麻豆社

Gu sear air Croy Fort air Balla Antonine, tha Westerwood Fort agus Castlecary Fort. Bidh sibh e貌lach air Castlecary, 鈥檚 d貌cha, oir 鈥檚 ann tric a bhios sinn a鈥� cluinntinn mun trafaig sgriosail air an M8 aig na Castlecary Arches. Bha MacBh脿tair dhen bheachd gun robh an t-ainm Breatannach agus gu bheil e a鈥� d猫anamh iomradh air an d霉n a thog na R貌manaich. Tha cary a鈥� tighinn bho caerydd 鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh d霉in no forts.

Chan eil dad air fh脿gail dhen ath dh霉n 鈥� Seabegs, ach gabhaidh an d矛g faicinn, agus faodar coiseachd air an rathad a thog na R貌manaich ri taobh a鈥� bhalla. Tha mi an d霉il gu bheil Seabegs a鈥� tighinn bhon Gh脿idhlig Suidhe Beag.

Tha cuid dhen bheachd gur e an ath ph矛os dhen bhalla 鈥� aig Rough Castle 鈥� am p矛os as dr霉idhtiche a th鈥� ann. O chionn tr矛 cheud bliadhna, 鈥檚 e Castle Ruff a chanadh muinntir an 脿ite ris. Ainm G脿idhlig eile, 鈥檚 d貌cha. No Breatannach?

Tha am balla a鈥� dol seachad air Falkirk Fort 鈥� D霉n na h-Eaglaise Brice 鈥� gu ruige Mumrills Fort, an d霉n as motha. Tha e a鈥� c貌mhdachadh sia acaire de dh鈥檉hearann. Lorgadh cr猫adhaireachd is buinn ann, agus 矛omhaigh de Hercules. Tha eagal orm nach eil fios agam c貌 脿s a th脿inig an t-ainm Mumrills.

Chan eil ach tr矛 d霉in air fh脿gail. Tha Inveravon Fort faisg air Inbhir Ghrainnse. Gu dearbh, tha e faisg air beul Abhainn Avon 鈥� seadh, agus cha leig mi leas dad a r脿dh mun ainm sin. 鈥橲 e Amar-uisge Avon an t-amar-uisge as fhaide ann an Alba. Tha e a鈥� gi霉lain Can脿l an Aonaidh os cionn na h-aibhne.

Gu sear air Inveravon, tha Kinneil Fortlet, an d霉n mu dheireadh air Balla Antonine. Tha Carriden Fort faisg air cladach Lodainn, ach tha sin beagan gu deas air a鈥� bhalla. Bha an d霉n ann an Kinneil air a lorg ann an naoi ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a sia (1976). Tha e a-nise am measg naoi d霉in bheaga a chaidh a lorg. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gur ann aig na d霉in bheaga seo a bha cead aig daoine dhol a-mach 鈥檚 a-steach do dh鈥櫭宱mpaireachd na R貌imhe.

Tha an t-ainm Kinneil gu math inntinneach. Tha mi a鈥� dol a chur Ceann a鈥� Bhalla air ann an G脿idhlig. Ch矛 sibh carson ann am mionaid.

Tha MacBh脿tair ag innse dhuinn gun do sgr矛obh Bede anns an ochdamh linn gum b鈥� e an t-脿ite as fhaide sear air Balla Antonine Peanfahel. Co-dhi霉 b鈥� e sin an t-ainm a thug na 鈥淐ruithnich鈥� dha. Timcheall air a鈥� bhliadhna ochd ceud (800 AD), sgr矛obh Nennius gur e guaul a chanadh na Breatannaich ris a鈥� bhalla. Th脿inig guaul (no gwal ann an Cuimris an-diugh) bhon Laidinn vallum.

