麻豆约拍

Nuair a bha mi a鈥� fuireach anns an Eilean Sgitheanach cha robh mi uabhasach fada bho sheann chaisteal a tha a-nise na thobhta 鈥� Caisteal Dh霉n Sg脿thaich. Chuala mi bho dhaoine anns an eilean gun robh e air ainmeachadh airson Sg脿thach, seann bhanrigh a bha a鈥� fuireach anns an Eilean Sgitheanach nuair a bha Cuchulainn na ghille. Cha b鈥� ann an-d猫 no a bhon-d猫 a bha sin. Bha Sg脿thach cruaidh, comasach, gaisgeil 鈥� agus borb cuideachd.

Dh鈥檃inmich mi Cuchulainn. B鈥� esan am balach! Ged a tha muinntir na h-脠ireann ga agairt dhaibh fh猫in, agus ged a bha e na Ultach 鈥� fear a bhuineas do dh鈥橴laidh 鈥� bha buinteanas aige do dh鈥橝lba cuideachd, mar a ch矛 sinn.

Tha Cuchulainn a鈥� nochdadh, am measg eile, anns an sgeulachd ainmeil, T谩in B贸 Cuailnge 鈥� 鈥檚 d貌cha an sgeulachd as sine a th鈥� anns an Roinn E貌rpa a tha a鈥� buntainn ri gaisge nan seann l脿ithean. Gu tric ann am Beurla thathar a鈥� gabhail The Cattle Raid of Cooley air. T谩in B贸 Cuailnge.

Tha an st貌iridh a鈥� t貌iseachadh 鈥� thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh, faisg air d脿 mh矛le bliadhna air ais 鈥� le r矛gh is banrigh Chonnacht 鈥� Ailill agus Medb. Bha an dithis aca beartach. Bha iad a-mach air a ch猫ile mu dheidhinn na bh鈥� aig gach duine aca de st貌ras. Bha Medb farmadach mu tharbh air leth math a bh鈥� aig Ailill. Bha an tarbh ann an treud Medb an toiseach ach cha robh e toilichte a bhith fo smachd boireannaich agus dh鈥檉halbh e gu treud Ailill. 鈥橲 e Finnbhennach an t-ainm a bh鈥� air. Tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渇ionn-adharcach鈥�.

Uill, bha Medb ag iarraidh tarbh a cheart cho math ris, agus bha i air cluinntinn mu fhear donn ann an Cuailnge ann an Ulaidh. Bha an tarbh sin le ceann-feadhna air an robh Daire MacFiachna.

Bha Medb de貌nach p脿igheadh airson an tarbh a ghabhail air mh脿l. Ach cha robh na teachdairean aice uabhasach gleusta. Leig iad fhaicinn do Dhaire MacFiachna gum biodh iad air an tarbh donn a ghoid bhuaithe mura robh e air a bhith de貌nach a thoirt seachad air mh脿l. Uill, chuir sinn cr矛och air a鈥� bhargan. Chaidh teachdairean Medb dhachaigh a Chonnacht 脿s aonais an tairbh.

Bha Medb fiadhaich. Chuir i roimhpe an tarbh donn a thoirt air ais ge b鈥� oil le Daire. Chuir i arm ri ch猫ile. Fhuair i taic bho ghaisgich 脿 Mumhan, m貌r-roinn eile de dh鈥櫭坕rinn. Gheall Medb fearann, airgead 鈥� eadhon a nighean fh猫in 鈥� do dh鈥檉hir a bhiodh de貌nach sabaid 脿s a leth.

Th貌isich an t-arm air a shlighe a dh鈥橴laidh. Nochd bana-bhuidseach agus thug i rabhadh do Mhedb gun a dhol air adhart leis a鈥� chogadh. Ach cha do dh鈥櫭╥st Medb rithe.

An toiseach bha c霉isean a鈥� coimhead f脿bharach do dh鈥檃rm Chonnacht. Bha fir Uladh uile tinn. Bha, co-dhi霉, ach aon duine 鈥� Cuchulainn. Aig an 脿m bha Cuchulainn d矛reach seachd bliadhn鈥� deug a dh鈥檃ois. Agus bha aige ri Ulaidh a dh矛on leis fh猫in. Ach 鈥檚 e a bha gaisgeil. Mharbh e m貌ran saighdearan.

