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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 1255

Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh le Ruairidh MacIlleathain. Litir Ă ireamh 1255. Roddy Maclean reads this week's letter for GĂ idhlig learners.

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Sun 6 Aug 2023 13:55

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Litir 1255: Bàrr Èibhinn (2)

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Fhuaran Mac Bhreac faisg air CĂčil Lodair agus mun duine fhĂšin – Mac Bhreac –  a thĂ inig Ă  BĂ rr Èibhinn air oighreachd Chaladair. Tha e aithnichte airson fĂŹor sheann eaglais agus clach a tha co-cheangailte ri gnothach olc.

Tha mi airson innse dhuibh an toiseach mun ainm-Ă ite BĂ rr Èibhinn. Tha bĂ rr a’ ciallachadh ‘mullach cnuic’. Agus, a rĂšir an Àrd-ollaimh Mhic BhĂ tair, tha Èibhinn a’ buntainn ri pears-eaglais – boireannach air an robh Áibind, a bha na maighdinn-naomh aig BrĂŹghde. An aghaidh sin, tha beachd SheĂČrais MhicIlleBhĂ in a sgrĂŹobh ‘The History of Nairnshire’. Tha esan ag rĂ dh gu bheil an eaglais ainmichte airson Naomh EĂČnan no Adamnan.

Tha Mac BhĂ tair ag innse dhuinn nach e ‘BĂ rr Èibhinn’ a chanadh na GĂ idheil a bhuineadh don Ă ite ach ‘B’rĂšŸ±ČúłóŸ±ČÔČÔ’. Agus, ged a sgrĂŹobhar e ann am Beurla B-A-R-E-V-A-N an-diugh, nochd e anns an t-seachdamh linn deug mar B-R-E-V-A-N. Tha e faisg air seann dĂčn ris an canar DĂčn Èibhinn. 

Bha eaglais BhĂ rr Èibhinn air a togail anns a’ cheathramh linn deug. Tha gu leĂČr dhith air fhĂ gail, ged nach eil mullach oirre.

B’ e seo eaglais paraiste Chaladair gus an do thogadh eaglais Ăčr, ann am baile Chaladair, ann an sia ceud deug is naoi-deug (1619). Tha seann chladh timcheall na h-eaglaise. Tha a h-uile cĂ il an ĂŹre mhath mar a bhiodh dĂčil air a’ GhĂ idhealtachd.

Ach a-mhĂ in dĂ  rud – clach mhĂČr agus ciste-laighe chloiche a tha ri taobh a chĂšile faisg air an eaglais. A rĂšir beul-aithris, bha iad air an cleachdadh ann an seann pheanas a bha, nam bheachd-sa, fĂŹor olc, gu h-Ă raidh ann an Ă ite CrĂŹosdail. 

Bhiodh an neach – a bh’ air an lagh a bhriseadh – na laighe air a dhruim dĂŹreach anns a’ chiste. Tha Ă ite ann airson a chinn. Bhiodh an cĂČrr dhen chiste air a chĂČmhdachadh le leac mhĂČr. Bhiodh daoine a’ leigeil smugaid air aodann an duine anns a’ chiste nuair a bha iad air an rathad a-steach don eaglais. Tha e doirbh a chreidsinn, ach ÊŒs e sin a dh’innseas beul-aithris dhuinn.

A bharrachd air sin, nam biodh an duine sa chiste lĂ idir gu leĂČr airson an leac a phutadh suas, bhiodh luchd a’ pheanasachaidh a’ cur clach mhĂČr throm air muin na lice. Agus tha a’ chlach fhathast ann, ri taobh na ciste.

Tha a’ chlach fhĂšin rudeigin ainmeil an-diugh oir ÊŒs e clach-neirt a th’ innte. Bhiodh daoine a’ tighinn ann airson a togail, airson dearbhadh cho neartmhor ÊŒs a bha iad.

Tha Clach BhĂ rr Èibhinn trom trom. Thathar a’ tomhas gu bheil dĂ  cheud, caogad ÊŒs a dhĂ  puinnd de chuideam innte. Tha sin co-ionann ri ceud is ceithir-deug cileagram.

Ma tha an sgeul fĂŹor mu mhuinntir a’ choitheanail a bhith a’ tilgeil smugaid air eucoirich sa chiste, tha a’ chlach air a bhith sa chladh airson co-dhiĂč ceithir cheud bliadhna. Ach tha eachdraidh nas Ăčire aice mar chlach-neirt. Am measg sin, tha gun do thog fear Ă  Uibhist a Tuath i anns an fhicheadamh linn. Tuilleadh air an sgeul sin an-ath-sheachain.

Faclan na Litreach

Faclan na Litreach: CĂčil Lodair: Culloden; BĂ rr Èibhinn: Barevan; oighreachd Chaladair: Cawdor estate; mullach cnuic: hilltop; SeĂČras MacIlleBhĂ in: George Bain; DĂčn Èibhinn: Dunevan; clach-neirt: lifting stone; Uibhist a Tuath: North Uist.

Abairtean na Litreach

Abairtean na Litreach: Thathar ag rĂ dh gu bheil an t-ainm na eadar-theangachadh: it is said that the name is a translation; aithnichte airson fĂŹor sheann eaglais agus clach a tha co-cheangailte ri gnothach olc: known for a very old church and a stone that is connected to an evil matter; a bha na maighdinn-naomh aig BrĂŹghde: who was one of Bride’s holy maidens; tha gu leĂČr dhith air fhĂ gail, ged nach eil mullach oirre: there is a lot of it left, although it doesn’t have a roof; tha seann chladh timcheall na h-eaglaise: there is an old graveyard around the church; ach a-mhĂ in dĂ  rud: except for two things; clach mhĂČr agus ciste-laighe chloiche a tha ri taobh a chĂšile: a big stone and a stone coffin that are beside each other; na laighe air a dhruim dĂŹreach: lying flat on his back; air a chĂČmhdachadh le leac mhĂČr: covered by a large flagstone; a’ leigeil smugaid air aodann an duine: spitting on the face of the man; doirbh a chreidsinn: hard to believe; bhiodh luchd a’ pheanasachaidh a’ cur clach mhĂČr throm air muin na lice: the punishers would put a large heavy stone on the top of the flagstone; thathar a’ tomhas gu bheil dĂ  cheud, caogad ÊŒs a dhĂ  puinnd de chuideam innte: it is estimated that it weighs 252 pounds; ma tha an sgeul fĂŹor mu mhuinntir a’ choitheanail a bhith a’ tilgeil smugaid air eucoirich sa chiste: if the story is true about parishioners spitting on the criminal in the coffin; airson co-dhiĂč ceithir cheud bliadhna: for at least 400 years.

Puing-chĂ nain na Litreach

Puing-chĂ nain na Litreach: BĂ rr Èibhinn: Barevan. The anglicised form of the name is pronounced ‘bar AY-vun’ or ‘bar EE-vun’. It might strange to have such an element in a place name, when ĂšŸ±ČúłóŸ±ČÔČÔ can mean ‘funny’. But ĂšŸ±ČúłóŸ±ČÔČÔ can also mean ‘delightful’ or even ‘jolly’ and this might be the root meaning of the woman’s original name.

GnĂ thas-cainnt na Litreach

GnĂ thas-cainnt na Litreach: an ĂŹre mhath mar a bhiodh dĂčil: pretty much as would be expected.

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  • Sun 6 Aug 2023 13:55

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