大象传媒

Gu tuath air Inbhir Sn脿thaid, air bruach an ear Loch Laomainn, tha 脿ite air a bheil Uamh Rab Ruaidh. Chan eil ach aon Rab Ruadh a b鈥� urrainn a bhith ann, gu h-脿raidh anns an sg矛re sin 鈥� an Griogarach. Rab Ruadh MacGriogair. A r猫ir beul-aithris, nuair a bha e na eucoireach, chaidh e am falach anns an uaimh.

Chan e uamh cheart a th鈥� ann ach toll am measg chreag a th鈥� air tuiteam an aghaidh a ch猫ile, ach saoilidh mi gum biodh e doirbh do dhaoine a lorg mura robh fios aca c脿鈥� robh i. An-diugh, tha sanas ann air a鈥� cheum-choiseachd a tha a鈥� leantainn bruach an ear an locha, agus air na creagan ri taobh na h-uamha, tha cuideigin air sgr矛obhadh ann am peanta geal am facal 鈥淐AVE鈥�. 鈥橲 e sin, air neo gu robh sgoilear Laidinn ann a bha ag iarraidh air daoine a bhith air am faiceall leis an fhacal 鈥� CAVE!

Bhiodh e coltach gun do chleachd Rab Ruadh, no Rob Ruadh mar a chanas cuid ris, an uamh sin oir bhuineadh e do na Tr貌isichean agus airson greis bha e na uachdaran aig Inbhir Sn脿thaid 鈥� mus deach c霉isean na aghaidh. Ach tha e coltach gu robh na seann daoine cuideachd dhen bheachd gu robh Rab eile air an uamh a chleachdadh, fada mus robh guth air a鈥� Ghriogarach. Tha mi a鈥� ciallachadh Raibeart Brus, R矛gh na h-Alba, oir bha esan anns an sg矛re timcheall Loch Laomainn nuair a bha e os cionn ar-a-mach an aghaidh R矛dh Eideard Shasainn a bha a鈥� feuchainn ri Alba a chur fo smachd.

Tha Slighe Taobh an Iar na Gaidhealtachd a鈥� dol seachad air 脿ite eile a tha co-cheangailte ris a鈥� Bhrusach beagan gu tuath air Loch Laomainn, eadar a鈥� Chr矛on L脿raich agus Taigh an Droma, air a bheil Dail R矛gh. Anns a鈥� bhliadhna tr矛-deug 鈥檚 a sia (1306), bha batail ann a sin eadar feachd a鈥� Bhrusaich agus feadhainn de Chloinn 鈥檌c Dhubhghaill Latharna a bha nan n脿imhdean dha.

Thathar ag r脿dh gun do rinn am Brusach agus a chompanaich dol-脿s le bhith a鈥� tilgeil an cuid arm m貌ra, a bha ro throm dhaibh, ann an lochan. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air an lochan chun an l脿 an-diugh Lochan nan Arm, ged nach urrainn dhomh r脿dh co-dhi霉 chaidh ball-airm sam bith a lorg ann.

Tha sinn a-nise letheach-slighe air an rathad eadar Muileann Dhaidh agus an Gearasdan ach mus fh脿g sinn an Leamhnachd buileach, tha mi airson tilleadh ann airson criomag de bheul-aithris a thoirt dhuibh mu Rab Ruadh, a bha na ghaisgeach do na Gaidheil, ged a bha e na eucoireach do dh鈥櫭筭hdarrasan a鈥� Chr霉in.

Bha Rab e貌lach air seann bhanntrach a bha bochd ach fialaidh. Gheibheadh e fh猫in is m貌ran eile deoch is biadh aig an taigh aice gu math tric. L脿 bha seo, chaidh e a ch猫ilidh oirre agus chunnaic e gu robh i muladach.

鈥淕u d猫 tha ce脿rr oirbh, a bhean?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e.

