麻豆约拍

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mun sgoilear ainmeil, Se貌ras Bochanan, a chaochail ann an D霉n Eideann ann an c貌ig-deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1582). Chaidh a thiodhlacadh ann an Cladh nam Manach Liath ach cha deach clach-uaighe a thogail dha oir cha robh m貌ran airgid aige, agus bha e airson 鈥檚 gum biodh na bh鈥� aige air a chosg air daoine bochda.

Uaireigin as d猫idh a bh脿is, tha e coltach gun do ghabh cuideigin gnothach ri bhodhaig oir, tr脿th anns an t-seachdamh linn deug, bha a chlaigeann ann an l脿mhan ceannard an oilthigh, an t-Urramach Iain MacAdhaimh, aig an robh sp猫is mh貌r do Bhochanan. Agus airson bliadhnaichean m貌ra bha e ann am preas ann an Roinn an E貌lais-Bhodhaig.

O chionn beagan bhliadhnaichean, chaidh an claigeann a thoirt a-mach agus rinn e貌laichean obair air mac-samhail dheth, a鈥� cur f猫ithean, fiaclan agus feusag air gus am faighte e貌las air coltas ceann Bhochanan nuair a bha e na bhodach. Bha iad airson sin a dh猫anamh leis gu bheil c貌ig dealbhan deug dheth ann am bith agus chan eil iad idir coltach ri ch猫ile. Aig a鈥� cheann thall, cho-dh霉in iad gur e an dealbh a b鈥� fhe脿rr a bh鈥� ann fear a rinn am Fleamach, Adrian Keij, a th鈥� ann an l脿mhan a鈥� Chomainn R矛oghail.

Co-dhi霉, sin mo sgeul air Se貌ras Bochanan. Bidh cuimhne agaibh gu bheil mi a鈥� d猫anamh mo shlighe gu tuath air Slighe Taobh an Iar na Gaidhealtachd. Agus faisg air 脿ite-breith Bhochanan ann an Srath Bhl脿thain bha uaireigin caisteal air an robh Gartness Castle. Tha mi an d霉il gur e a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a bh鈥� air 鈥� Caisteal Gart an Eas. Aig 脿mannan anns an t-siathamh linn deug, tha e coltach gum biodh Iain Napier a鈥� fuireach anns a鈥� chaisteal. Bha Napier am measg an fheadhainn a chruthaich logarithms. Gu dearbh, 鈥檚 e duine comasach a bh鈥� ann. Bha e na innleachdair air leth agus na fheallsanaiche.

Ach bha duilgheadas aige nuair a bha e a鈥� fuireach anns a鈥� chaisteal. Bha muileann-uisge air an abhainn ri thaobh agus dh猫anadh e fuaim m貌r. Uaireannan bhiodh Napier ag 貌rdachadh gum biodh am muileann air a chur dheth gus am faigheadh e cothrom smaoineachadh ann an s脿mhchair. Agus uaireannan, air an oidhche, bhiodh uiread de smuaintean a鈥� cuairteachadh na chlaigeann 鈥檚 gum falbhadh e air a chois air bruach na h-aibhne gun dad air ach g霉n-oidhche agus bonaid.

Gu tuath air Srath Bhl脿thain, tha Slighe Taobh an Iar na Gaidhealtachd a鈥� dol seachad air baile beag br猫agha ris an canar Drumainn. An uair sin, tha i a鈥� dol tarsainn cnoc air a bheil Conic Hill. Mmm. Conic Hill. Bha e iongantach dhomh gu robh ainm Beurla mar sin air cnoc ann an 脿rainneachd far a bheil a鈥� chuid as m貌 aca Ceilteach 鈥� bhon Gh脿idhlig no seann ch脿nan nam Breatannach.

Choimhead mi air agus bho aon taobh dh鈥檉haodadh tu r脿dh gu bheil cumadh faisg air cumadh c貌in air. Ach an ann 脿s a sin a th脿inig an t-ainm? Uill, uaireannan gheibhear beagan fios air a leithid le bhith a鈥� coimhead air an 脿ite gu dl霉th. Agus bha aon rud follaiseach dhomh mu dheidhinn Conic Hill. Bha e c貌mhdaichte le uiread de ch貌inneach nach fhaca mi a-riamh cha mh貌r, co-dhi霉 air monadh lom. Agus tha e coltach gur ann 脿 鈥渃貌inneach鈥� a th脿inig Conic. Chan eil mi cinnteach ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gur e Cnoc na C貌innich a bh鈥� air o th霉s ann an G脿idhlig.

Air taobh thall a鈥� chnuic tha Loch Laomainn agus Baile Mo Thatha. Tha an sg矛re seo l脿n ainmean co-cheangailte ri naoimh, agus bheir sinn s霉il air cuid aca an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine: Se貌ras Bochanan: George Buchanan; clach-uaighe: gravestone; Roinn an E貌lais-Bhodhaig: Department of Anatomy; mac-samhail: replica; Srath Bhl脿thain: Strathblane; comasach: capable; naoimh: saints.

Abairtean na seachdaine: chaidh a thiodhlacadh ann an Cladh nam Manach Liath: he was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard; gum biodh na bh鈥� aige air a chosg air daoine bochda: that what he had would be spent on poor people; uaireigin as d猫idh a bh脿is: sometime after his death; gun do ghabh cuideigin gnothach ri bhodhaig: that somebody did something with his body; ann an l脿mhan ceannard an oilthigh: in the ownership (hands) of the head of the university; leis gu bheil c貌ig dealbhan deug dheth ann am bith: since there exist 15 pictures of him; bha e na innleachdair air leth agus na fheallsanaiche: he was an excellent inventor and a philosopher; gus am faigheadh e cothrom smaoineachadh ann an s脿mhchair: so that he would get an opportunity to think in peace and quiet; gum falbhadh e air a chois air bruach na h-aibhne: that he would walk on the bank of the river; dh鈥檉haodadh tu r脿dh: you could say; gu bheil cumadh faisg air cumadh c貌in air: that it has a shape similar to a cone; le bhith a鈥� coimhead air an 脿ite gu dl霉th: by looking closely at the place; le uiread de ch貌inneach nach fhaca mi a-riamh, cha mh貌r: with an amount of moss I have hardly ever seen; co-dhi霉 air monadh lom: at least on a bare (unforested) hill.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: gus am faighte e貌las air coltas ceann Bhochanan: in order to obtain knowledge of the appearance of Buchanan鈥檚 head. I don鈥檛 expect you all to recognise or understand faighte, although you will come across words like it, even in normal conversation. The 鈥搕e ending means it is either a past participle of a verb or what it is in this case, the passive conditional/past habitual. Faigh is an irregular verb. The forms of the passive are gheibhte eg gheibhte e (it would be got, obtained) and faighte eg am faighte e? (would it be got?)

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: bhiodh uiread de smuaintean a鈥� cuairteachadh na chlaigeann: a vast number of thoughts would be circulating in his brain (lit. in his skull). Did you notice the two different uses of claigeann in the Litir? At the beginning it refers to the bones of the cranium, ie the skull (stripped of its flesh). In the second, regarding Napier鈥檚 cogitations, it is used in an idiomatic sense to mean 鈥渉ead鈥�, 鈥渂rain鈥� or 鈥済rey matter鈥�. Here is a phrase I hope you will all be able to use in the months or years to come: if somebody says 鈥渁 bheil G脿idhlig agaibh?鈥�, that you can reply, 鈥淭ha 鈥� l脿n a鈥� chlaiginn dhith鈥� (a full skull of her ie that you are fluent!)