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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun chunntas aig John of Fordun mu thùs nan Gàidheal. Bha John beò anns a’ cheathramh linn deug. A rèir a chunntais, bha Simon Breac, mac Ghaythelos – no an Gàidheal Glas – air clach ann an cumadh cathrach a tharraing suas bho ghrunnd na mara far costa na h-Èireann. Bha Simon dhen bheachd gur e tiodhlac bho na diathan a bha sa chloich.

Bha na fàidhean air innse dha gum biodh na Scoti – na Gàidheil – a’ riaghladh far am biodh iad a’ lorg clach a chaidh a ghoid bhuapa uaireigin roimhe. A rèir John of Fordun, bha a’ chlach sin air a goid bhuapa an dà chuid anns an Spàinn agus ann an Èirinn. Ach, le strì agus armachd, fhuair na h-Albannaich air ais i.

Nise, tha John ag aideachadh gur dòcha nach tàinig a’ chathair-chloiche bho ghrunnd na mara. Bha cuid a’ cumail a-mach gun tug Gaythelos i bhon Èiphit nuair a bha e air a chur a-mach às an dùthaich sin. ’S ann air a’ chathair sin a bhiodh rìghrean Albannach anns an Spàinn nan suidhe nuair a ghabh iad am bòidean mar rìgh.

Ach a bheil sinn a’ bruidhinn air ‘Albannaich’ no ‘Èireannaich’? Math dh’fhaodte gum bu chòir dhuinn a bhith a’ bruidhinn air ‘Gàidheil’. Cha robh Alba no Èirinn ann am bith mar rìoghachdan an uair sin. Agus bha am facal ‘Scotus’ a’ buntainn ri Gàidheil as gach dùthaich.

Tha John ag innse dhuinn gun tug Simon Breac a’ chlach a-null on Spàinn a dh’Èirinn. Chuir e i air mullach cnuic ann an Teamhair – àite naomh. Bhiodh rìghrean nan Gàidheal ann an Èirinn nan suidhe air a’ chathair rìoghail sin nuair a bha inbhe rìgh air a buileachadh orra. 

Bidh ceistean agaibh mun chloich, tha fhios. An e sin a’ chlach a tha a-nise ann an Taigh-tasgaidh Pheairt – an tè air an robh rìghrean Albannach air an crùnadh ann an Sgàin? Uill, chan eil Clach Sgàin ann an cumadh cathrach. Agus chan eil i air a dèanamh de mhàrmor. Chan eil e ro choltach gu bheil sinn a’ bruidhinn air an aon chloich. Agus an ann à Èirinn a thàinig i? No an robh i air a buidhinn faisg air Sgàin fhèin, gun bhuntanas sam bith aice do dh’Èirinn, don Spàinn no don Èiphit?! Chan eil mi fhìn a’ dol a thoirt seachad beachd!

Agus, a rèir John of Fordun, cuin a thàinig Clach Sgàin gu ruige Alba? Uill, ma tha an eachdraidh air a bhith teagmhach thuige seo, tha i a’ fàs nas eucoltaiche a-nise. Tha John ag ràdh gun tug a’ chiad rìgh Gàidhealach ann an Alba – Fearghas mac Fhearchaid – a-nall i anns a’ bhliadhna trì cheud is trithead ro Chrìosd (330 BC). Tha a’ chuid as motha de sgoilearan ag ràdh gu bheil sin ceudan bhliadhnaichean ro thràth. Tha John ag innse dhuinn gum b’ ise an dearbh chathair a thug Simon Breac a dh’Èirinn. Agus chaidh Fearghas a chrùnadh oirre mar Rìgh ann an ‘Scotia’. 

Ge-tà, tha John ag innse dhuinn gun robh crìoch ann an Druim Albann eadar tìr nan Gàidheal air an taobh an iar agus tìr nan Cruithneach air an taobh an ear. Ma bha a’ chlach ann an Alba, cha robh i ann an Sgàin.

Faclan na Litreach: fàidhean: prophets; ag aideachadh: admitting; Teamhair: Tara; Taigh-tasgaidh Pheairt: Perth Museum; Sgàin: Scone.

Abairtean na Litreach: mu thùs nan Gàidheal: about the origin of the Gaels; anns a’ cheathramh linn deug: in the fourteenth century; clach ann an cumadh cathrach: a stone in the shape of a chair/throne; bho ghrunnd na mara far costa na h-Èireann: from the sea bed off the coast of Ireland; gur e tiodhlac bho na diathan a bha sa chloich: that the stone was a gift from the gods; an dà chuid anns an Spàinn agus ann an Èirinn: both in Spain and Ireland; bha cuid a’ cumail a-mach gun tug X i bhon Èiphit: some people were maintaining that X brought it from Egypt; nuair a bha e air a chur a-mach às an dùthaich sin: when he was expelled from that country; ’s ann air a’ chathair sin a bhiodh rìghrean Albannach anns an Spàinn nan suidhe: it’s on that chair that Scottish kings in Spain would sit; nuair a ghabh iad am bòidean: when they were sworn in; bha am facal Scotus a’ buntainn ri Gàidheil as gach dùthaich: the word Scotus referred to Gaels from each country; nuair a bha inbhe rìgh air a buileachadh orra: when the status of king was bestowed upon them; chan eil i air a dèanamh de mhàrmor: it’s not made of marble; ma tha an eachdraidh air a bhith teagmhach thuige seo: if the history has been doubtful to this point; tha i a’ fàs nas eucoltaiche a-nise: it gets more unlikely now; ceudan bhliadhnaichean ro thràth: centuries too early; crìoch ann an Druim Albann:  a border in Drumalban; tìr nan Cruithneach: the land of the Picts.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: clach a chaidh a ghoid bhuapa uaireigin roimhe. A rèir X, bha a’ chlach sin air a goid bhuapa: a stone that was stolen from them some time before. According to X, that stone was stolen from them. Notice the difference in lenition in these two passive verbal constructions. Using the verb rach ‘go’, the verbal noun is lenited e.g. sin an fheadhainn a chaidh a dhèanamh ‘those are the ones that were made’. However, in the second example, air a goid means literally ‘after its stealing’ and clach is feminine so the possessive feminine pronoun does not induce lenition in the (verbal) noun.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: an robh i air a buidhinn faisg air Sgàin fhèin?: was it quarried [won] near Scone itself?