大象传媒

Tha Oidhche Ghuy Fawkes d矛reach air a dhol seachad, agus iomadh c霉 anns a鈥� bhaile agam fh矛n, Inbhir Nis, a鈥� gabhail eagal m貌r ro na cleasan-teine a thig a-mach aig an 脿m seo a h-uile bliadhna. Tha sgeulachd annasach agam mu dheidhinn rudeigin car coltach ri Oidhche Ghuy Fawkes, agus c霉, a thachair ann an Inbhir Nis o chionn fhada, agus innsidh mi sin dhuibh aig deireadh na Litreach.

Bidh sibh e貌lach, 鈥檚 d貌cha, air a鈥� ghearastan, faisg air Inbhir Nis, air cladach Linne Mhoireibh, air a bheil Gearastan De貌rsa, no Fort George, mar ainm. Nuair a th貌isich an Seanailear Wade air a bhith a鈥� togail rathaidean air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd, cha robh a leithid ann. Ach bha gearastan ann an Inbhir Nis, far a bheil an caisteal an-diugh, air an robh 鈥淕earastan De貌rsa鈥�.

Bha an Seanailear Wade dhen bheachd gu robh an gearastan sin cudthromach ann a bhith a鈥� cumail smachd air a鈥� cheann a tuath agus, mar sin, chaidh na rathaidean-airm a thog e, eadar an ceann a deas agus an ceann a tuath, a dh鈥檌onnsaigh Inbhir Nis. Eadar D霉n Chailleann agus Inbhir Nis. Eadar Inbhir Nis agus Cille Chuimein, agus eadar Cille Chuimein agus an d脿 chuid, Gearastan Inbhir L貌chaidh agus Gearastan Bhe脿rnaraigh ann an Gleann Eilg, air a鈥� chost鈥� an iar.

Bha mi a-muigh an l脿 eile, air l脿 ci霉in foghair, le dathan 脿lainn air na craobhan, air p矛os de rathad a thog Wade ann an Srath Sp猫. Airson c貌rr is ochd m矛le, faodaidh duine coiseachd air an t-seann rathad gun a dhol ro fhaisg air an A9, an rathad m貌r 霉r. Agus chithear seann drochaidean fhathast a bh鈥� air an togail le Wade no leis an fheadhainn a lean air anns an ochdamh linn deug. Tha iad gu math br猫agha. Tha fhios nach robh iad a鈥� coimhead cho br猫agha sin, ge-t脿, do na Gaidheil nuair a chaidh an togail, oir 鈥檚 e am priomh adhbhar a bh鈥� air an c霉laibh, smachd a chumail air muinntir an 脿ite, is saighdearan is armachd a ghluasad orra.

Saoilidh mi gu bheil e rudeigin 矛oranta gu robh na rathaidean sin na chuideachadh do dh鈥檃rm nan Seumasach ann am Bliadhna a鈥� Phrionnsa. Leig na rathaidean le saighdearan a鈥� Phrionnsa gluasad gu luath bhon iar-thuath don cheann a deas. Agus leig iad leotha tilleadh don cheann a tuath tr脿th sa bhliadhna, seachd deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a sia (1746).

Nuair a r脿inig iad Inbhir Nis bha Gearastan De貌rsa fhathast ann an l脿mhan nan Hanoibh猫irianach. Gh猫ill iad do na Seumasaich agus cho-dh霉in am Prionnsa Te脿rlach gum b鈥� fhe脿rr leis an togalach a sgrios gus nach fhaigheadh an riaghaltas cothrom a chleachdadh a-rithist.

鈥橲 e oifigear Frangach a bha os cionn an spreadhaidh. Chuir e teine thuige agus dh鈥檉han e p矛os beag air falbh. As d猫idh greis, bha e a鈥� smaoineachadh nach robh c霉isean a鈥� dol ro mhath agus chaidh e a dh鈥檌onnsaigh a鈥� chaisteil airson an cur ceart, airson am f霉dar a lasadh a rithist. Chaidh a ch霉 cuide ris. Nuair a bha e cha mh貌r aig an togalach, spreadh e agus chaidh am Frangach a shadail suas anns an adhar cho fada 鈥檚 gun t脿inig e gu t矛r, no gun t脿inig a chorp loisgte gu t矛r, tr矛 cheud slat air falbh, air taobh thall na h-aibhne.

