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鈥淚s cinnteach gu bheil [an d脿 leabhar] Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland agus Witchcraft and Second Sight in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland le Iain MacGriogair Caimbeul am measg nan cruinneachaidhean a bu chudromaiche a chaidh a dh猫anamh a-riamh de bheul-aithris.鈥� C貌 tha ag r脿dh sin? Chan e mise co-dhi霉, ged nach d鈥� rachainn na aghaidh. 鈥橲 e Raghnall MacIlleDhuibh a sgr矛obh sin 鈥� ann an leabhar 霉r a nochd o chionn ghoirid.

鈥橲 e tiotal an leabhair The Gaelic Otherworld. Anns an leabhar tha clo-bhualadh 脿s 霉r ann dhen d脿 sheann leabhar aig a鈥� Chaimbeulach. Agus na chois tha notaichean bho MhacIlleDhuibh, a tha na sgoilear Ceilteach. 鈥橲 e leabhar f矛or mhath a th鈥� ann. Seo criomag de bheul-aithris bhon leabhar. Tha fhios againn gu robh an d脿-shealladh cumanta am measg nan daoine air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd. Ach bha na seann Gh脿idheil fh猫in dhen bheachd gu robh cuid de bheathaichean na b鈥� fhe脿rr na daoine ann a bhith a鈥� 鈥渇aicinn鈥� rudeigin nach do thachair fhathast. B鈥� iad an d脿 bheathach a b鈥� fhe脿rr 鈥� coin agus eich.

Nuair a tha a鈥� ghealach l脿n, agus an oidhche soilleir, bidh coin gu tric a鈥� d猫anamh donnal, an 脿ite comhartaich. Ann am beul-aithris Shasainn, thathar ag r脿dh gu bheil iad a鈥� d猫anamh donnal ris a鈥� ghealaich.

Ach air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd, bhathar a鈥� cumail a-mach gum biodh na coin a鈥� d猫anamh donnal air oidhche shoilleir a chionn 鈥檚 gum biodh iad a鈥� faicinn taibhs aig duine a bha fhathast be貌. 鈥橲 e am facal G脿idhlig airson sin 鈥� t脿slach. Bhiodh na coin a鈥� faicinn t脿slaich nan daoine be貌 鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh gu robh an duine sin faisg air a bh脿s.

鈥淐huala mi,鈥� dh鈥檌nnis fear Sgitheanach do dh鈥橧ain MacGriogair Caimbeul, 鈥渘a ficheadan tursan na coin a鈥� d猫anamh donnal mus robh tiodhlacadh gu bhith ann an cladh Chille Mhoire. 鈥橲 e a bu choireach gum fac鈥� iad t脿slaich nan daoine be貌.鈥�

Tha an Caimbeulach cuideachd ag innse dhuinn mu thachartas ann an Latharna. Bha galla chutach ghlas ann 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin c霉 boireann glas gun earball - galla chutach ghlas. Agus bhiodh i a鈥� dol gu 脿ite faisg air allt agus a鈥� d猫anamh donnal gu h-uabhasach. Rinn i sin gach l脿 airson ceala-deug.

Aig deireadh na h-霉ine sin, bha boireannach agus p脿iste a鈥� dol thar an uillt na b鈥� fhaide suas. Bha aca ri dhol tarsainn drochaid fhiodha. Bha pasgan de leathar aig a鈥� bhoireannach, oir bha i a鈥� dol a ch猫ilidh air greusaiche. Bha an greusaiche a鈥� dol a dh猫anamh br貌gan dhi leis an leathar aice.

Co-dhi霉, chaidh am boireannach tarsainn an uillt leis a鈥� phasgan. Dh鈥檉h脿g i am pasgan air an taobh thall agus thill i airson a鈥� ph脿iste. Ach nuair a bha i fh猫in is am p脿iste a鈥� dol tarsainn na drochaid, th脿inig tuil. Chaidh an drochaid a sguabadh air falbh. Chaidh am boireannach is am p脿iste a bh脿thadh. Agus chaidh an cuirp a lorg anns an dearbh 脿ite ri taobh an uillt far am biodh a鈥� ghalla a鈥� d猫anamh donnal.

Faclan na seachdaine: Iain MacGriogair Caimbeul: John Gregorson Campbell; beul-aithris: folklore, oral tradition; Raghnall MacIlleDhuibh: Ronald Black; a鈥� comhartaich: barking; Latharna: Lorne; tuil: flood, deluge.

Abairtean na seachdaine: ged nach d鈥� rachainn na aghaidh: although I wouldn鈥檛 deny it [go against it]; tha clo-bhualadh 脿s 霉r ann dhen d脿 sheann leabhar aig a鈥� Chaimbeulach: there is a new printing of Campbell鈥檚 two old books; na chois tha notaichean: there are notes accompanying it; chan urrainn a bhith cinnteach aig amannan: it is impossible to be certain at times; d猫 chanadh na daoine ri rudeigin: what the people would call something; gu robh cuid de bheathaichean na b鈥� fhe脿rr na daoine: that some animals were better than people; coin agus eich: dogs and horses; bidh coin gu tric a鈥� d猫anamh donnal [ris a鈥� ghealaich]: dogs often howl [at the moon]; bhathar a鈥� cumail a-mach: it was reckoned; gum biodh iad a鈥� faicinn taibhs aig duine a bha fhathast be貌: that they would see the ghost of somebody who was still alive; na ficheadan tursan: scores of times; mus robh tiodhlacadh gu bhith ann an cladh Chille Mhoire: before a funeral was to take place in Kilmuir churchyard; galla chutach ghlas: a grey tailless bitch; rinn i sin gach l脿 airson ceala-deug: she did that every day for a fortnight; bha boireannach agus p脿iste a鈥� dol thar an uillt: a woman and child were going across the burn; bha aca ri dhol tarsainn drochaid fhiodha: they had to cross a wooden bridge; bha i a鈥� dol a ch猫ilidh air greusaiche: she was going to visit a shoemaker; air an taobh thall: on the other side; thill i airson a鈥� ph脿iste: she returned for the child; chaidh an drochaid a sguabadh air falbh: the bridge was swept away; chaidh an cuirp a lorg: their bodies were found; anns an dearbh 脿ite: in the very same place.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Bha pasgan de leathar aig a鈥� bhoireannach: the woman had a package/parcel of leather. Why did I say pasgan de leathar here, using the simple preposition de and with leathar in the dative singular, instead of saying pasgan leathair (placing leathar in the genitive singular), which means 鈥渁 parcel of leather鈥�? The reason is that pasgan de leathar is more likely to convey the notion that the package contains leather (whatever the outer covering might be). Pasgan leathair conveys the impression that the packaging material is itself leather (regardless of what it might contain). If you want to be quite unambiguous in conveying the information that the package contained leather, you might say pasgan anns an robh leathar.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: bhiodh na coin nan t脿mh: the dogs were at rest.

Tha e na th脿mh: he is at rest; tha i na t脿mh: she is at rest.