14/09/2001

Dhaibhsan aig a bheil ùidh ann an dualchas nan Gaidheal agus ann am fiolmaichean, bha a’ bhliadhna naoi ceud deug, trithead ’s a ceithir (1934) gu math ainmeil. Chan e dìreach gu bheil a’ bhliadhna sin ceangailte ri aon fiolm a thog aire an t-saoghail mhòir do na Gaidheil, ach ri dà fiolm. Bha fear dhiubh air a dhèanamh ann an coimhearsnachd Ghaidhealach ann an Alba, agus fear eile anns an aon seòrsa de choimhearsnachd ann an Eirinn.

Tha cuimhn’ a’m fhathast air a’ chiad turas a chunnaic mi Man of Aran, fiolm a rinneadh anns na h-Eileanan Arainneach air taobh siar na h-Eireann, agus ’s e am pàirt as motha a tha a’ fuireach nam chuimhne – far a bheil gille ag iasgach bho na creagan mòra ann an Inis Mór, agus e na shuidhe na ceudan troighean os cionn na mara.

Bha rudeigin ann mu dheidhinn a fiolm a ghlac m’ aire gu mòr, agus chuir mi roimhe dhol do na h-eileanan sin uair neo uaireigin. Tha mi air a bhith ann grunn tursan a-nise, anns a h-uile gin de na trì eileanan, agus ’s e àiteachan air leth a th’ annta uile. Agus ’s i Gaeilge cànan nan eileanach chun an là an-diugh.

’S e fear Raibeart Flathartaigh, a rugadh anns na Stàitean Aonaichte, a rinn Man of Aran, còrr is deich bliadhna as dèidh dha fiolm ainmeil a dhèanamh anns an Arctaic, air an robh Nanook of the North. Chuir e seachad dà bhliadhna ann an Inis Mór agus, ged a bha ùidh aige ann an dòigh-beatha nan eileanach, cha robh e airson a bhith cus ro fhaisg’ air a sin e fhèin. Thug e còcaire cordon bleu leis, agus thuirt fear de mhuinntir an àite mu dheidhinn, “tha barrachd air a thilgeil a-mach às an taigh aige … na bheireadh biadh don dàrna cuid de bhailtean an eilein…”

Dh’fhosgail Man of Aran ann an Lunnainn anns a’ Ghiblean naoi ceud deug, trithead ’s a ceithir (1934), agus tha e coltach gun tug am fiolm buaidh air fear aig an robh ùidh mhòr ann an dòigh-beatha nan Eilean Siar, agus a bha an sàs ann an rannsachadh sgoilearach air taighean dubha air a’ Ghaidhealtachd Albannaich. Beagan seachdainean as dèidh do Man of Aran nochdadh, bha Werner Kissling ann an sgoth far cladach an iar na h-Alba, air a shlighe a dh’Eirisgeidh.

Bha Kissling na bhall de dh’uaislean na Gearmailt, ach thàinig e a Bhreatainn agus bha e an sàs ann an rannsachadh air seann chultaran as leth Oilthigh Chambridge. Cha robh e ann an Eirisgeidh cho fada ’s a bha Flathartaigh ann an Inis Mór – nas lugha na dà mhìos – agus cha robh am fiolm aige, A Poem of Remote Lives, cho mòr neo cho ainmeil ri Man of Aran.

Ach sheall e dòigh-beatha muinntir Eirisgeidh gu math, agus tha e am measg nan clàran as prìseil’ a th’ againn de sheann bheatha nan Gaidheal ann an Alba – mus robh an dealan ann, neo cus dhen Bheurla air bilean an t-sluaigh. Nochd A Poem of Remote Lives ann an Lunnainn anns a’ Ghiblean naoi ceud deug, trithead ’s a còig (1935), cha mhòr bliadhna chun an là bho bha Man of Aran air a chur air bhog.

Agus tha smuain agam. Nach biodh e math an dà fiolm a chur air chuairt còmhla air Gaidhealtachd na h-Eireann is Gaidhealtachd na h-Alba, cuide ri seinneadairean is luchd-ciùil às gach àite, mar chomharra air an dlùth-cheangal eadar an dà dhùthaich, a th’ ann an-diugh agus a bh’ ann ri linn Werner Kissling – agus airson co-dhiù mìle gu leth bliadhna mus robh guth air a’ chamara.

Faclan na seachdaine: na h-Eileanan Arainneach: the Aran Islands; an Giblean: April; sgoth: yacht; Eirisgeidh: Eriskay; an dealan: electricity.

Abairtean na seachdaine: dhaibhsan aig a bheil ùidh: to those who are interested; ’s e am pàirt as motha a tha a’ fuireach nam chuimhne: the part which most remains in my memory; far a bheil gille ag iasgach bho na creagan mòra: where a lad is fishing from the cliffs; a ghlac m’ aire gu mòr: which strongly caught my attention; chuir mi roimhe dhol ann uair neo uaireigin: I decided to go there someday; anns a h-uile gin de na trì eileanan: in every one of the 3 islands; chun an là an-diugh: to the present day; cha robh e airson a bhith cus ro fhaisg air a sin e fhèin: he didn’t want to be too close to that himself; na bheireadh biadh don dàrna cuid de bhailtean an eilein: than would give food to half of the island’s villages; gun tug am fiolm buaidh air X: that the film had an effect on X; a bha an sàs ann an rannsachadh sgoilearach air taighean dubha: who was engaged in scholarly research on black houses; bha X na bhall de dh’uaislean na Gearmailt: X was a member of the German aristocracy; am measg nan clàran as prìseile a th’ againn: among the most valuable records we have; bho bha X air a chur air bhog: from the launch of X; mus robh guth air a’ chamara: before the camera existed.

Puing ghràmair na seachdaine: ceangailte ri aon fiolm a thog aire an t-saoghail mhòir: linked to one film which attracted the world’s attention. Note that the word fiolm (sometimes spelled film), which obviously derives from the English, is not inflected as one might expect here. For example, we would say ’s e sin an aon fhear a bh’ agam an-dè (that is the same one as I had yesterday), with fear lenited to fhear because of the presence of aon. Similarly, we would say b’e sin an aon chaibideil (that was the same chapter), with caibideil lenited. In theory, we should do the same to fiolm and say aon fhiolm, but something stops most Gaelic speakers from leniting the word – mainly because it is a recent addition to the language and does not “bed down” comfortably within the grammatical rules. Don’t worry about such a disinclination to inflect – it is quite natural and it occurs, to a greater or lesser degree, with some other recent loan words, eg fòn (phone) and faidhle (file). It also occurs with some non-traditional given names which do not comfortably lenite when addressing the person eg Sigmund, Sandra, Debbie. Note, however, with respect to lenition with “aon”, that we say an aon duine (the same man) or an aon taigh (the same house) or an aon suidheachadh (the same situation), because of the refusal of “d” or “t” or “s” sounds to lenite comfortably following an “n”.

Gnàths-cainnt na seachdaine: na ceudan troighean os cionn na mara: hundreds of feet above the sea (note the use of the definite article in Gaelic).