麻豆约拍

Bidh sibh e貌lach air an fhacal 鈥渃ailleach鈥�. Mar is trice an-diugh, 鈥檚 e seann bhoireannach a tha sinn a鈥� ciallachadh, ach tha ciall neo dh脿 eile air, a bharrachd air a sin. 鈥橲 e 鈥渃ailleach-oidhche鈥�, mar eisimpleir, se貌rsa de dh鈥檈un a thig a-mach anns an dorchadas. Agus d猫 mu dheidhinn 鈥渃ailleach dhubh鈥�? Chan e seann bhoireannach a bhuineas do chinneadh dubh a tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh, ach boireannach sam bith a tha ann an comann s貌nraichte anns an Eaglais Chaitligich. 鈥淣un鈥� ann am Beurla. Agus cha leig i leas a bhith aosta.

Tha seann l脿rach fhathast ri fhaicinn ann an Sg矛re Uige ann an Eilean Le貌dhais ris an canar 鈥淭aigh nan Cailleachan Dubha鈥�. Sin 脿ite far an robh cailleachan dubha a鈥� fuireach o shean, nuair a bha sluagh an eilein fhathast Caitligeach. Agus tha baile ann am Beinn a鈥� Bhaoghla air a bheil 鈥淏aile nan Cailleach鈥� far an robh cailleachan dubha a鈥� fuireach uaireigin. Ann am Beurla 鈥檚 e 鈥淣unton鈥� a th鈥檃ir.

Ach tha 鈥渃ailleach鈥� cuideachd a鈥� ciallachadh n脿dar de dhroch spiorad, neo b貌can, ann an cruth sheann bhoireannaich, a bha a鈥� fuireach anns a鈥� mhonadh ann an 脿ite uaigneach agus a bha a鈥� toirt ionnsaigh air luchd-siubhail. Bha t猫 aca anns a鈥� mhonadh eadar Gleann Urchardain agus Gleann Moireasdan, gu siar air Loch Nis, ann an 脿ite a tha fhathast gun rathad. 鈥橲 e 鈥淎n Cr脿thach鈥� a th鈥檃ir an 脿ite agus choisinn a鈥� chailleach cli霉 鈥� droch chli霉 鈥� dhi fh猫in mar 鈥淐hailleach a鈥� Chr脿thaich鈥�.

A-r猫ir beul-aithris na sg矛re, bha i a鈥� fuireach ri taobh Loch a鈥� Chr脿thaich agus airson bliadhnaichean bhiodh i a鈥� toirt droch ionnsaigh air daoine a thug an rathad sin eadar an d脿 ghleann. Ach 鈥檚 e an rud a bha annasach mu deidhinn an d貌igh 鈥檚 a bhiodh i a鈥� muirt dhaoine. Chan ann le sgian neo gunna a bheireadh i ionnsaigh orra idir. Bhiodh i a鈥� goid am bonaidean. An uairsin bhiodh i a鈥� dannsadh air a鈥� bhonaid gus an nochdadh toll ann. Goirid as d猫idh sin, gheibheadh an duine, a bh鈥檃ir a bhonaid a chall, b脿s.

Thachair sin iomadh turas gu h-脿raidh do fheadhainn a bhuineadh do Chloinn 鈥檌c a鈥� Mhaoilein, neo do Chloinn 鈥檌c Dh貌mhnaill. Tha e coltach gu robh gr脿in aig a鈥� chaillich air an d脿 chinneadh sin, ged nach eil fhios an-diugh carson. Tha seann 貌ran, a rinn D貌mhnallach air choireigin, a鈥� toirt iomradh oirre.

Cha t猫id mi an rathad

A dh鈥檕idhche neo latha.

Chan eil deagh bhean an taighe

鈥橲 a Chr脿thach.

Tha i trom air mo chinneadh,

Gam marbhadh 鈥檚 gam milleadh.

鈥橲 gun cuireadh Dia spiorad

Nas fhe脿rr ann.

Ach, mu dheireadh, rinn fear tapaidh a鈥� chuis air a鈥� chaillich, agus 鈥檚 e D貌mhnallach a bh鈥檃nn. Bha e a鈥� coiseachd seachad air a鈥� Chr脿thach, nuair a leum a鈥� chailleach air le droch r霉n. Bha iad am bad a ch猫ile greis mus do ruith a鈥� chailleach air falbh le a bhonaid.

