麻豆社

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu chrios Chuchulainn, an lus air a bheil meadowsweet ann am Beurla. A bheil sibh e貌lach air Cuchulainn? Tha e mar ph脿irt de dhualchas G脿idhealach na h-脠ireann 鈥檚 na h-Alba. A r猫ir beul-aithris bha ceangal aige don Eilean Sgitheanach. 鈥橲 e gaisgeach a bh鈥� ann.

Tha e a鈥� nochdadh ann am beul-aithris na h-Alba anns a鈥� chruinneachadh aig Iain 脪g 脤le 鈥� Popular Tales of the West Highlands. Tha an st貌iridh a鈥� m矛neachadh mar a fhuair e ainm. Bha uaireigin ann an Alba r矛gh air an robh Cumhal mar ainm. Bha c霉 m貌r aige a bhiodh a鈥� cumail s霉il air a chrodh. Nuair a bha an crodh air an cur air feurachadh, 鈥檚 e an c霉 a bhiodh gan tre貌rachadh. Chumadh an c霉 s霉il air a鈥� chrodh tron latha. Agus air an fheasgar bheireadh e an crodh dhachaigh.

Bha daoine a鈥� fuireach faisg air taigh an r矛gh agus bha mac aca. Bhiodh iad a鈥� cur am mic gu taigh an r矛gh air gnothaichean a h-uile feasgar. Co-dhi霉, feasgar br猫agha a bha seo, bha an gille a鈥� dol gu taigh an r矛gh air gnothach. Bha caman is ball aige agus bha e a鈥� cluich leotha air an rathad. Thachair c霉 an r矛gh ris agus th貌isich e air cluich leis a鈥� bhall. Thog e am ball na bheul agus ruith e air falbh leis.

Chaidh an gille an t貌ir air a鈥� ch霉. Bhuail e am ball le a chaman fhad 鈥檚 a bha am ball ann am beul a鈥� choin. Phut e s矛os a sg貌rnan e le cas a鈥� chamain. Thachd e an c霉. Leis gun robh e air an c霉 a mharbhadh, b鈥� fheudar dha fh猫in s霉il a chumail air crodh an r矛gh, an 脿ite a鈥� choin. Bhiodh e a鈥� cur a鈥� chruidh air feurachadh gach madainn. Bhiodh e gan iomain a-mach, a鈥� d猫anamh cinnteach nach robh iad air an goid, is gan iomain dhachaigh aig deireadh an latha.

Bidh cuimhne agaibh gur e Cumhal ainm an r矛gh. Leis gun do mharbh an gille an c霉, agus leis gun robh e fh猫in air a dhol an 脿ite a鈥� choin, 鈥檚 e C霉 Chumhail a bha daoine a鈥� gabhail air. Chaidh sin atharrachadh aig a鈥� cheann thall gu Cuchulainn.

Uill, sin an st貌iridh le dreach Albannach air, agus dreach an naoidheamh linn deug cuideachd. Ach tha e a鈥� tighinn a-steach orm gu bheil athair Fhinn 鈥� an seann ghaisgeach G脿idhealach 鈥� agus fear eile air a dhol an l霉ib a ch猫ile an seo. B鈥� e ainm sl脿n Fhinn 鈥� Fionn MacCumhail 鈥� oir b鈥� e Cumhal athair. Ach ann an 脠irinn chan e athair Fhinn a tha an s脿s anns an sgeulachd seo, ach fear Culann.

鈥橲 e Setanta an t-ainm-baistidh a bh鈥� air Cuchulainn. Fhuair e an t-ainm 霉r aige nuair a mharbh e an c霉-faire fiadhaich aig Culann. Leis nach robh c霉 aig Culann tuilleadh, ghabh Setanta 脿ite a鈥� choin. Bha e fh猫in an uair sin mar ch霉-faire dha 鈥� 鈥淐霉 Chulainn鈥�.

Co-dhi霉, 鈥檚 e f矛or sheann ghaisgeach a bh鈥� ann an Cuchulainn. Tha e a鈥� nochdadh anns an sgeulachd as s矛ne a th鈥� againn a bhuineas do na G脿idheil 鈥� T谩in B贸 Cuailnge. Bha e l脿idir is br猫agha agus, a r猫ir cuid, bha seachd corragan aige air gach l脿imh, seachd 貌rdagan air gach cois agus seachd clachan-s霉la anns gach s霉il. Nuair a bha e a鈥� sabaid bhiodh e a鈥� dol 脿s a rian agus cha robh duine ann a bha comasach air a鈥� ch霉is a dh猫anamh air. Sin Cuchulainn, agus chan eil sinn ullamh leis fhathast...

Faclan na Litreach: thachd: choked; ainm-baistidh: given (baptism) name; c霉-faire: watch-dog.

Abairtean na Litreach: crios Chuchulainn: meadowsweet [lit. Cuchullin鈥檚 belt]; 鈥檚 e gaisgeach a bh鈥� ann: he was a [legendary] hero; Iain 脪g 脤le: the 19th Century folklorist, JF Campbell; a鈥� m矛neachadh mar a fhuair e ainm: explains how he got his name; r矛gh air an robh Cumhal mar ainm: a king called Cumhal; nuair a bha an crodh air an cur air feurachadh: when the cattle were put out to graze; a bhiodh gan tre貌rachadh: that would guide them; bheireadh e an crodh dhachaigh: he would take the cattle home; caman is ball: a shinty stick and ball; thog e am ball na bheul: he picked up the ball in his mouth; an t貌ir air: in pursuit of; phut e s矛os a sg貌rnan e le cas a鈥� chamain: he pushed it down its throat with the shaft of the shinty stick; b鈥� fheudar dha fh猫in s霉il a chumail air crodh an r矛gh: he himself had to look after the king鈥檚 cattle; gan iomain a-mach: driving them out; ainm sl脿n Fhinn: Fionn鈥檚 full name; Fionn MacCumhail: Fingal; b鈥� e Cumhal athair: Cumhal was his father; leis nach robh c霉 aig Culann tuilleadh: as Culann no longer had a dog; ghabh Setanta 脿ite a鈥� choin: Setanta took the dog鈥檚 place; an sgeulachd as s矛ne a th鈥� againn a bhuineas do na G脿idheil: the oldest story we have which belongs to the Gaels; T谩in B贸 Cuailnge: The Cattle Raid of Cooley; bha seachd corragan aige air gach l脿imh: he had seven fingers on each hand; seachd 貌rdagan air gach cois: seven toes on each foot; seachd clachan-s霉la anns gach s霉il: seven pupils in each eye; bhiodh e a鈥� dol 脿s a rian: he would go berserk; chan eil sinn ullamh leis fhathast: we鈥檙e not finished with him yet.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Bhiodh iad a鈥� cur am mic gu taigh an r矛gh: they would send their son to the king鈥檚 house. Do you know why it is am mic here? It is in the genitive case following the verbal noun [a鈥橾 cur (and it is a definite noun with an article in front of it). The genitive singular of mac is mic. And the article is am because it is a possessive article (鈥渢heir鈥�) and precedes an 鈥渕鈥�.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: tha e a鈥� tighinn a-steach orm gu bheil athair Fhinn agus fear eile air a dhol an l霉ib a ch猫ile: it occurs to me that Fionn鈥檚 father and another man have been confused.