Sgr矛obh Nennius gun robh am balla a鈥� t貌iseachadh aig Penguaul. Nise, tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh ceann a鈥� bhalla. Tha MacBh脿tair dhen bheachd gu bheil an fhianais a鈥� dearbhadh gun robh G脿idhlig a鈥� gabhail 脿ite na 鈥淐ruithnis鈥� anns an sg矛re sin timcheall 脿m Bhede. Tha Peanfahel a鈥� riochdachadh Pen-f脿il 鈥� end of the rampart, agus 鈥檚 e measgachadh a th鈥� ann de 鈥淐hruithnis鈥� is G脿idhlig. Timcheall air a鈥� bhliadhna naoi ceud (900), tha pen a鈥� falbh agus tha cenn 鈥� airson ceann 鈥� a鈥� nochdadh na 脿ite. Mar sin, tha Pen-f脿il ag atharrachadh gu Cenn-fh脿il agus, an-diugh, Kinneil ann am Beurla.

Sin deireadh ar sgr矛ob air Balla Antonine. Bha am balla air a chleachdadh d矛reach fad ginealach leis na R貌manaich, ach dh鈥檉h脿g e d矛leab mh貌r dhuinn.

Faclan na Litreach: 矛omhaigh: statue, image; amar-uisge: aqueduct; mu dheireadh: last; MacBh脿tair: [William J] Watson [鈥淭he Celtic Place Names of Scotland鈥漖.

Abairtean na Litreach: gu sear air: to the east of; bidh sibh e貌lach air: you鈥檒l know; trafaig sgriosail: terrible traffic; gu bheil e a鈥� d猫anamh iomradh air an d霉n a thog na R貌manaich: it gives an account of the fort the Romans built; dhen ath dh霉n: of the next fort; faodar coiseachd air an rathad: one can walk on the road; am p矛os as dr霉idhtiche: the most impressive part; a chanadh muinntir an 脿ite ris: that the local people called it; lorgadh cr猫adhaireachd is buinn ann: pottery and coins were found there; c貌 脿s a th脿inig an t-ainm: where the name came from; cha leig mi leas dad a r脿dh mun ainm sin: I don鈥檛 need to say anything about that name; a鈥� gi霉lain Can脿l an Aonaidh os cionn na h-aibhne: carrying the Union Canal above the river; am measg naoi d霉in bheaga a chaidh a lorg: among nine fortlets which were found; dhol a-mach 鈥檚 a-steach do dh鈥櫭宱mpaireachd na R貌imhe: to enter and leave the Roman Empire; gum b鈥� e an t-脿ite as fhaide sear air Balla Antonine X: that X was the place furthest east on the Antonine Wall; a thug na 鈥淐ruithnich鈥� dha: which the 鈥淧icts鈥� gave to it (Bede called them Picts but they were properly British or Cumbric); gu bheil an fhianais a鈥� dearbhadh: that the evidence proves; gun robh G脿idhlig a鈥� gabhail 脿ite na 鈥淐ruithnis鈥�: that Gaelic was displacing 鈥淧ictish鈥�; deireadh ar sgr矛ob: the end of our journey; air a chleachdadh d矛reach fad ginealach: used only for a generation; dh鈥檉h脿g e d矛leab mh貌r dhuinn: it left us a great legacy.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: a little point this week about another name in Scotland for the Antonine Wall 鈥� Grim鈥檚 Dyke, sometimes corrupted to Grahamsdyke. A 14th Century account tells us that Gryme was a grandfather of King Eugenius, but both these characters appear to be mythical! George Buchanan wrote in the 16 th Century that Graeme was a Celtic leader who broke down the wall, allowing his people to invade the Roman lands. A recently published book says that 鈥渢he real derivation ... may be more prosaic. The Gaelic word grym means strong鈥�. Mmm. Well, it鈥檚 not in my dictionary... I think the author meant 鈥淲elsh鈥�, in which language grym means 鈥渟trength鈥�. Any thoughts on those?! I鈥檇 love to hear from you 鈥� roddy.maclean@bbc.co.uk.

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: Tha eagal orm nach eil fios agam: I鈥檓 afraid I don鈥檛 know.