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Tha mi a’ moladh bhidio Ghàidhlig dhuibh. Gheibh sibh lorg oirre air YouTube fon tiotal ‘Breith Oisein’. ʼS e goireas foghlaim a tha innte. Tha an sgeulachd Breith Oisein innte. Tha cothrom ann a coimhead le fo-thiotalan Beurla. 

Bha dithis an sàs anns a’ phròiseact – an t-Ollamh Mìcheal Newton, sàr-eòlaiche air dualchas nan Gàidheal – agus an neach-ealain, Tòmas Keyes. Tha Mìcheal stèidhichte anns na Stàitean Aonaichte. Tha Tòmas a’ fuireach anns an Eilean Dubh.

Tha an ealain aig Tòmas brèagha. Tha duilleag mhòr ann. Tha i coltach ris na duilleagan ann an Leabhar Cheannanais. Agus tha seann òran ann. Tha e air a sgrìobhadh agus air a sgeadachadh anns an t-seann stoidhle. ʼS e an t-ainm a tha air an òran ‘Comhairl’ Oisein dha Mhàthair’.

Rinn Tòmas na diofar dhathan anns an dòigh thraidiseanta. Rinn e inc phurpaidh le bhith a’ tiormachadh crotal sònraichte. Chruinnich e an crotal anns an Eilean Dubh. Bhraich e ann an amòinia e airson ceithir mìosan.

Tha an sgeulachd air a h-aithris le Mìcheal Newton. Tha e ag innse mar a chaidh Fionn is a chompanaich a-mach a shealg. Chunnaic iad eilid. Ghlac iad i len coin. Chuir Fionn òrdag na bheul, oir bha deud-fios aige. Fhuair e a-mach gur e boireannach fo gheasaibh a bha innte.

Chuir Fionn an oidhche seachad còmhla ris a’ bhoireannach. Beagan mhìosan an dèidh sin, bha mac air a bhreith dhi. Bha sin air sgeir ann an Loch nan Ceall faisg air Àrasaig. B’ esan Oisean. Bha e a’ fuireach cuide ri a mhàthair airson seachd bliadhna.

Tha an sgeulachd ag innse mar a tha an gille air a lorg. Tha Fionn a’ toirt dachaigh dha. Tha Oisean ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig aig na bàird. 

Latha a tha seo, tha Oisean a’ sealg. Tha e a’ faicinn eilid. Tha e a’ dol a thilgeil sleagh oirre. Ach tha i a’ bruidhinn ris. ‘Is mise do mhàthair,’ tha i ag ràdh. Tha Oisean a’ toirt rabhadh dhi mu na coin aig na Fianna anns an òran.

Tha an goireas seo sònraichte. Mholainn e airson tidsearan, pàrantan agus sgeulaichean. Gheibhear lorg air fon ainm ‘The Birth of Ossian’ aig www.hiddenglenfolk.org.

I’m recommending a Gaelic video to you. You’ll find it on YouTube under the title ‘The Birth of Ossian’. It’s an educational resource. The story ‘The Birth of Ossian’ is in it. There is an opportunity to view it with English subtitles.

Two people were involved in the project – Dr Michael Newton, an expert on the heritage of the Gaels – and the artist Thomas Keyes. Michael is based in the United States. Thomas lives on the Black Isle.

Thomas’s art is beautiful. There is a large page. It’s like the pages in The Book of Kells. And there is an old song there. It’s written and illuminated in the old style. The song’s name is ‘Ossian’s advice to his mother’.

Thomas made the various colours in the traditional way. He made purple ink by drying a special lichen. He gathered the lichen on the Black Isle. He fermented it in ammonia for four months.

The story is narrated by Michael Newton. He tells how Finn and his companions were out hunting. They saw a hind. They caught her with their dogs. Finn put his thumb in his mouth. He found out that she was a woman under a spell.

Finn spent the night with the woman. A few months later, a son was born to her. That was on a skerry in Loch nan Ceall near Arisaig. He was Ossian. He was living with his mother for seven years.

The story tells how the boy is found. Finn gives him a home. Ossian learns Gaelic from the bards.

One particular day, Ossian is hunting. He sees a hind. He is going to throw a spear at her. But she speaks to him. ‘I’m your mother,’ she says. Ossian warns her about the Fianna’s dogs in the song.

This resource is special. I would recommend it to teachers, parents and storytellers. It can be found under the name ‘The Birth of Ossian’ at www.hiddenglenfolk.org.