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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Aonghas agus Brìde ann am Wonder Tales from Scottish Myth and Legend le Dòmhnall Alasdair MacCoinnich. B’ e Aonghas mac na Caillich Bheura, Banrigh a’ Gheamhraidh. Bha e a’ fuireach fad a’ gheamhraidh ann an Eilean Uaine an Iar far nach tig seann aois air duine.

Chunnaic Aonghas Brìde ann an aisling an toiseach. Bhruidhinn e ri Rìgh an Eilein Uaine mu a deidhinn. ‘Feumaidh mi dhol ga lorg an-dràsta,’ ars Aonghas. 

‘Tha am Faoilleach ann,’ fhreagair an Rìgh. ‘Chan eil e iomchaidh.’

‘Cuiridh mi geas air a’ mhuir agus air an tìr,’ thuirt Aonghas. ‘Bheir mi trì latha iasaid bhon Lùnastal don Fhaoilleach.’ Rinn e sin agus bha trì latha àlainn aca. Ach cha do lorg e Brìde. Thill e dhachaigh.

Nuair a bha flùraichean an earraich air nochdadh, dh’fheuch Aonghas a-rithist. An turas seo, lorg e Brìde anns a’ chaisteal far an robh i am bràighdeanas. ‘Thàinig mi airson do shaoradh,’ thuirt e. 
 Bha i fhèin gu math toilichte. ‘Bho seo a-mach ars Aonghas, bidh daoine a’ cuimhneachadh an latha seo mar Latha Brìde’. 

Thàinig sìthichean airson fàilte a chur air Brìde. B’ e am bigean-Brìde a’ chiad eun a chuir fàilte oirre. Agus, air a’ chladach, chuir am Brìdean no Gille-Brìde fàilte oirre.

Phòs Aonghas agus Brìde ann an lùchairt Banrigh nan Sìthichean. Cha robh a’ Chailleach Bheura toilichte. Nuair a chunnaic i am feur a’ fàs bha an cuthach oirre. 

Bha each dubh aice. Leum i air muin an eich agus dh’fheuch i ri Aonghas a lorg. Ach theich Aonghas agus Brìde. 

Chruthaich a’ Chailleach gaothan cronail. An toiseach bha an Fheadag. Bha clachan-meallain na cois. Mhair i trì latha. Chaidh caoraich agus uain a mharbhadh leis an fhuachd.

An uair sin, bha a’ Ghobag. Bha i mar ghob eòin, bha i a’ gobachadh air a h-uile rud. Mhair i naoi latha. An uair sin, bha an Sguabag ann. Reub a’ ghaoth sin geugan far nan craobh. Ach an do bhuannaich a’ Chailleach Bheura? Chì sinn nuair a chuireas mi crìoch air na stòiridhean seo an-ath-sheachdain.

I was telling you about Angus and Bride in ‘Wonder Tales from Scottish Myth and Legend’ by Donald Alexander Mackenzie. Angus was a son of the Cailleach Bheur, queen of the winter. He was living all winter long in the Green Isle of the West where nobody grows old.

Angus initially saw Bride in a dream. He spoke to the King of the Green Isle about her. ‘I must go and find her just now,’ said Angus.

‘It is the wolf-month (mid Jan to mid Feb),’ replied the King. ‘It’s not appropriate.’

‘I’ll put a spell on the sea and on the land,’ said Angus. ‘I’ll take three borrowing days from Lammas (August) to the wolf-month.’ He did that and they had three beautiful days. But he did not find Bride. He went home.

When the spring flowers had appeared, Angus tried again. This time, he found Bride in the castle where she was kept captive. ‘I came to free you,’ he said.

‘From here on, people will remember this day as Bride’s day,’ said Angus. She was very pleased.

Fairies came to welcome Bride. The linnet ‘Bride’s little bird’ was the first bird to welcome her. And, on the shore, the oystercatcher ‘Bride’s bird’ or ‘Bride’s servant’ welcomed her.

Angus and Bride married in the Fairy Queen’s palace. The Cailleach Bheura was not pleased. When she saw the grass growing, she was furious. 

She had a black horse. She jumped on the horse’s back and tried to find Angus. But Angus and Bride fled.

The Cailleach created damaging winds. To begin with, there was ‘the whistler’. It was accompanied by hailstones. Sheep and lambs were killed by the cold.

Then there was the ‘sharp-billed wind’. It was like a bird’s beak, pecking everything. It lasted nine days. Then there was ‘the sweeper’. That wind ripped branches from the trees. But did the Cailleach Bheura win? We’ll see when I conclude these stories next week.