麻豆约拍

Nuair a bha mi e貌lach air, bha Ruairidh MacNeill nach maireann a鈥� fuireach anns an t-S脿ilean ann am Muile, ach rugadh is thogadh e ann an Gomastra, eilean beag air ceann a-mach Ulbha. Thogadh e le sheana-ph脿rantan agus, air s脿illeamh sin, bha G脿idhlig ghlan, bhr猫agha aige, agus bha e貌las s貌nraichte aige air dualchas na sg矛re.

Air l脿 grianach samhraidh, chaidh e fh猫in 鈥檚 mi-fh矛n a choimhead air seann choilltean n脿darrach ann am Muile, agus mi airson rud beag dhen e貌las aige air craobhan fhaighinn bhuaithe. Sheall e dhomh na craobhan calltainn, air am bi cnothan calltainn a鈥� f脿s. An l脿 an-diugh, cha bhi daoine a鈥� gearradh nan craobhan seo air ais mar bu ch貌ir agus, ann am Muile, chan eil na cnothan cho pailt orra 鈥檚 a b鈥� 脿bhaist. Nuair a bha Ruairidh 貌g, bha iad air an gearradh air ais gu m貌r agus bhiodh an cinneas 霉r math airson boghachan 鈥� p矛osan fiodha a tha a鈥� l霉badh gu furasta. Bhiodh daoine ann an eileanan eile, gu h-脿raidh Tiriodh agus Uibhist, a鈥� faighinn fiodh mar sin 脿 Muile airson rudan mar chl猫ibh a dh猫anamh.

Bha d脿rna cinneas na craoibh uinnsinn uabhasach feumail cuideachd oir chan eil e cho bristeach ris a鈥� chiad chinneas, agus bhiodh na Muilich a鈥� cleachdadh a fiodha airson casan spaid, gr脿pa no 霉ird a dh猫anamh. Tha e furasta sgoltadh agus bidh e a鈥� losgadh fi霉 鈥檚 gun a bhith air a thiormachadh. Bhiodh Ruairidh a鈥� d猫anamh cipeanan de dh鈥檉hiodh na craoibh uinnsinn 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin na p矛osan beaga fiodha a chumas ribe, no snare, anns an talamh. Bhiodh iad a鈥� cleachdadh nan ribeachan airson coineanaich a ghlacadh.

鈥橲 e craobh bhr猫agha a tha anns an leamhan agus bha i gu math feumail do mhuinntir an eilein. Bhiodh iad a鈥� gearradh p矛osan a bha l霉bte gu n脿darrach airson an cleachdadh ann am b脿taichean. Mar eisimpleir, thogadh iad ceann tobhta le bhith a鈥� cleachdadh fiodh l霉bte bhon chraoibh leamhain.

Uaireannan, ge-t脿, bhiodh na seann daoine a鈥� l霉badh fiodh iad fhein, mar eisimpleir airson s霉il a dh猫anamh ann an cliabh ghiomach. Ghabhadh iad geug 貌g bho chraobh sheilich agus bhiodh iad ga l霉badh lem be貌il, le bhith a鈥� b矛deadh an fhiodha. Dh鈥檌nnis Ruairidh dhomh gum faicear fhathast l脿rach fhiaclan ann an seann chl猫ibh. Is cinnteach gur e daoine aig nach robh fiaclan fuadain a rinn an obair sin! Bha an seileach cuideachd feumail airson feadag no f矛deag a dh猫anamh 鈥� an se貌rsa a bhios daoine a鈥� cleachdadh airson a bhith a鈥� d猫anamh fead air c霉.

Bha grunn se貌rsachan eile anns a鈥� choille 鈥� beithe, cuileann, darach 鈥� agus an caorann. Tha saobh-chr脿bhadh co-cheangailte ris a鈥� chraoibh chaorainn agus chan eil daoine uabhasach de貌nach an leagail. Cha bhi iad a鈥� losgadh gu math co-dhi霉, a r猫ir seanfhacal a dh鈥檌nnis Ruairidh dhomh: Teine caorainn is gaol ghiullan, cha do mhair iad fad鈥� a-riamh.

