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An cuala sibh riamh mu Thaigh Bhoth Fhleisginn? Boleskine House. Tha e faisg air Foidhir, taobh Loch Nis. Ma chuala, tha mi a’ dèanamh dheth gun robh e ann an co-cheangal ri Aleister Crowley. ʼS e fear annasach a bh’ ann an Crowley. Bha e an sàs ann am ‘buidseachd’. Thig sinn thuige fhathast.

Ach tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu Bhoth Fhleisginn fhèin oir tha eachdraidh mhòr fhada aig an àite. Feumaidh gun robh both no bothan ann uaireigin. Bha e co-cheangailte ri fleasgan – gadan no slatan – ʼs dòcha de sheileach no craobh dhen t-seòrsa sin. An robh am bothan air a thogail de fhleasgan? No an robh daoine a’ cruinneachadh fhleasgan anns a’ choille an sin?

Tha mi airson tuilleadh a ràdh mun fhacal fleasg. A bharrachd air ‘rod’ no ‘wand’, tha e a’ ciallachadh ‘garland’ no ‘sheaf’ no ‘wreath’ no eadhon crùn. Tha Dwelly a’ toirt seo dhuinn: fleasg òir ‘a crown of gold’.Ìý

Anns an t-seann aimsir, dh’fheumadh fear a neart a dhearbhadh, mar eisimpleir le bhith a’ togail chlachan troma ris an canadh daoine ‘clachan togail’. Bhiodh ‘fleasg’ air an duine an uair sin, agus ʼs e ‘fleasgach’ a bhiodh ann. Tha sinn a’ cleachdadh an fhacail fleasgach an-diugh airson duine òg eireachdail no fleasgach bainnse ‘the groom’s best man at a wedding’.Ìý

Tha Alasdair MacBheathain ag innse dhuinn, anns an fhaclair aige, gun deach an seann fhacal Ceilteach a bha coltach ri fleasg a-steach gu Fraingis. Tha ´Ú±ô賦³ó±ð ann am Fraingis a’ ciallachadh ‘saighead’. À ´Ú±ô賦³ó±ð, thàinig na faclan Beurla fletch agus fletcher – neach a nì saighdean. Agus on Bheurla, dh’èirich am facal Gàidhlig fleisdear – a’ ciallachadh neach a nì saighdean.

Co-dhiù, air ais gu Both Fhleisginn. Chaidh paraiste Bhoth Fhleisginn a chur air chois anns an treas linn deug. Thathar a’ smaoineachadh gun deach eaglais a thogail ann mun àm sin. Is cinnteach gum biodh cladh co-cheangailte rithe. Thathar ag innse stòiridh mu mhinistear anns an t-seachdamh linn deug a b’ fheudar na cuirp a chur air ais do na h-uaighean aca. Bha sin às dèidh do bhuidseach anns an sgìre na mairbh a dhèanamh beò a-rithist.

A rèir beul-aithris, chaidh an eaglais na smàl nuair a bha coitheanal na broinn, agus chaidh mòran daoine a mharbhadh. Cha deach an eaglais a thogail a-rithist. Chaidh Taigh Bhoth Fhleisginn a thogail na h-àite.

B’ e an cinneadh a bu chumhachdaiche ann am Both Fhleisginn na Frisealaich. Bha iad co-cheangailte ri Clann ʼic Shimidh a bha stèidhichte faisg air a’ Mhanachainn. Leis gun robh cuid de na Frisealaich nan Seumasaich làidir, a dh’èirich ann an adhbhar a’ Phrionnsa, chaidh an taigh mòr aca ann an Eircheid, taobh Loch Nis, a sgrios an dèidh Blàr Chùil Lodair.Ìý

Chaidh an ceann-cinnidh, am Morair Mac Shimidh (‘An Seann Mhadadh’), a chur gu bàs ann an Lunnainn. Mean air mhean, fhuair Clann ʼic Shimidh an àite air ais am measg uaislean Bhreatainn. B’ e Gilleasbaig Caimbeul Friseal fear de na gillean aig an t-Seann Mhadadh, agus ʼs e a thog Taigh Bhoth Fhleisginn, mar a chluinneas sinn an-ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Taigh Bhoth Fhleisginn: Boleskine House; fleasg: withe, rod, wreath, sheaf, crown; fleasgach: young man (usually good-looking), best man (at a wedding); Alasdair MacBheathain: Alexander Macbain; fleisdear: fletcher, arrow-maker.Ìý

Abairtean na Litreach: faisg air Foidhir, taobh Loch Nis: near Foyers on Loch Ness-side; bha e an sàs ann am ‘buidseachd’: he was involved in ‘witchcraft’; thig sinn thuige fhathast: we’ll come to him yet; dh’fheumadh fear a neart a dhearbhadh: a man would have to prove his strength; chaidh paraiste Bhoth Fhleisginn a chur air chois: the parish of Boleskine was established; a b’ fheudar na cuirp a chur air ais do na h-uaighean aca: who had to return the bodies to their graves; às dèidh do bhuidseach anns an sgìre na mairbh a dhèanamh beò a-rithist: after a local wizard had brought the dead to life again; chaidh an eaglais na smàl nuair a bha coitheanal na broinn: the church burned down when a congregation was inside; b’ e an cinneadh a bu chumhachdaiche na Frisealaich: the most powerful clan was the Frasers; bha iad co-cheangailte ri Clann ʼic Shimidh a bha stèidhichte faisg air a’ Mhanachainn: they were linked to the Frasers of Lovat who were based near Beauly; leis gun robh cuid de na Frisealaich nan Seumasaich: since some of the Frasers were Jacobites; a dh’èirich ann an adhbhar a’ Phrionnsa: who rose in the Prince’s cause; chaidh an taigh mòr aca ann an Eircheid a sgrios an dèidh Blàr Chùil Lodair: their estate house in Erchite was destroyed after the Battle of Culloden; an ceann-cinnidh, am Morair Mac Shimidh (‘An Seann Mhadadh’): their clan chief, Fraser of Lovat (‘The Old Fox’); am measg uaislean Bhreatainn: among the British gentry; b’ e Gilleasbaig Caimbeul Friseal fear de na gillean aig X: Archibald Campbell Fraser was one of X’s sons.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Is cinnteach gum biodh cladh co-cheangailte rithe: It’s certain that a cemetery would be connected to it [eaglais is fem]. Is cinnteach (often shortened to ʼS cinnteach) is a good way to express certainty in a passive manner i.e. without saying who is certain [i.e. without saying eg ‘tha mi cinnteach’]. Another way of doing this would be to use the expression le cinnt ‘with certainty’. Bhiodh cladh co-cheangailte rithe, le cinnt.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: tha mi a’ dèanamh dheth: I reckon.