Ach bha fios aig an D貌mhnallach gu robh e ann an cunnart a bheatha agus ruith e an d猫idh na caillich mar a鈥� pheilear. Thug e greim oirre agus bha sabaid uabhasach ann eadar an dithis gus an do sh脿th e le sgian i. Gu fortanach dha cha robh toll anns a鈥� bhonaid. Agus leis gu robh a鈥� chailleach marbh, bha muinntir an 脿ite saor gus a dhol seachad air a鈥� Chr脿thach a-rithist.

Mar a bhios feadhainn a鈥� deanamh chun an latha an-diugh. Agus ma chuireas iad am bonaidean dheth nuair a tha iad faisg air a鈥� Chr脿thach, an ann saobh-chr脿bhach neo direach glic a tha iad? Faodaidh bonaid sam bith a bhith air a sguabadh air falbh leis a鈥� ghaoith shuas anns a鈥� mhonadh sin.

Mar a chanadh muinntir an 脿ite sin, 鈥檚 d貌cha 鈥� guma fada be貌 sibh is bonaid air ur ceann!

cailleach-oidhche: owl; cailleach dhubh: nun; cinneadh: clan,race; l脿rach: site of building; Eilean Le貌dhais: Isle of Lewis; Beinn a鈥� Bhaoghla:Benbecula; b貌can: evil spirit, goblin; uaigneach: deserted, lonely, remote; GleannUrchardain: Glenurquhart; Gleann Moireasdan: Glenmoriston; beul-aithris: oraltradition; bonaid, bonaidean: bonnet, bonnets (headwear of men and women); annasach:unusual; gr脿in: hatred; tapaidh: capable, brave; sh脿th: stabbed; saobh-chr脿bhach:superstitious; glic: wise.

cha leig i leas a bhith aosta: she doesn鈥檛 need to be old; annan cruth sheann bhoireannaich: in the shape of an old woman; a鈥� toirt ionnsaigh airluchd-siubhail: attacking travellers; gu siar air Loch Nis: west of Loch Ness; fhathastgun rathad: still roadless; choisinn X cli霉 dhi fh猫in: X won a reputation for herself;thachair sin iomadh turas: that happened many times; D貌mhnallach air choireigin: someMacDonald or other: tha i trom air mo chinneadh: she is tough on my clan; 鈥檚 guncuireadh Dia spiorad nas fhe脿rr ann: O that God would replace her with a better spirit;nuair a leum a鈥� chailleach air le droch r霉n: when the hag leaped on him with evil intent;bha iad am bad a ch猫ile: they were fighting (specifically by grabbing each other by thehair); bha e ann an cunnart a bheatha: he was in mortal danger; mar a鈥� pheilear: like a(the) bullet; thug e greim oirre: he took hold of her; gus an do sh脿th e le sgian i: until hestabbed her with a knife; air a sguabadh air falbh: swept away; guma fada be貌 sibh isbonaid air ur ceann!: long may you live with a bonnet on your head!

ruith e an d猫idh na caillich: he ran after the hag.Cailleach is a feminine word, as might be expected, and is here in the genitive casefollowing the compound preposition an d猫idh. It is a鈥� chailleach in the nominative, andthe genitive form loses the initial lenition and develops a slenderised ending. This isquite regular cf a鈥� chuthag (the cuckoo) which becomes na cuthaig(e) in the genitive (ofthe cuckoo), and a鈥� chaileag (the girl) which becomes na caileig(e) in the genitive. Theterminal 鈥渆鈥�, once universal in such cases, has become virtually optional today and isoften omitted. Thus we get Beinn na Caillich in Skye, rather than Beinn na Cailliche.Similarly, a鈥� Gh脿idhlig becomes na G脿idhlig(e) in the genitive and we have Comunn naG脿idhlig rather than Comunn na G脿idhlige. Note also that because cailleach isfeminine, it becomes slenderised in the dative case (the one used with simpleprepositions) where there is an article present. Thus we get aig a鈥� chaillich, not aig a鈥檆hailleach.

gheibheadh e b脿s: he would die. Using the verb 鈥渇aigh鈥�,get, with the noun 鈥渂脿s鈥� is one of several ways to indicate that death is occurring egfhuair i b脿s (she died), gheibh iad b脿s (they will die), bha iad a鈥� faighinn b脿s (they weredying). In this case the verb, gheibheadh, is in the subjunctive mood. This is often usedto indicated continued or habitual action and is employed in this letter to describe thecontinued actions of the hag on passers-by over a period of time. We will look at thisagain in a later letter. If you have any doubts about its use, consult your Gaelic teacher.