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An Litir Bheag 951

Litir Bheag na seachdain sa le Ruairidh MacIlleathain. Litir 脿ireamh 951. This week's short letter for G脿idhlig learners.

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Sun 6 Aug 2023 13:30

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An Litir Bheag 951

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Fhuaran Mac Bhreac faisg air C霉il Lodair agus mun duine fh猫in 鈥 Mac Bhreac 鈥撀 a th脿inig 脿 叠脿谤谤 脠颈产丑颈苍苍. Tha 叠脿谤谤 脠颈产丑颈苍苍 air oighreachd Chaladair. Tha e aithnichte airson f矛or sheann eaglais agus clach a tha co-cheangailte ri gnothach olc.

An toiseach 鈥 an t-ainm-脿ite 叠脿谤谤 脠颈产丑颈苍苍. Tha 产脿谤谤 a鈥 ciallachadh 鈥榤ullach cnuic鈥. Agus, a r猫ir an 脌rd-ollaimh Mhic Bh脿tair, tha 脠颈产丑颈苍苍 a鈥 buntainn ri pears-eaglais 鈥 boireannach air an robh 脕ibind, a bha na maighdinn-naomh aig Br矛ghde.

Tha Mac Bh脿tair ag innse dhuinn nach e 鈥樀牥 脠颈产丑颈苍苍鈥 a chanadh na G脿idheil a bhuineadh don 脿ite ach 鈥樀檙猫颈产丑颈苍苍鈥. Agus tha e faisg air seann d霉n ris an canar D霉n 脠颈产丑颈苍苍.聽

Bha eaglais Bh脿rr 脠颈产丑颈苍苍 air a togail anns a鈥 cheathramh linn deug. Tha gu le貌r dhith air fh脿gail, ged nach eil mullach oirre. B鈥 e seo eaglais paraiste Chaladair chun na bliadhna sia ceud deug is naoi-deug (1619). Tha cladh timcheall na h-eaglaise.

Faisg air an eaglais, tha clach mh貌r agus ciste-laighe chloiche ri taobh a ch猫ile. A r猫ir beul-aithris, bha iad air an cleachdadh ann an seann pheanas. Bha an t-eucoireach na laighe air a dhruim d矛reach anns a鈥 chiste. Bha 脿ite ann airson a chinn. Bha an c貌rr dhen chiste air a ch貌mhdachadh le leac mh貌r. Bha feadhainn a鈥 leigeil smugaid air aodann an duine nuair a bha iad air an rathad a-steach don eaglais. Tha e doirbh a chreidsinn, nach eil?

A bharrachd air sin, bha daoine a鈥 cur na cloiche m貌ire air muin na lice. Tha a鈥 chlach rudeigin ainmeil an-diugh oir 始s e clach-neirt a th鈥 innte. Bidh daoine a鈥 tighinn ann airson a togail, mar dhearbhadh air cho neartmhor 始s a tha iad.聽

Tha Clach Bh脿rr 脠颈产丑颈苍苍 air a d猫anamh de chlach-ghr脿in. Thathar a鈥 tomhas gu bheil d脿 cheud, caogad 始s a dh脿 puinnd de chuideam innte. Tha sin co-ionann ri ceud is ceithir-deug cileagraman.

Tha eachdraidh inntinneach aig a鈥 chloich seo mar chlach-neirt. Am measg sin, tha gun do thog fear 脿 Uibhist a Tuath i anns an fhicheadamh linn. Bidh tuilleadh agam air an sgeul sin an-ath-sheachain.

The Little Letter 951

I was telling you about Fuaran Mac Bhreac near Culloden and about the man himself 鈥 Mac Bhreac 鈥 who came from Barevan. Barevan is on the Cawdor estate. It鈥檚 known for an ancient church and a stone that is connected to an evil matter.

To begin with 鈥 the place name Barevan. 叠脿谤谤 means 鈥榟illtop鈥. And, according to Professor Watson, 脠颈产丑颈苍苍 refers to a religious figure 鈥 a woman called 脕ibind, who was one of Bride鈥檚 holy maidens.

Watson tells us that it is not 鈥叠脿谤谤 脠颈产丑颈苍苍鈥 that the local Gaels would say but 鈥叠鈥檙猫颈产丑颈苍苍鈥. And it鈥檚 close to an old fort called Dunevan.

Barevan kirk was built in the fourteenth century. There鈥檚 a lot of it left, although it has no roof. This was the parish church of Cawdor until 1619. There is a graveyard surrounding the church.

Near the church are a large stone and a stone coffin next to each other. According to oral tradition they were employed in an old punishment. The criminal was lying flat on his back in the coffin. There was a place for his head. The rest of the coffin was covered by a large flagstone. Some people were spitting on the face of the person when they were on their way to the church. It鈥檚 hard to believe, isn鈥檛 it?

In addition to that, people were putting the large stone on top of the flagstone. The stone is somewhat famous today because it is a lifting stone. People come to lift it to prove how strong they are.

The Barevan Stone is made of granite. It is estimated that it weighs 252 pounds. That鈥檚 equivalent to 114 kg.

This stone has an interesting history as a lifting stone. Among that is that a man from North Uist lifted it in the twentieth century. I鈥檒l have more on that story next week.

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  • Sun 6 Aug 2023 13:30

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