Mary of Callert (2)
I was telling you about Mary of Callert. She lost her husband, Patrick,
son of Duncan of Inverawe. He was a Campbell. He was wounded at the
Battle of Inverlochy. He got home but he died there. He was buried
behind the house. Mary wrote about it in a song.
Mary had a broken heart. But, in time, the prior of Ardchattan asked
her to marry him. Mary wasn’t fond of the man. She didn’t want to marry
him. But, eventually, she agreed.
On the evening of the wedding, Mary sang a song to the women who were
helping her. It was a poignant song. Mary was missing Patrick. She
didn’t want to marry another man.
I’ll give you two verses of the song. Here is the first one: treasure
of men of the dell, you took me out of the plague house, where my
father and mother were, my beloved sister and my five brothers.
And a second verse: o, it is me that is bereft, going to lie with
another man, and my own man behind the house, the hunter of the brown
stags and the hinds.
Mary was still very sad about the death of her husband. Listen again to
the final verse. O, it is me that is bereft, going to lie with another
man, and my own man behind the house, the hunter of the brown stags and
the hinds.
Mary died that very night – before her new marriage was consummated.
Before we leave Callert – do you remember Angus, the illegitimate son
of the laird of Lundavra? He murdered his two half-brothers. But he was
not punished. The people were saying, as there had not been justice,
that they would all be punished. And they were. That was the plague –
the black fever (typhus).
And, although Angus was a Cameron, he didn’t take the name of that clan.
People referred to his descendants as
Clann Aonghais
. Innes in English. People with that name still live in Lochaber.
Màiri Challaird (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Mhàiri Challaird. Chaill i an duine aice, Pàdraig
Mac Dhonnchaidh Inbhir Atha. ʼS e Caimbeulach a bha ann. Chaidh a leòn aig
Blàr Inbhir Lòchaidh. Fhuair e dhachaigh ach chaochail e an sin. Chaidh a
thiodhlacadh air cùl an taighe. Sgrìobh Màiri mu dheidhinn ann an òran.
Bha cridhe briste aig Màiri. Ach an ceann greis, dh’iarr àrd-mhanach Àird
Chatain oirre a phòsadh. Cha robh Màiri toigheach air an duine. Cha robh i
ag iarraidh a phòsadh. Ach, mu dheireadh, dh’aontaich i.
Air feasgar na bainnse, ghabh Màiri òran do na boireannaich a bha a’ toirt
taic dhi. ʼS e òran tiamhaidh a bha ann. Bha Màiri ag ionndrainn Phàdraig.
Cha robh i ag iarraidh fear eile a phòsadh.
Bheir mi dhuibh dà rann dhen òran. Seo a’ chiad fhear:
Fheudail a dh’fhearaibh na dàlach, Thug thu mach à taigh na plàigh mi,
Far an robh m’ athair ʼs mo mhàthair, Mo phiuthar ghaoil ʼs mo
chòignear bhràithrean
.
Agus dàrna rann:
Rìgh, gur mis’ a th’ air mo sgaradh, Bhith dol le fear eile ʼlaighe, Is
m’ fhear fhèin air cùl an taighe, Sealgair nan damh donn ʼs nan aighean
.
Bha Màiri fhathast muladach mu bhàs an duine aice. Èistibh a-rithist ris an
rann mu dheireadh: Rìgh, gur mis’ a th’ air mo sgaradh, Bhith dol le fear
eile ʼlaighe, Is m’ fhear fhèin air cùl an taighe, Sealgair nan damh donn
ʼs nan aighean.
Chaochail Màiri air an oidhche sin fhèin – mus deach am pòsadh ùr aice a
choileanadh.
Mus fhàg sinn Callaird – a bheil cuimhne agaibh air Aonghas, am mac dìolain
aig uachdaran Lunn Dà Bhrà? Mhuirt e a dhithis leth-bhràithrean. Ach cha
deach a pheanasachadh. Bha na daoine ag ràdh, leis nach robh ceartas ann,
gun tigeadh peanas orra uile. Agus thàinig. B’ e sin a’ phlàigh – am
fiabhras dubh.
Agus, ged as e Camshronach a bha ann an Aonghas, cha do ghabh e ainm a’
chinnidh sin air. ʼS e Clann Aonghais a chanadh daoine ri a shliochd.
Innes
ann am Beurla. Tha daoine leis an ainm sin fhathast a’ fuireach ann an Loch
Abar.
