麻豆约拍

Tha an dealbh B脿s an Daimh ann an Gailearaidh N脿iseanta na h-Alba. Tha e a鈥� sealltainn Cailean Fitzgerald. Tha Cailean a鈥� s脿bhaladh beatha R矛gh Alasdair III. B鈥� e Cailean an t霉sair, a r猫ir beul-aithris, aig Clann 鈥檌c Coinnich.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha Clann 鈥檌c Coinnich d矛leas do r矛ghrean na h-Alba. Ach thug an c貌igeamh Iarla Sh矛ophort, Uilleam MacCoinnich, taic do na Seumasaich. Bha sin anns a鈥� chiad ar-a-mach aca ann an seachd ceud deug is c貌ig-deug (1715). Chaill e an tiotal aige. Agus chaill e am fearann aige.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 C貌ig bliadhn鈥� deug 脿s d猫idh sin, cheannaich Uilleam cuid dhen fhearann aige air ais. Nuair a th脿inig treas ar-a-mach nan Seumasach ann am Bliadhna The脿rlaich, thug mac Uilleim, Coinneach, taic do R矛gh De貌rsa.

Ann an seachd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1771) thuirt Coinneach ris an riaghaltas gun robh e de貌nach r猫isimeid Gh脿idhealach a thogail. Agus fhuair e an seann tiotal air ais 鈥� Iarla Sh矛ophort. Seachd bliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin, chaidh an r猫isimeid aige a thogail 鈥� na S矛ophortaich.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Chaochail Coinneach gun oighre fireann. Aig a鈥� cheann thall, fhuair a cho-ogha, Francis Humberston MacCoinnich, ceannas na fine. Bha 霉idh mh貌r aig Francis anns na h-ealain. Dh鈥檌arr e air a鈥� pheantair Ameireaganach, Benjamin West, an dealbh m貌r, B脿s an Daimh, a dh猫anamh.

Bha MacCoinnich ag iarraidh dealbh a shealladh gun robh Clann 鈥檌c Coinnich treun agus d矛leas. Ch貌rd an dealbh ris an R矛gh. Mas e propaganda a bha ann, dh鈥檕braich e.

An-ath-sheachdain, cuiridh mi cr矛och air an eachdraidh seo de Bh脿s an Daimh. Ach innsidh mi dhuibh an-dr脿sta d猫 thachair do Francis Humberston MacCoinnich. Nuair a bha e 貌g, ghabh e fiabhras. Dh鈥檉h脿g sin bodhar e. Cha robh cainnt mhath aige air sg脿th sin.

Bha ceathrar mhac aige. Ach chaochail iad uile mus do chaochail esan. Nuair a chaochail Francis fh猫in, bh脿saich 鈥淣a S矛ophortaich鈥� leis.

The painting The Death of the Stag is in the National Gallery of Scotland. It shows Colin Fitzgerald. Colin is saving the life of King Alexander III. Colin was the progenitor, according to oral trad-ition, of the MacKenzie clan.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The MacKenzies were loyal to the Kings of Scotland. But the fifth Earl of Seaforth, William MacKenzie, supported the Jacobites. That was in their rebellion in 1715. He lost his title. And he lost his land.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Fifteen years after that, William bought some of his land back. When the third Jacobite rebellion came in 鈥楾he Year of Charlie鈥� (1745-6), William鈥檚 son, Kenneth, supported King George.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In 1771 Kenneth said to the government that he was willing to raise a Highland regiment. And he got the old title back 鈥� Earl of Seaforth. Seven years after that, his regiment was raised 鈥� The Seaforth Highlanders.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Kenneth died without a male heir. In the end, his cousin, Francis Humberston MacKenzie, got the chieftainship of the clan. Francis was very interested in the arts. He asked the American painter, Benjamin West, to paint the great picture The Death of the Stag.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 MacKenzie was wanting a picture that would show that the MacKenzies were bold and loyal. The King liked the painting. If it was propaganda, it worked.

聽聽聽聽聽聽 Next week, I鈥檒l finish this history of The Death of the Stag. But I鈥檒l tell you just now what happened to Francis Humberston MacKenzie. When he was young, he took a fever. That left him deaf. He had poor speech because of that.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 He had four sons. But they all died before he died. When Francis himself died, 鈥楾he Seaforths鈥� [the name] died with him.