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Tha facal againn ann an Gàidhlig a tha a’ ciallachadh ‘directing or guiding by the stars’. ³§³Ù±ðò°ù²Ô²¹»å³ó. Chanainn gun robh ar sinnsirean na b’ eòlaiche air iarmailt na h-oidhche na tha sinne an-diugh. An t-seachdain sa chaidh, thug sinn sùil air an t-Sealgair Mhòr agus An Grioglachan. An t-seachdain seo, tha mi airson sùil a thoirt air reul-bhad eile.

Ach mus dèan mi sin, seo agaibh seanfhacal Gàidhlig co-cheangailte ris an Grioglachan. Caillidh fiù an Grioglachan a chùrsa – even Pleiades can stray off course. Tha e a’ ciallachadh gum bi eadhon na daoine as seasmhaiche a’ dol far an rathaid. Caillidh fiù an Grioglachan a chùrsa.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Co-dhiù, air ais gu ²õ³Ù±ðò°ù²Ô²¹»å³ó. ʼS e an rionnag as fheumaile airson sin an Reul Iùil. ʼS e sin Polaris no The Pole Star. Airson seòladairean na seann aimsir, bha i air a cleachdadh airson ²õ³Ù±ðò°ù²Ô²¹»å³ó a dh’ionnsaigh na h-àirde a tuath.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ʼS e an dòigh as fhasa an Reul Iùil a lorg, a bhith a’ lorg an toiseach an reul-bhaid ris an canar An Crann-arain. Tha sin a’ ciallachadh ann am Beurla ‘the baker’s bread-shovel’. An Crann-arain. ʼS e an t-ainm Beurla airson an reul-bhaid seo The Plough. Tha e air aithneachadh cuideachd mar Ursa Major no The Great Bear agus The Big Dipper.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Tha trì rionnagan ann an làimh a’ Chrainn-arain. Tha ainmean Arabach orra. ʼS e Alkaid an tè as fhaide a-mach. Ann an Gàidhlig ‘An Ceann Mathain’. An ath thè, ʼs e sin Mizar. Tha rionnag bheag os cionn Mizar. ʼS e sin Alcor. Ann an Gàidhlig, canaidh sinn Am Bodachan rithe.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Tha rionnag eile air làmh a’ Chrainn-arain – Alioth. Tha sinn a-nise aig cas a’ Chrainn. ʼS iad a’ chiad dà rionnaig Megrez agus Phad no Phecda. Thuige seo tha mi air còig rionnagan ainmeachadh. Còmhla, tha ainm Gàidhlig orra – Còig Gadhair Osgair – the five mastiffs of Oscar. ʼS e Osgar fear de ghaisgich na Fèinne.

We have a word in Gaelic that means ‘directing or guiding by the stars’. ³§³Ù±ðò°ù²Ô²¹»å³ó. I’d say that our ancestors were more familiar with the heavens at night than we are today. Last week, we looked at Orion and the Pleiades. This week I want to look at another constellation.

Ìý

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý But before I do that, here is a Gaelic proverb connected to the Pleiades. Caillidh fiù an Grioglachan a chùrsa – even Pleiades can stray off course. It means that even the most stable person can go off the road. Caillidh fiù an Grioglachan a chùrsa.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Anyway, back to ²õ³Ù±ðò°ù²Ô²¹»å³ó. The most useful star for that is the ‘guiding star’. That’s Polaris or The Pole Star. For ancient mariners, it was used to find a way to the north.

Ìý

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý The easiest way to find the Pole Star is to initially find the constellation called The Plough. That means in English ‘the baker’s bread-shovel’. The Plough. The English name for this constellation is the Plough. It’s also recognised as Ursa Major or The Great Bear and The Big Dipper.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý There are three stars in the handle of the Plough. They have Arabic names. Alkaid is the furthest one out. In Gaelic ‘the bear’s head’. The next one, that is Mizar. There is a small star above Mizar. That’s Alcor. In Gaelic, we call it ‘the little old man’.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý There is another star on the Plough’s handle – Alioth. We are now at the body of the Plough. The first two stars are Megrez and Phad or Phecda. Up to now, I’ve named five stars. Together they have a Gaelic name – Còig Gadhair Osgair – the five mastiffs of Oscar. Osgar is one of the Fingalian heroes.