鈥淥ch,鈥� ars鈥� ise, 鈥渂idh am b脿illidh a鈥� tighinn an-diugh airson a鈥� mh脿il agus chan eil airgead agam dha.鈥�

Thug Rab airgead dhi, airson a鈥� mh脿il, bho sporan fh猫in, agus thug an t-seann bhean taing mh貌r dha. Th脿inig am b脿illidh airson a鈥� mh脿il mar a bha d霉il, ach air an rathad dhachaigh ann an 脿ite s脿mhach, agus e leis fh猫in, thachair Rab Ruadh ris. Thug Rab a h-uile sgillinn a bh鈥� aige bhuaithe, a鈥� faighinn a chuid airgid air ais, is a鈥� d猫anamh prothaid a bharrachd, agus a鈥� cur ris a鈥� chli霉 aige mar fhear de phr矛omh ghaisgich na Gaidhealtachd.

Faclan na seachdaine: Inbhir Sn脿thaid: Inversnaid; Uamh Rab Ruaidh: Rob Roy鈥檚 Cave; eucoireach: criminal, outlaw; ceum-coiseachd: walking track; uachdaran: landlord; Raibeart Brus: Robert Bruce; a鈥� Chr矛on L脿raich: Crianlarich; Taigh an Droma: Tyndrum; Lochan nan Arm: Loch of the Arms (weapons); muladach: extremely sad.

Abairtean na seachdaine: chaidh e am falach anns an uaimh: he hid in the cave; toll am measg chreag: a hole in (among) rocks; mura robh fios aca c脿鈥� robh i: if they didn鈥檛 know where it (fem.) was; ri taobh na h-uamha: next to the cave; ag iarraidh air daoine a bhith air am faiceall leis an fhacal CAVE!: wanting people to be careful with the word CAVE (Latin for 鈥渓ook out!鈥�); bhiodh e coltach gun do chleachd X Y: it would be likely that X used Y; bhuineadh e do na Tr貌isichean: he belonged to the Trossachs; mus robh guth air a鈥� Ghriogarach: before MacGregor was even heard of; a bha a鈥� feuchainn ri Alba a chur fo smachd: who was trying to control Scotland; feachd a鈥� Bhrusaich: Bruce鈥檚 fighting force; feadhainn de Chloinn 鈥檌c Dhubhghaill Latharna: some of the MacDougalls of Lorne; a bha nan n脿imhdean dha: who were enemies of (to) him; an cuid arm m貌ra: their heavy weapons; a bha na ghaisgeach do na Gaidheil: who was a hero to the Gaels; seann bhanntrach a bha bochd ach fialaidh: an old widow who was poor but generous; airson a鈥� mh脿il: for the rent; bho sporan fh猫in: from his own sporran; thug X a h-uile sgillinn bhuaithe: X took every penny from him.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: 鈥淥ch,鈥� ars鈥� ise, 鈥渂idh am b脿illidh a鈥� tighinn an-diugh鈥�: 鈥淥ch,鈥� she said, 鈥渢he bailiff will be coming today鈥�. Have you sometimes wondered what this arsa (shortened to ars鈥� before a vowel) is, because it appears in only one situation 鈥� in reported speech and in the past tense? You will find it nowhere else. In fact it is what is referred to as a defective verb (gn矛omhair neo-iomlan), a verb in which only a restricted number of tenses or situations are retained in modern usage. Dwelly tells us that the 鈥渟鈥� represents the 鈥渟鈥� of the old pronoun s茅 or si (retained to this day in Irish Gaelic), ie ar s茅 (he said) and ar si (she said). Today we say ars鈥� e (or ars鈥� esan), he said, and ars鈥� i (ars ise), she said. You can also use it with a noun rather than pronoun eg 鈥溾�榯ha i fuar鈥�, ars鈥� am bodach鈥�; 鈥溾�榮uidhe s矛os鈥�, ars鈥� a鈥� chailleach.鈥� It is not commonly used in formal language or the media but you will hear it in an informal verbal report of somebody else鈥檚 dialogue. It is very common in story telling as an alternative to thuirt. If you are writing a story for your Gaelic learners鈥� group, try to use it.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: gun do rinn am Brusach agus a鈥� chompanaich dol-脿s: that the Bruce and his companions made (their) escape. Note the emphasis on the second syllable of dol-脿s, cf. d貌las which means 鈥済rief鈥�.