Mu dheireadh bha c霉mhnant ann eadar an d脿 thaobh. Dh鈥檃ontaich Cuchulainn sabaid na aonar an aghaidh gaisgeach sam bith 鈥� fhad 鈥檚 a dh鈥檉huiricheadh na saighdearan Connachtach far an robh iad. Fear 脿s d猫idh fear, latha 脿s d猫idh latha, rinn Cuchulainn a鈥� ch霉is air gach gaisgeach a chuireadh air a bheulaibh.

Ach latha a bha seo, c貌 nochd mu a choinneamh ach a bhr脿thair dalta, Ferdiad. Ch矛 sinn gu d猫 dh鈥櫭╥rich eatarra an ath-sheachdain. Agus ch矛 sinn carson a dh鈥檃inmich mi Sg脿thach agus an t-Eilean Sgitheanach aig toiseach na Litreach.

Faclan na Litreach: Sg脿thach: Sg脿thach (a legendary warrior queen based on Skye); Ultach: Ulsterman; farmadach: envious; treud: herd; ceann-feadhna: clan leader.

Abairtean na Litreach: Caisteal Dh霉n Sg脿thaich: Dunsgaith Castle; bha X cruaidh, comasach, gaisgeil 鈥� agus borb: X was tough, able, heroic 鈥� and brutal; b鈥� esan am balach!: he was the [cool] guy!; ged a tha muinntir na h-脠ireann ga agairt dhaibh fh猫in: although the people of Ireland claim him as theirs; fear a bhuineas do dh鈥橴laidh: a man who belongs to Ulster; a tha a鈥� buntainn ri gaisge nan seann l脿ithean: which deals with the heroism of ancient times; mu dheidhinn na bh鈥� aig gach duine aca de st貌ras: about the riches each possessed; cha robh e toilichte a bhith fo smachd boireannaich: he wasn鈥檛 happy being under the control of a woman; bha Medb ag iarraidh tarbh a cheart cho math ris: Medb wanted a bull just as good as him; de貌nach p脿igheadh airson an tarbh a ghabhail air mh脿l: willing to pay to hire the bull; cha robh na teachdairean aice uabhasach gleusta: her messengers weren鈥檛 very diplomatic; gum biodh iad air an tarbh donn a ghoid bhuaithe: that they would have stolen the brown bull from him; chuir sinn cr矛och air a鈥� bhargan: that put paid to the bargain; ge b鈥� oil le Daire: regardless of Daire; Mumhan, m貌r-roinn eile: Munster, another province; gheall Medb fearann, airgead 鈥� eadhon a nighean fh猫in: Medb promised land, money 鈥� even her own daughter; dh鈥檃ontaich X sabaid na aonar an aghaidh gaisgeach sam bith: X agreed to single combat against any warrior; a chuireadh air a bheulaibh: who was put in front of him; a bhr脿thair dalta: his foster-brother; gu d猫 dh鈥櫭╥rich eatarra: what happened between them.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Finnbhennach: Finnbhennach (Fionn-bheannach, 鈥渇air-horned鈥�) might be a male chauvinist bull but he has an interesting name. Irish dictionaries list 鈥渉orn鈥� as the primary meaning of beann even today which gives the word a long pedigree (the same can be said of fionn which remains an active word in the languages of both countries). But beann has shifted in Scottish Gaelic where even in Dwelly鈥檚 day it meant 鈥渉orn鈥� only in Islay. An oblique form of the word 鈥� beinn 鈥� has become our standard word for 鈥渕ountain鈥� (presumably as an extension of the idea of a pointed object). The common term today for 鈥渉orn鈥� in Scottish Gaelic is adharc, which is derived from an old Celtic root meaning 鈥渄efend鈥�.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: Cha b鈥� ann an-d猫 no a bhon-d猫 a bha sin: lit. that wasn鈥檛 yesterday or the day before 鈥� ie it was a very long time ago.