麻豆社

鈥橲 e 脿ite gu math iomallach a th鈥� ann an Hiort. Bha na daoine a bha a鈥� fuireach ann o shean, na Hiortaich, air an cuairteachadh le cunnart. Cunnart aig muir nuair a bha iad a鈥� falbh a Bhoraraigh neo S貌dhaigh neo Na Hearadh. Agus cunnart air na bearraidhean nuair a bha iad a鈥� sreap orra, agus iad an t貌ir air e貌in neo uighean.

Ach gu h-annasach, airson 脿ite a bha cho fad鈥� air falbh on a h-uile h-脿ite eile, 鈥檚 d貌cha gur ann o dhaoine a th脿inig an cunnart a bu mhotha. Bho 脿m gu 脿m thigeadh daoine don eilean le droch r霉n. Mar sin, nuair a thigeadh b脿ta don eilean, 鈥檚 ann tric a bhiodh an sluagh a鈥� teicheadh bhon dachannan.

Bha na Hiortaich gu h-脿raidh teagmhach mu dhaoine bhon taobh a-muigh as d猫idh sgrios a rinn Fearchar M貌r agus an D霉gan orra. A r猫ir beul-aithris, b鈥� iad sin dithis Le貌dhasach a chaidh a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Hiort o chionn fhada. Nuair a bha iad ann, shreap iad gu mullach Oiseabhail, cnoc 脿rd faisg air a鈥� bhaile. Thill iad nan deann, agus iad ag 猫igheachd gu robh cabhlach Sasannach a鈥� tighinn dhan ionnsaigh.

Chaidh na h-eileanaich am falach ann an seipeil, ach ghlais Fearchar M貌r is an D霉gan a-staigh iad, agus chuir iad teine ris an tughadh. Fhuair a h-uile duine b脿s. Gu fortanach, ge-t脿, bha aona chailleach a-muigh anns a鈥� Ghleann Mh貌r, air taobh thall an eilein, a鈥� buachailleachd chruidh. Chaidh i am falach ann an uamh air falbh on dithis shlaoightearan airson beagan mh矛osan, ga cumail fh猫in be貌 air uighean is e貌in, gus an t脿inig b脿ta bho na h-eileanan siar as t-samhradh. An uairsin th脿inig i a-mach, dh鈥檌nnis i na thachair, agus chaidh ceartas a dh猫anamh as leth muinntir Hiort.

Bha e na chleachdadh do na h-eileanaich as d猫idh sin a dhol am falach, chan ann san eaglais, ach air falbh bhon bhaile, nan tigeadh b脿ta nach b鈥� aithne dhaibh don eilean. Air sg脿th sin, dh鈥檉h脿gadh boireannach 貌g br猫agha am br貌n. B鈥� ise M貌r Bh脿n agus bha i be貌 tr脿th anns an naoidheamh linn deug.

Bha na boireannaich ann an Hiort air leth br猫agha, a r猫ir choltais. Agus bha M貌r na bu bhr猫agha na c脿ch. Thadhail duin-uasal 脿 Ile air an eilean agus ghabh e gaol air M貌r. Cha robh e anns an eilean fada, ach bha e fada gu le貌r dha airson co-dh霉nadh gu robh e airson am boireannach eireachdail sin a ph貌sadh. Gheall e dhi gun tilleadh e is gun toireadh e a dh鈥橧le i.

Uill, mar a gheall e, 鈥檚 ann a rinn e. Thill e a Hiort, ach ann am b脿ta le gunnaichean oirre agus le sgioba de dh鈥檉hir thapaidh na chois. Nuair a chunnaic na Hiortaich an soitheach a鈥� tighinn, cho-dh霉in iad gum biodh iad ann an cunnart nam fanadh iad anns a鈥� bhaile. Theich iad agus chaidh iad am falach air na bearraidhean is am measg nan creag.

Chaidh an t-Ileach tron bhaile ach bha na taighean fuar agus falamh. Chaidh e air feadh an eilein ach cha robh sgeul air muinntir an 脿ite. Mu dheireadh, dh鈥檉halbh iad. Nuair a th脿inig an sluagh a-mach o na h-脿iteachan far an robh iad am falach, dh鈥檃ithnich M貌r Bh脿n an suaicheantas a bh鈥� air crann an t-soithich, a bha a-nise aig muir. Suaicheantas a leannain. Thuig i sa mhionaid gu robh i air a leannan a chall agus nach fhaigheadh i air ais e gu br脿th.

iomallach: remote; Hiort: St Kilda; S貌dhaigh: Soay; Na Hearadh:Harris; bearraidhean: cliffs; dachannan: homes; cabhlach: fleet of ships; ghlais: locked;uamh: cave; earachdail: beautiful,handsome.

鈥檚 d貌cha gur ann o dhaoine a th脿inig an cunnart a bu mhotha:perhaps the greatest danger came from people; thigeadh daoine don eilean le droch r霉n:people of evil intent would come to the island; thill iad nan deann: they returned at greatspeed; chaidh X am falach ann an seipeil: X hid in a chapel; chuir iad teine ris an tughadh:they set the thatch alight; a鈥� buachailleachd chruidh: herding cattle; ga cumail fh猫in be貌 airuighean is e貌in: keeping herself alive on eggs and birds; chaidh ceartas a dh猫anamh as lethmuinntir Hiort: justice was done on behalf of the people of St Kilda; dh鈥檉h脿gadhboireannach 貌g br猫agha am br貌n: a beautiful young woman was left in mourning; na bubhr猫agha na c脿ch: more beautiful than the others; thadhail duin-uasal 脿 Ile air an eilean: agentleman from Islay visited the island; le sgioba de dh鈥檉hir thapaidh na chois: with a teamof bold men along with him; dh鈥檃ithnich M貌r Bh脿n an suaicheantas a bh鈥� air crann an t-soithich:聽Fair Marion recognised the distinguishing standard that was on the vessel鈥檚 mast;thuig i sa mhionaid gu robh i air a leannan a chall: she understood immediately that she hadlost her sweetheart.

b鈥� iad sin dithis Le貌dhasach a chaidh a dh鈥檉huireach annan Hiort o chionn fhada: they were two Lewismen who went to live on St Kilda a long timeago. Do you notice that the noun associated with dithis is in the genitive plural case which,in the case of Le貌dhasach (nominative plural Le貌dhasaich) reverts to the same form as thenominative singular? This is because dithis is itself a noun, a special type of numericalnoun (called an 鈥渁inmear cunntaidh鈥� in Gaelic) and can stand on its own. eg Chunnaic midithis (I saw two people). But where it qualifies a second noun, that second noun is in thegenitive, because we are saying 鈥渢wo of 鈥︹�� Thus we also get in the Litir air falbh on dithisshlaoightearan (away from the two rogues) with the word slaoightear in its genitive pluralform, lenited as it does not have an article. Similarly, we would get dithis fhear (two men)and dithis bh脿rd (two poets). The same rules apply for all the numerical nouns from dithis(2) to deichnear (10) eg tri霉ir chroitearan (3 crofters); c貌ignear pheathraichean (5 sisters);seachdnar mhac (7 sons).

Bha e na chleachdadh do na h-eileanaich: it was the custom聽of the islanders.