麻豆社

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Dhail a鈥� Mhuilinn ann an Gallaibh. Bha G脿idhlig air a bruidhinn anns an sg矛re sin fad 霉ine mh貌r. Mar sin, tha 貌rain agus sgeulachdan G脿idhlig co-cheangailte ris an 脿ite. Nam measg tha 貌ran a bha ainmeil, ann an dreach eadar-theangaichte, mar 鈥�Miss Calder鈥檚 Lament鈥�.听

Tha sgeulachd co-cheangailte ris an 貌ran. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a tha oirre 鈥楢鈥� Bhanarach agus an Sealgair鈥� 鈥� The Dairymaid and the Hunter.

Aig deireadh an t-siathamh linn deug, bha D貌mhnall MacAoidh na cheann-cinnidh aig Clann 鈥檌c Aoidh ann an Srath Nabhair. Bha mac aige air an robh Iain B脿n M貌r mar ainm. Chaidh Iain agus luchd-cinnidh a-mach air a ch猫ile. Dh鈥檉h脿g Iain agus a theaghlach Srath Nabhair. Chaidh iad a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Dail a鈥� Mhuilinn.

Bha Iain na dheagh shealgair Bha e cuideachd cr脿bhach. Gach S脿baid, bhiodh e a鈥� sreap gu mullach na beinne as fhaisge air Dail a鈥� Mhuilinn le cle貌ca dearg air. Chitheadh a n脿baidhean e. Thuigeadh iad gur e Latha na S脿baid a bha ann.

Latha a bha seo, bha Iain a鈥� sealg sa mhonadh. Lorg e leanabh-gille na chadal anns an fhraoch. Bha Iain mion-e貌lach air a鈥� Bh矛oball. Chuimhnich e na briathran ann an Leabhar Mhata, Caibideil 18, rannan 3 gu 5: 鈥楢gus thuirt [脤osa], 鈥�... mura bi sibh mar leanaban, nach t猫id sibh a-steach a r矛oghachd n猫imh...聽 Agus ge b鈥� e a ghabhas aon leanabh de a leithid seo nam ainm-sa, gabhaidh e mise.鈥濃��

Thog Iain an leanabh. Thug e dhachaigh e. Bha clann aige mu thr脿th ach cha robh sin gu diofar. Ghabh e ris a鈥� ghille mar dhalta.

Nuair a bha e 貌g, dhearbh an gille gun robh e treun agus l脿idir. Bha daoine a鈥� gabhail 鈥楢n Gille Garbh鈥� air. Math dh鈥檉haodte gun canamaid 鈥�The Hefty Lad鈥� ann am Beurla.聽

Bha an Gille Garbh f矛or chomasach mar shealgair. Nuair a bha e na dheugaire, bha e, latha a bha seo, a鈥� sealg sa mhonadh. Chaidh e gu bothan-脿irigh. Bha clann-nighean ann. Nam measg bha t猫 a tha air a cuimhneachadh an-diugh mar 鈥楳iss Calder鈥�. Innsidh mi dhuibh d猫 thachair anns an ath Litir.

I was telling you about Dalnawillan in Caithness. Gaelic was spoken in that area for a long time. Thus, there are Gaelic songs and stories connected to the place. Among them is a song that was famous, in translated form, as 鈥楳iss Calder鈥檚 Lament鈥�.听

There is a story connected to the song. Its name is 鈥�A鈥� Bhanarach agus an Sealgair鈥� 鈥� The Dairymaid and the Hunter.

At the end of the sixteenth century, Donald Mackay was the chief of the Mackays in Strathnaver. He had a son called 鈥榖ig fair-haired John鈥�. John and [some] clansmen fell out with each other. John and his family left Strathnaver. They went to live in Dalnawillan.

John was a fine hunter. Hed was also religious. Every Sabbath, he would climb to the summit of the hill nearest to Dalnawillan, wearing a red cloak. His neighbours would see him. They would understand that it was a Sunday.

One day, John was hunting on the hill. He found a baby boy asleep in the heather. John knew the Bible well. He remembered the words in Matthew Chapter 18, verses 3 to 5. 鈥楢nd [Jesus] said. 鈥� 鈥� if you are not like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven 鈥� And whoever accepts one child of this type in my name, he accepts me.鈥濃��

John picked up the child. He took it home. He already had children but that did not matter. He accepted the lad as a foster-son.

When he was young, the lad proved he was brave and strong. People called him An Gille Garbh. Perhaps we鈥檇 say 鈥楾he Hefty Lad鈥� in English.

The Gille Garbh was extremely capable as a hunter. When he was a teenager, he was, one day, hunting on the hill. He went to a shieling bothy. There were girls there. Among them was one who is remembered today as 鈥楳iss Calder鈥�. I鈥檒l tell you what happened in the next Litir.