B鈥� e sin deireadh Gearastan De貌rsa, agus deireadh an oifigeir Fhrangaich. Ach an c霉? Uill, bha esan fhathast be貌 as d猫idh a thurais san adhar thairis air Abhainn Nis. Ach chaill e earball. Is iongantach mura chaill e, mar a chailleas m貌ran chon air Oidhche Ghuy Fawkes, beagan de chuid mhisneachd cuideachd.

Faclan na seachdaine: cleasan-teine: fireworks; gearastan: garrison, barracks, fort; D霉n Chailleann: Dunkeld; Cille Chuimein: Fort Augustus; Gearastan Inbhir L貌chaidh: Fort William; Gearastan Bhe脿rnaraigh: Bernera Barracks; 脿lainn: beautiful; gh猫ill iad: they surrendered; a chorp loisgte: his burnt body; earball: (his) tail.

Abairtean na seachdaine: cha robh a leithid ann: nothing of the sort existed; ann a bhith a鈥� cumail smachd air a鈥� cheann a tuath: in controlling the north; chaidh na rathaidean-airm a thog e a dh鈥檌onnsaigh Inbhir Nis: the military roads he built went towards Inverness; ann an Gleann Eilg air a鈥� chost鈥� an iar: in Glenelg on the west coast; air l脿 ci霉in foghair: on a calm autumn day; gun a dhol ro fhaisg air an A9: without going too close to the A9; chithear seann drochaidean fhathast a bh鈥� air an togail le Wade: old bridges which were built by Wade can still be seen; 鈥檚 e am pr矛omh adhbhar a bh鈥� air an c霉laibh smachd a chumail air muinntir an 脿ite: the main reason behind [their construction] was to control the local people; leig na rathaidean le saighdearan a鈥� Phrionnsa gluasad gu luath bhon iar-thuath don cheann a deas: the roads allowed the Prince鈥檚 soldiers to move quickly from the north-west to the south; bha e ann an l脿mhan nan Hanoibh猫irianach: it was in the hands of the Hanoverians; gum b鈥� fhe脿rr leis an togalach a sgrios: that he would prefer to destroy the building; airson am f霉dar a lasadh a-rithist: to light the (gun)powder again; chaidh a ch霉 cuide ris: his dog went with him; chaidh am Frangach a shadail suas anns an adhar: the Frenchman was thrown up into the air; air taobh thall na h-aibhne: on the other side of the river; is iongantach mura chaill e beagan de chuid mhisneachd cuideachd: I would imagine he lost some of his confidence as well.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: (agus) iomadh c霉 a鈥� gabhail eagal m貌r ro na cleasan-teine a thig a-mach aig an 脿m seo: (when) many dogs get frightened by the fireworks which come out at this time. The point I want to make this week is how you express fear of something in particular. To say, for example, the dog is scared, we say simply tha eagal air a鈥� ch霉 (or tha an t-eagal air a鈥� ch霉). The preposition is 鈥渁ir鈥� ie you have fear 鈥渙n鈥� you. But to say you are scared of something in particular, you specify that with the preposition 鈥渞o鈥� eg tha an t-eagal air D貌mhnall ro Iain (Donald is afraid of John); a bheil an t-eagal ort romham? (are you afraid of me?); bha an t-eagal orra ro na saighdearan (they were scared of the soldiers). You will note that 鈥渞o鈥�, like 鈥渁ir鈥� is a simple preposition and therefore commands a noun in the dative case. Where there is no article, 鈥渞o鈥� lenites the following noun eg bha an t-eagal air ro mh猫irlich (he was scared of robbers); bha eagal mo bheatha orm ro The脿rlach (I was petrified of Charles).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: saoilidh mi gu bheil e rudeigin 矛oranta: I think it鈥檚 somewhat ironic.