13/12/2010
Tha litir bheag na seachdain-sa aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain. This week's short letter for learners is introduced by Ruaraidh MacLean.
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An Litir Bheag 292
Duration: 03:39
An Litir Bheag 292
An cuala sibh riamh mu faire chlaidh? Graveyard watch. Faire chlaidh. Bha daoine aâ creidsinn gun robh an spiorad aig duine a bha air a thiodhlacadh aâ cumail faire air na mairbh. Bha e aâ dĂšanamh sin gus an robh duine eile air a thiodhlacadh. Bha daoine ag iarraidh nach robh aig spiorad an duine sin a bhith aâ cumail faire ro fhada. Uaireannan dhâadhbharaich sin strĂŹ is sabaid.
           Dhâinns Iain DĂČmhnallach, BĂ rd Loch Abar, do Chalum MacGhilleathain naidheachd mu dheidhinn. Bha ministear a bha seo aâ gabhail cuairt. Bha e faisg air Ă th air bruach Abhainn Spiothain. ThĂ inig dĂ bhuidhinn de dhaoine. Bha iad aâ dol don chladh air taobh thall na h-aibhne. Bha ciste-laighe aig gach buidhinn. Bha argamaid ann. ThĂČisich iad air sabaid. Fhuair aâ bhuidheann a bhuannaich an cothrom a dhol don chladh an toiseach. Cha robh aig spiorad an duine aca ri feitheamh fada mus tigeadh an ath dhuine marbh.
           Bha faire de sheĂČrsa eile aâ dol anns na cladhan cuideachd. Bha clach-uaighe ann an Cladh Chill Mo Naomhaig faisg air Drochaid an Aonachain. Bha toll anns aâ chloich. Chaidh an toll a dhĂšanamh le peilear.
           Bha feadhainn aâ goid chorp bho chladhan â daoine mar Burke is Hare. Bha fear Ă Loch Abar na oileanach ann an DĂčn Ăideann. Bha e aâ dĂšanamh dotaireachd. ThĂ inig corp don deuchainn-lann. âS e boireannach a bha ann. Bha fiaclan math aice. Bha an t-oileanach dhen bheachd gun robh na fiaclan coltach ri fiaclan tĂš Ă s an sgĂŹre aige fhĂšin. âS e bean DhĂČmhnaill âic Iain an t-ainm a bha oirre.
           SgrĂŹobh an t-oileanach dhachaigh. Dhâfhaighnich e an robh duine sam bith air bĂ s fhaighinn o chionn ghoirid. ThĂ inig fios gun do chaochail bean DhĂČmhnaill âic Iain.
           Co-dhiĂč, oidhche a bha seo bha athair Iain DhĂČmhnallaich ann an Cladh Chill Mo Naomhaig. Bha e aâ cumail faire an aghaidh mĂširlich nan corp. Bha gunna aige. DhâfhĂ s e sgĂŹth. Thuit e na chadal. DhĂčisg e gu h-obann. Chunnaic e rudeigin. Loisg e an gunna. Ach chan e mĂširleach a bha ann. âS e clach-uaighe a bha ann. Agus rinn am peilear toll anns aâ chloich.The Little Letter 292
Have you ever heard of faire chlaidh? Graveyard watch. Faire chlaidh. People were believing that the spirit of a person who had been buried was keeping watch over the dead. He was doing that until another man was buried. People were wanting that that manâs spirit would not be keeping vigil too long. Sometimes that caused discord and fighting.
       John MacDonald, the Lochaber Bard, told Calum Maclean an anecdote about it. A particular minister was taking a stroll. He was near a ford on the bank of the Spean River. Two groups of people came. They were going to the cemetery on the far side of the river. Each group had a coffin. There was an argument. They started to fight. The group that won got the opportunity to go to the graveyard first. The spirit of their man was not having to wait long until the next dead person came.
       Another type of watching also took place in the graveyards. There was a gravestone in Kilmonivaig Cemetery near Spean Bridge. There was a hole in the stone. The hole was made by a bullet.
       Some people were stealing bodies from graveyards â people like Burke and Hare. A man from Lochaber was a student in Edinburgh. He was doing medicine. A body came to the laboratory. It was a woman. She had good teeth. The student thought that the teeth were like those of a woman from his own area. Her name was âthe wife of Donald son of Johnâ.
       The student wrote [a letter] home. He asked if anybody had died recently. News came that âthe wife of Donald son of Johnâ [had] died.
       Anyway, on a particular night, John MacDonaldâs father was in Kilmonivag Cemetery. He was keeping watch against grave robbers. He had a gun. He became tired. He fell asleep. He suddenly woke up. He saw something. He fired the gun. But it wasnât a robber. It was a gravestone. And the bullet made a hole in the stone.Broadcast
- Mon 13 Dec 2010 19:00±«Óătv Radio nan GĂ idheal
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An Litir Bheag
Litirichean do luchd-ionnsachaidh ura. Letters in Gaelic for beginners.