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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu bheul-aithris air gnothaichean os-nàdarrach a chruinnich Sagart Èirisgeigh, Mgr Ailein. Bha cuid de na sgeulachdan is naidheachdan aige co-cheangailte ris an dà-shealladh no manaidhean. Seo agaibh cunntas a bha co-cheangailte ri coileach à Cille Pheadair ann an Uibhist a Deas.

Bha fear Iain Moireasdan – no Iain MacIlleMhoire – a’ seinn na pìoba anns an taigh aige air feasgar geamhraidh. Bha cur is cathadh ann a-muigh. Gu h-obann, thàinig an coileach a-nuas bhon spiris aige. Leum e suas is sìos, agus e a’ clapartaich ris a’ phìobaire.

Dh’iarr a bhean air Iain sgur a sheinn. Bha i dhen bheachd gur e manadh a bh’ ann an giùlan a’ choilich.

Thòisich an fheadhainn a bha a-staigh air beachdachadh air na bh’ air tachairt no a dh’fhaodadh tachairt fhathast. Bhathar a’ gabhail dragh gun robh an sagart air a dhol seachad air an taigh, ach nach robh e air tilleadh.

Gun rabhadh, bha gnogadh air an doras. Chualas guth an t-sagairt. Chaidh Iain don doras. Thug an sagart an dàrna taobh e oir bha droch naidheachd aige dha. Bha bràthair Iain – Calum – air bàs fhaighinn anns an stoirm. 

Bha an sneachd cho domhainn, agus na cathaidhean cho farsaing, ’s nach do thuig Calum gun robh e air a dhol far an rathaid. Gun fhiosta, bha e a’ coiseachd air Loch nam Faoileann a bha reòite. Thuit e tron deigh. Cha do mhair e beò fada.

Math dh’fhaodte gun do ghabh an sagart iongnadh nach robh Iain troimhe-chèile mun naidheachd. Ach, leis mar a thachair leis a’ choileach goirid roimhe, bha beachd aig Iain, nuair a chuala e an gnogadh air an doras agus guth an t-sagairt, gun cluinneadh e droch naidheachd.

Cuiridh mi crìoch air na sgeulachdan seo le cunntas eile aig Mgr Ailein. ’S ann mu dheidhinn coinneal a bha e, agus manadh co-cheangailte rithe. Tha an cunntas a leugh mi ann am Beurla. ’S e an tiotal a th’ air ‘A Corpse Candle’.Ìý

Bha fear òg – Mac Iain ’ic Fhearchair – a’ fuireach ri taobh Loch Aineort ann an Uibhist a Deas. Bha an taigh aige ann an àite ris an canar Rubha nan Clach. Bha tè òg air an robh Oighrig a’ fuireach anns an aon bhaile. Feumaidh gun d’ fhuair Mgr Ailein an sgeul bho Oighrig fhèin. Thachair e nuair a bha i timcheall air trì bliadhn’ deug a dh’aois.

Latha a bha seo, dh’fhàg Mac Iain ’ic Fhearchair taigh Oighrig agus chaidh e a dh’iasgach bhreac. Air an oidhche sin, bha Oighrig agus a màthair a-staigh, a’ càrdadh clòimhe. Chunnaic a màthair solas coinnle a’ dol seachad oirre.

Bha ise dhen bheachd gun robh an solas na chomharra gun robh bràthair Oighrig, a bha tinn, ann an cunnart bàsachadh. Dh’èigh i air ach fhreagair e gun robh e ceart gu leòr.

An ath latha, ge-tà, thàinig bràthair a’ ghille a bh’ air a dhol a dh’iasgach gu taigh Oighrig. Thuirt e gun robh a bhràthair air a lorg marbh ri taobh an uillt far an robh e ag iasgach.

Faclan na Litreach: Sagart Èirisgeigh, Mgr Ailein: the Priest of Eriskay, Father Allan; an dà-shealladh: the second sight; manaidhean: omens; feasgar geamhraidh: a winter evening; gnogadh: knocking; a’ càrdadh clòimhe: carding wool.

Abairtean na Litreach: thàinig an coileach a-nuas bhon spiris aige: the cockerel came down from its roost; a’ clapartaich ris a’ phìobaire: flapping its wings at the piper; dh’iarr a bhean air Iain sgur a sheinn: his wife asked John to stop playing; gur e manadh a bh’ ann an giùlan a’ choilich: that the cockerel’s behaviour was an omen; chualas guth an t-sagairt: the priest’s voice was heard; thug an sagart an dàrna taobh e: the priest took him aside; bha droch naidheachd aige dha: he had bad news for him; nach do thuig Calum gun robh e air a dhol far an rathaid: that Malcolm didn’t understand that he had gone [wandered] off the road; bha e a’ coiseachd air X a bha reòite: he was walking on X which was frozen; thuit e tron deigh: he fell through the ice; gun do ghabh an sagart iongnadh nach robh Iain troimhe-chèile: that the priest was surprised that John wasn’t really upset; feumaidh gun d’ fhuair Mgr Ailein an sgeul bho Oighrig fhèin: Father Allan must have obtained the story from Oighrig herself; chaidh e a dh’iasgach bhreac: he went fishing for trout; chunnaic a màthair solas coinnle a’ dol seachad oirre: her mother saw the light of a candle going past her; gun robh an solas na chomharra: that the light was a sign; gun robh a bhràthair air a lorg marbh ri taobh an uillt: that his brother was found dead beside the burn.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Bha fear Iain Moireasdan – no Iain MacIlleMhoire – a’ seinn na pìoba: John Morrison was playing the bagpipes. The original for Mor(r)ison was MacIlleMhoire, but the anglicised or Scots form then became a re-Gaelicised form – Moireasdan (with an intrusive ‘d’ coming from Scots speakers as in Findlay and Findlater). If you know somebody with the surname Morrison (it’s common in parts of the Western Isles), ask them what they prefer as the Gaelic form of their name.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Bha cur is cathadh ann a-muigh: it was blizzarding outside. Literally it means ‘it was snowing and drifting’.