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06/06/2011

Tha litir bheag na seachdain aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain. This week's short letter for learners is introduced by Ruaraidh MacLean.

5 minutes

Last on

Mon 6 Jun 2011 19:00

Clip

An Litir Bheag 317

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an stĂČiridh Sliochd an Eich Bhric Nach Robh Riamh Glic. Tha e Ă  sgĂŹre Loch Laomainn. Tha an stĂČiridh ag innse mar a thĂ inig an t-ainm Mac an Oighre, no MacNair, gu bith. Tha Mac an Oighre a’ ciallachadh “the son of the heir”.

Bha Clann PhĂ rlain an Arair air mĂČran dhen fhearann aca a chall. Bha a’ chiad mhac – an t-oighre – aig MacPhĂ rlain am beachd a dhol a DhĂčn Èideann. Bha e a’ dol a dh’fheuchainn ri fearann aige fhaighinn air ais bhon RĂŹgh. Ach cha robh each math aige. Bha e ag iarraidh each bĂČidheach breac fhaighinn bho a leth-bhrĂ thair air iasad.

“Chan fhaigh thu an t-each air iasad. Tha an t-eagal oirnn nach fhaigh sinn air ais e,” thuirt màthair a leth-bhràthar, a mhuime.

Ach thuirt an gille gun toireadh e an t-each air ais slĂ n fallain. “Thoir dhomh cĂČir don fhearann agad mar bharantas,” thuirt a mhuime. “Mura toir thu an t-each dhachaigh slĂ n fallain, gheibh do bhrĂ thair am fearann agad.”

Bha an gille faoin. Ghabh e ris a’ bhargan. Ach bha a mhuime ri foill. Bhruidhinn i ris an t-searbhant a bha a’ dol cuide ris an oighre a DhĂčn Èideann. Thug i puinnsean dha airson a thoirt don each bhreac. Agus thug i duais dha airson an t-each a phuinnseanachadh.

Dh’fhalbh an t-oighre a DhĂčn Èideann. Bha e a’ marcachd an eich bhric. Bha an searbhant air each eile. Stad iad airson na h-oidhche aig taigh-ĂČsta. Chuir an searbhant na h-eich don stĂ ball. Chuir e am puinnsean ann am biadh an eich bhric. An ath latha, lorg iad an t-each breac marbh anns an stĂ ball.

Thill an dithis dhachaigh. Dh’iarr a’ mhuime fearann an oighre airson a mic fhùin. Chaill an t-oighre am fearann aige do a leth-bhràthair.

Às dĂšidh sin, cha robh spĂšis aig muinntir na fine don t-seann oighre. ̓S e “An t-Each Breac” a chanadh daoine ris. PhĂČs e agus bha clann aige. ̓ S ann bho a mhac-san a thĂ inig an t-ainm Mac an Oighre – no MacNair. Agus ris an t-sliochd aca, chanadh na daoine “Sliochd an Eich Bhric Nach Robh Riamh Glic”.

The Little Letter 317

I was telling you the story The Descendants of the Speckled Horse who was Never Wise. It’s from the Loch Lomond area. The story tells how the name Mac an Oighre or MacNair/Macnair came into being. Mac an Oighre means “the son of the heir”.

        The MacFarlanes of Arrochar had lost much of their land. MacFarlane’s first son – the heir – was intending to go to Edinburgh. He was going to try to get land that had been his back from the King. But he didn’t have a good horse. He was wanting a loan of a beautiful speckled horse from his half-brother.

        “You won’t get the horse on loan. We’re afraid that we won’t get it back,” said the mother of his half-brother, his stepmother.

        But the lad said he would bring back the horse fit and healthy. “Give me the right to your land as a guarantee,” said his stepmother. “If you don’t bring the horse home fit and healthy, your brother will get your land.”

        The lad was naïve. He accepted the deal. But his stepmother was involved in deceit. She spoke to the servant who was going with the heir to Edinburgh. She gave him poison to give to the speckled horse. And she gave him a reward to poison the horse.

        The heir left for Edinburgh. He was riding the speckled horse. The servant was on another horse. They stopped  for the night at a hotel. The servant put the horses into the stable. He put the poison in the speckled horse’s food. The next day, they found the speckled horse dead in the stable.

        The two men returned home. The stepmother demanded the heir’s land for her own son. The heir lost his land to his half-brother.

        After that, the clansfolk had no respect for the old heir. The people would call him “The Speckled Horse”. He married and had children. It’s from his son that the name Mac an Oighre – or MacNair/Macnair – came. And the people would call their descendants “The Descendants of the Speckled Horse who was Never Wise”.

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  • Mon 6 Jun 2011 19:00

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Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.

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