10/06/2005

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu choin a bhith a’ dèanamh donnal – uaireannan ris a’ ghealaich, nuair a tha a’ ghealach làn. Uill, tha sin fìor, ach uaireannan bidh coin a’ comhartaich ris a’ ghealaich cuideachd.

Tha seanfhacal againn a tha a’ buntainn air sin: Cha mhist’ a’ ghealach na coin a bhith [a’] comhartaich rithe. Cha mhist’ a’ ghealach na coin a bhith comhartaich rithe. Tha sin a’ ciallachadh nach dèan e cron sam bith air a’ ghealaich gu bheil coin a’ comhartaich rithe.

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun leabhar ùr aig Raghnall MacIlleDhuibh – The Gaelic Otherworld – a tha stèidhichte air dà sheann leabhar le Iain MacGriogair Caimbeul. Chruinnich an Caimbeulach beul-aithris, am measg eile, a bha co-cheangailte ris an droch-shùil.

Nam fasadh pàiste tinn, gun fhios carson, chuireadh a phàrantan a dh’iarraidh cailleach ghlic. Chuireadh a’ chailleach uisge glan ann am bobhla, agus chuireadh i crotag, sin bonn-airgid leth-thastain, anns a’ bhobhla. Bhiodh i gu sgiobalta a’ cur a’ bhobhla bun-os-cionn. Nan leanadh am bonn-airgid ri bonn a’ bhobhla, bhiodh sin a’ ciallachadh gu robh am pàiste air a chronachadh leis an droch-shùil.

An uair sin dè thachradh? Uill, seo mar a mhìnich fear à Tiriodh an gnothach. “Nuair a bha mi nam bhalach,” thuirt e, “chaidh mi gu taigh nàbaidh… Bha pàiste anns an taigh a bha uabhasach tinn. Thug cailleach bobhla a bha leth-làn de dh’uisge, chuir i air a glùin e, agus thòisich i air dranndan a dhèanamh os a chionn… An dèidh greis, thòisich a’ chailleach air mèaranaich agus chan fhaca mi a leithid de mhèaranaich a-riamh. Rinn i mèaran an dèidh mèaran gus an robh mi a’ smaoineachadh gu robh i a’ dol a bhàsachadh. Bhogadh spògan a’ chait anns a’ bhobhla, agus snàithlean dearg… an dèidh dha a bhith air a bhogadh anns an uisge cuideachd – bha [an snàithlean] air a chur timcheall amhaich a’ phàiste.”

Tha an Caimbeulach ag innse dhuinn rudeigin inntinneach mu dheidhinn an uisge a bha anns a’ bhobhla. Sgrìobh e gur e “uisge casan an t-sealgair” a dh’fheumadh a bhith ann. Uisge casan an t-sealgair. Mar bu trice, b’ e cat an sealgair a b’ fhasa air am faigheadh na daoine grèim.

’S e an “dranndan” a chuala am balach a’ gheas. Bha a’ chailleach a’ cur an uisge agus an snàithlean fo gheas. Ach carson a bha a’ chailleach a’ mèaranaich? Uill, a rèir choltais, bha sin a’ tachairt nuair a bha tinneas, a bh’ air a’ phàiste, a’ falbh às.

Cha robh an tinneas dìreach a’ sgapadh don iarmailt, ge-tà. Bha e a’ dol thairis don chaillich. Is bha an tinneas a’ toirt air a’ chaillich mèaranan mòra a dhèanamh.

Tha mi an dòchas nach eil sibh fhèin a’ mèaranaich an-dràsta. Ma tha, chan eil e a’ ciallachadh gu bheil tinneas oirbh. ’S e dìreach gu bheil mi air a bhith a’ bruidhinn ro fhada. Sguiridh mi a-nise! Beannachd leibh.

Faclan na seachdaine: luchd-poileataics: politicians; Raghnall MacIlleDhuibh: Ronald Black; Iain MacGriogair Caimbeul: John Gregorson Campbell; stèidhichte: based; an droch-shùil: the evil eye; crotag: [silver] sixpence; nàbaidh: neighbour; geas: spell, charm.

Abairtean na seachdaine: mu choin a bhith a’ dèanamh donnal: about dogs howling; uaireannan bidh coin a’ comhartaich ris a’ ghealaich: sometimes dogs bark at the moon; nach dèan e cron sam bith air X: that it won’t damage X at all; nam fasadh pàiste tinn: if a child grew ill; chuireadh i bonn-airgid leth-thastain: she would put a silver coin worth half a shilling (sixpence); nan leanadh am bonn-airgid ri bonn a’ bhobhla: if the silver coin stuck to the bottom of the bowl; dè thachradh?: what would happen?; chuir i air a glùin e: she put it on her knee; thòisich i air dranndan a dhèanamh os a chionn: she started to murmur above it; chan fhaca mi a leithid de mhèaranaich a-riamh: I never saw yawning like it; gus an robh mi a’ smaoineachadh gu robh i a’ dol a bhàsachadh: until I thought she was going to die; uisge casan an t-sealgair: water of the hunter’s foot; b’ e cat an sealgair a b’ fhasa air am faigheadh na daoine grèim: a cat was the hunter which was easiest for the people to find; nuair a bha tinneas a’ falbh às: when the disease was leaving [the child]; a’ sgapadh don iarmailt: disappearing into the ether; tha mi an dòchas nach eil sibh a’ mèaranaich an-dràsta: I hope you are not yawning just now; gu bheil mi air a bhith a’ bruidhinn ro fhada: that I have been speaking too long; sguiridh mi a-nise: I’ll stop now.

Puing-chànain na seachdaine: Bhogadh spògan a’ chait anns a’ bhobhla, agus snàithlean dearg… an dèidh dha a bhith air a bhogadh anns an uisge cuideachd – bha [an snàithlean] air a chur timcheall amhaich a’ phàiste (the cat’s paws were immersed in the bowl, and a red thread … after it too had been immersed in the water [the thread] was put around the child’s neck). The word bhogadh appears twice here, and both are passive verb constructions, but they are not grammatically identical. The first one is the past passive form of bog (cf chuireadh = was put, rinneadh = was made). Bhogadh na spògan (the paws were immersed). In some dialects, the “dh” ending is replaced by an “r” in such constructions, ie bhogar an snàithlean (the thread was immersed). The second occurrence of bhogadh is the verbal noun used with the preposition air (originally iar), meaning “after”, to make it passive. Bha an snàithlean air a bhogadh (the thread was immersed); bha na spògan air am bogadh (the paws were immersed); bha sinn air ar bogadh (we were immersed).

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: Cha mhist’ a’ ghealach na coin a bhith [a’] comhartaich rithe: the moon is none the worse for the dogs barking at it.