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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun t-sàr-sgoilear Uilleam MacBhatair no William J. Watson. Chaidh an leabhar aige ‘The History of the Celtic Place-Names of Scotland’ fhoillseachadh ann an naoi ceud deug, fichead ’s a sia (1926). Anns a’ chaibideil aige mu ainmean aibhnichean, sgrìobh e tòrr rudan inntinneach mu na pearsaichean a bha co-cheangailte ri uisge ann an saoghal nan seann Cheilteach.

Tha dà earrainn anns an t-seann leabhar Vita Sancti Columbae – Beatha Chaluim Chille – a tha ag innse dhuinn gun robh uisge coisrigte – co-dhiù ann an seadh pàganach – do na Cruithnich. Chuala Calum Cille mu fhuaran a bha naomh dhaibh agus dha robh an sluagh ag adhradh. Agus tha iomradh air abhainn air an robh Nigra Dea ann an Laidinn – a’ ciallachadh ‘A’ Bhan-dia Dhubh’.Ìý

Tha MacBhatair ag innse dhuinn gun robh aibhnichean naomh do na Ceiltich air tìr-mòr na Roinn-Eòrpa. Tha sin air a dhearbhadh leis na h-ainmean aibhnichean a tha a’ crìochnachadh ann an – ona. ’S iad eisimpleirean Damona, Nemetona, Ritona agus Axona. Lean a leithid de shealladh air na h-aibhnichean eadhon an dèidh do  Chrìosdachd tighinn do na dùthchannan sin.Ìý

Tha MacBhatair a’ toirt sùil air na creutairean ‘os-nàdarrach’ a tha ceangailte ri aibhnichean ann an Alba. Tha e ag innse dhuinn mu ‘river sprite’ a bha a’ fuireach ann an Gleann Cuaich ann an Siorrachd Inbhir Nis; b’ e a h-ainm Cuachag.Ìý

Agus ann an Gleann Èite bha creutair os-nàdarrach ann. B’ ise Èiteag. Tha MacBhatair a’ sgrìobhadh gun robh e eòlach air fear a bha eòlach air fear a bh’ air tachairt ri Èiteag.

Sgrìobh an sgoilear Ceilteach, Seòras MacEanraig, gun robh abairt aig Gàidheil ann an Srath Spè mu Uisge Neithich. Nuair a bha i a’ sìor lìonadh, agus tuil gu bhith ann, chanadh na daoine, ‘tha na Neithichean a’ tighinn’ (the Nethy sprites are coming).Ìý

Agus, ann am Beinn nam Fadhla, tha allt ann air an robh A’ Ghamhnach ‘the farrow cow’ mar ainm. Nuair a bha daoine a’ dol tarsainn an uillt, bhiodh iad a’ tilgeil sop feòir don uisge, agus a’ cantainn ‘fodar don Ghamhnaich’ (fodder for the Gamhnach).

Agus tha e ag innse dhuinn mu na h-ùruisgean ann am Braghad Albainn – creutairean a bha car coltach ri daoine agus a bha a’ fuireach faisg air uillt agus àthannan. B’ e am fear a b’ ainmeile dhiubh Peallaidh a thug ainm do dh’Obar Pheallaidh ann an Siorrachd Pheairt. Sin Aberfeldy ann am Beurla.Ìý

Cha robh Peallaidh a’ fuireach a-mhàin ann an Obar Pheallaidh, ge-tà. Chithear a lorg-coise air clach ann an Gleann Lìomhann – rud ris an canar ‘Caslorg Pheallaidh’.

Agus, mu dheireadh, tha aithris aig MacBhatair mu Chailleach na h-Abhann no ‘the river hag’ ann an Siorrachd Rois. Bha ise beò aig na h-àthannan air Abhainn Orthainn – àite a bha cunnartach airson a dhol a-null anns an t-seann aimsir. Tha MacBhatair dhen bheachd gun tàinig Orthainn math dh’fhaodte bhon t-seann Cheilteis Orotona – le ‘ona’ aig an deireadh. Tha naomhachd co-cheangailte ri uillt is aibhnichean na h-Alba.

Faclan na Litreach: sàr-sgoilear: excellent scholar; dà earrainn: two sections; a’ Bhan-dia Dhubh: the black goddess; tìr-mòr na Roinn-Eòrpa: the mainland of Europe; os-nàdarrach: supernatural; Gleann Cuaich: Glen Quoich; Gleann Èite: Glen Etive; Seòras MacEanraig: George Henderson; Srath Spè: Strathspey; Uisge Neithich: River Nethy; ùruisgean: urisks; Braghad Albainn: Breadalbane; àthannan: fords; Gleann Lìomhann: Glenlyon; Abhainn Orthainn: River Orrin; math dh’fhaodte: perhaps.

Abairtean na Litreach: Anns a’ chaibideil aige mu ainmean aibhnichean: in his chapter about river names; tòrr rudan inntinneach mu na pearsaichean a bha co-cheangailte ri uisge: many interesting things about the personalities who were connected with water; saoghal nan seann Cheilteach: the world of the Old Celts; gun robh uisge coisrigte – co-dhiù ann an seadh pàganach – do na Cruithnich: that water was sanctified – at least in a pagan sense – to the Picts; chuala Calum Cille mu fhuaran a bha naomh dhaibh agus dha robh an sluagh ag adhradh: Columba heard about a fountain that was sacred to them and which the populace worshipped; iomradh air abhainn air an robh Nigra Dea ann an Laidinn: an account of a river called Nigra Dea in Latin; eadhon an dèidh do Chrìosdachd tighinn do na dùthchannan sin: even after Christianity had come to those lands; gun robh e eòlach air fear a bha eòlach air fear a bh’ air tachairt ri Èiteag: that he knew a man who knew a man who had met with Èiteag; bhiodh iad a’ tilgeil sop feòir don uisge: they would throw a wisp of grass into the water; b’ e am fear a b’ ainmeile dhiubh Peallaidh: the most famous of them was Peallaidh; tha naomhachd co-cheangailte ri uillt is aibhnichean na h-Alba: sacredness is connected to the burns and rivers of Scotland.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Chithear a lorg-coise: his footprint can be seen. Chithear is a passive future form of the irregular verb faic ‘see’. Chì mi means ‘I will see’; chì sibh is ‘you will see’. However, with this verb, the future tense can also be used to mean ‘can/am able to’. Thus, chì mi can also mean ‘I can see’ e.g. chì mi na beanntan ‘I can see the mountains. This also applies to the passive future form; thus chithear na beanntan can mean ‘the mountains can be seen’ (as well as ‘will be seen’).

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: b’ e a h-ainm Cuachag: her name was Cuachag.