archaic forms are also preserved in English phrases).

Dh鈥檃ontaich Calum Cille cobhair a dh猫anamh air nan leigeadh e an nighean ma sgaoil: Saint Columba agreed to help him if he (would) let the girl go free. Leig X Y ma sgaoil: X released Y.