1037: Seumas Mac a’ Phearsain (1)
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Seumas Mac a’ Phearsain (1)
Tha mi airson innse dhuibh mun cheatharnach ainmeil, Seumas Mac a’ Phearsain, am fear a chruthaich Cumha Mhic a’ Phearsain no MacPherson’s Lament. Rugadh e sa bhliadhna sia ceud deug, seachdad ʼs a còig (1675). Bha e an dà chuid cliùiteach agus mì-chliùiteach anns an ear-thuath airson a bhith na cheatharnach.
Chaidh Seumas a chur gu bàs – mar a chì sinn – air a’ chroich. Am measg nan casaidean na aghaidh, bha ‘being an Egyptian ’. Cha robhar a’ ciallachadh ‘Èiphiteach’ ach ‘Siopsach’. ʼS dòcha gur e ‘neach-siubhail’ a chanamaid an-diugh.
Bha Seumas na mhac-dìolain aig uachdaran à Bàideanach – Donnchadh Mac a’ Phearsain à Inbhir Fhèisidh, taobh Loch Ìnnse. Thachair Donnchadh ri boireannach òg brèagha aig banais. Bha ise, a rèir beul-aithris, na Siopsach. Rugadh leanabh-gille dhi agus ghabh Donnchadh ris gum b’ esan athair.
Dh’fhàs Seumas gu bhith na ghille làidir, eireachdail. Bha e sgileil le claidheamh, agus bha claidheamh-mòr aige a bha sia troighean a dh’fhaid. Bha e cuideachd na fhìdhlear air leth.
Nuair a bha Seumas òg, chaidh athair a mharbhadh ann an strì ann am Bàideanach. Chaidh Seumas a dh’fhuireach còmhla ri teaghlach a mhàthar. Bha Seumas an uair sin an sàs gu mòr ann am mèirle. Bhiodh e a’ dol air feadh ceann an ear-thuath na h-Alba. Uaireannan bhiodh e air ceann còmhlain a rachadh a-steach a mhargaidh ann an solas an latha – ann am bailtean mar Eilginn, Farrais agus Baile Chè. Ach cha robh e ri fòirneart agus cha dèanadh e cron air banntrach no duine a bha beò ann am bochdainn.
Ge-tà, dh’èirich droch naimhdeas eadar Seumas agus na h-uachdarain ann an Siorrachdan Mhoireibh, Bhanbh agus Obar Dheathain. Chuir MacDhuibh à Braco buidheann air dòigh airson a dhol air a thòir.
Aon turas, chaidh Seumas a ghlacadh ach fhuair e mu sgaoil a-rithist. Seo mar a thachair e. Bha e ann an Siorrachd Obar Dheathain. Chuir na h-ùghdarrasan boireannach brèagha air dòigh airson a ghlacadh oir bha laigse aig Seumas a thaobh nam ban. Dh’iarr an tè seo air Seumas coinneachadh rithe airson èisteachd ri ceòl na fìdhle. Cha robh Seumas faiceallach gu leòr agus, mar ainmhidh neo-chùramach, choisich e a-steach do ribe. Chaidh a chur an grèim le oifigearan lagha.
Bha Seumas sa phrìosan ann an Obar Dheathain. Ach ghabh am boireannach òg dàrna beachd air na rinn i. Bhruidhinn i ri fear Pàdraig MacIlleDhuinn a bha na mhèirleach ainmeil – agus na fhear-siubhail – agus chuir esan fios gu Dòmhnall Mac a’ Phearsain, co-ogha Sheumais, ann am Bàideanach. Chuir iad buidheann saoraidh air dòigh agus rinn iad air Obar Dheathain.
Bhris iad a-steach don phrìosan agus fhuair iad lorg air Seumas. Bha e ceangailte ri balla a chealla le slabhraidhean. Ach bha an sgioba air uidheaman a thoirt leotha airson slabhraidhean a ghearradh. Fhad ʼs a bha iad ag obair air a shaoradh, thòisich ùpraid taobh a-muigh doras a’ phrìosain. Mar a chì sinn an-ath-sheachdain, dh’fheuch aon duine ri Seumas a chumail sa phrìosan. Ach fhuair Seumas mu sgaoil airson a bhith ri mèirle greis eile.
Abairtean na Litreach: : bha e an dà chuid cliùiteach agus mì-chliùiteach anns an ear-thuath airson a bhith na cheatharnach: he was both renowned and infamous in the north-east for being a freebooter; chaidh X a chur gu bàs air a’ chroich: X was put to death on [the] gibbet; ʼs dòcha gur e ‘neach-siubhail’ a chanamaid an-diugh: perhaps we would say ‘traveller’ today; bha X na mhac-dìolain aig uachdaran à Bàideanach: X was an illegitimate son of a laird from Badenoch; ghabh Donnchadh ris gum b’ esan athair: Duncan accepted that he was his father; bha e cuideachd na fhìdhlear air leth: he was also a fantastic fiddler; air ceann còmhlain a rachadh a-steach a mhargaidh ann an solas an latha: at the head of a group that would go into a market in the light of day; bailtean mar Eilginn, Farrais agus Baile Chè: towns like Elgin, Forres and Keith; cha dèanadh e cron air banntrach no duine a bha beò ann am bochdainn: he wouldn’t harm a widow or a person that was living in poverty; na h-uachdarain is tuathanaich bheartach ann an Siorrachdan Mhoireibh, Bhanbh agus Obar Dheathain: the landlords and rich farmers in Morayshire, Banffshire and Aberdeenshire; fhuair e mu sgaoil: he got free; bha laigse aig Seumas a thaobh nam ban: James had a weakness with regard to women; mar ainmhidh neo-chùramach, choisich e a-steach do ribe: like a careless animal, he walked into a trap; ghabh am boireannach òg dàrna beachd air na rinn i: the woman reconsidered what she had done; ceangailte ri balla a chealla le slabhraidhean: fixed to the wall of his cell with chains.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: bha claidheamh-mòr aige a bha sia troighean a dh’fhaid: he had a claymore that was six feet in length. Claidheamh mòr without a hyphen means a ‘big sword’. But the hyphen changes the meaning to ‘claymore’, a particular type of Highland sword, wielded by two hands. However, according to tradition, notably in MacDuff, James MacPherson was strong enough to use his claymore with one hand.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: mar a chì sinn : as we shall see.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 733
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