Am measg an fhiosrachaidh eile a thug Ruairidh MacN猫ill dhomh, tha cuimhn鈥� agam air aon rud gu h-脿raidh. Dh鈥檌nnis e dhomh gur e 鈥渃onnadh nam m猫irleach鈥� a bh鈥� aig na seann daoine air an droigheann dubh, air s脿illeamh 鈥檚 nach tig toit 脿s nuair a tha e ann an teine. Cha bhiodh fios aig daoine, mar sin, c脿it鈥� an robh campa nam m猫irleach. Agus, le g脿ire mh貌r, ged nach eil mi a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gu robh fios pearsanta aige air seo, thuirt e gur iongantach mura robh an dearbh fhiodh 鈥渁ir uisneachadh airson na poite duibhe anns a鈥� mhonadh鈥�!

Faclan na seachdaine: An S脿ilean: Salen; Muile: Mull; Gomastra: Gometra; grianach: sunny; calltainn: hazel; cinneas 霉r: new growth; a鈥� l霉badh: bending; bristeach: brittle; cipeanan: stakes (to tether snares); ribe, ribeachan: snare, snares; coineanaich: rabbits; leamhan: elm; l霉bte: bent; be貌il: mouths; a鈥� b矛deadh: biting; fiaclan fuadain: false teeth; seileach: willow; feadag, f矛deag: whistle [instrument]; fead: whistle [sound]; beithe: birch; cuileann: holly; darach: oak; caorann: rowan; saobh-chr脿bhadh: superstition.

Abairtean na seachdaine: air ceann a-mach Ulbha: on the outer end of Ulva; thogadh e le sheana-ph脿rantan: he was raised by his grandparents; cha bhi daoine a鈥� gearradh nan craobhan seo air ais: people don鈥檛 cut these trees back; chan eil na cnothan cho pailt orra 鈥檚 a b鈥� 脿bhaist: the nuts are not as plentiful [on them] as was once the case; d脿rna cinneas na craoibh uinnsinn: the new [second] growth of the ash tree; bhiodh na Muilich a鈥� cleachdadh a fiodha airson casan spaid, gr脿pa no 霉ird a dh猫anamh: the Mull people would use its [her] wood to make spade, fork or hammer handles; thogadh iad ceann tobhta: they would make the end of a thwart; airson s霉il a dh猫anamh ann an cliabh ghiomach: to make the opening in a lobster creel; dh鈥檌nnis Ruairidh dhomh gum faicear fhathast l脿rach fhiaclan: Ruairidh told me that teeth marks can still be seen; gur e 鈥渃onnadh nam m猫irleach鈥� a bh鈥� aig na seann daoine air an droigheann dubh: that the old people called the blackthorn 鈥渢he robbers鈥� fuel鈥�; ged nach eil mi a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gu robh fios pearsanta aige: although I鈥檓 not making out that he had personal knowledge; gur iongantach mura robh an dearbh fhiodh 鈥渁ir uisneachadh airson na poite duibhe anns a鈥� mhonadh鈥�: that it would be likely that the same wood would be 鈥渦sed for the [a] whisky still on the hill鈥� (uisneachadh is used in Argyll where cleachdadh would generally be used further north).

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Bidh e a鈥� losgadh fi霉 鈥檚 gun a bhith air a thiormachadh: it burns even without being dried. I hope the gun here does not confuse you because you will often see gun in close proximity to a verb, acting as a conjunction eg thuirt e gun toireadh e dhomh e (he said he would give it to me), tha mi an d貌chas gun tig feabhas ort (I hope you鈥檒l get better). Here, however, despite its close association with 鈥渁 bhith鈥�, it is actually the preposition gun, meaning 鈥渨ithout鈥�. You will be familiar with it in situations without a verb ie before a noun eg tha mi gun d貌chas (I am without hope), gun teagamh sam bith (without any doubt). Here are another two examples of how to use it with verbs, employing a bhith: dh鈥� iarr an tidsear orm gun a bhith ag 猫igheachd (the teacher asked me not to shout); gun a bhith a鈥� coimhead air a鈥� mhap, innse dhomh... (without looking at the map, tell me...)

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: Teine caorainn is gaol ghiullan, cha do mhair iad fad鈥� a-riamh: rowan fire and boys鈥� love, they never lasted long. This is as Ruairidh MacN猫ill told it to me, but it is listed in Alexander Nicolson鈥檚 Gaelic Proverbs as teine chaoran is gaol ghiullan, a caoran being a small peat broken off the f脿d, which is the large peat cut for the fire. Both make sense but which is the original? Can anyone help me with further information?