Ossian’s Stone
The people of the Highlands were at one time really keen on the
Fingalian legends. I hope they will be again! I want to tell you about
a historical event that proves that. It’s connected to the ‘narrow
glen’ – or Sma’ Glen – in Perthshire.
There is a large stone in the glen. People call it ‘Ossian’s stone’.
The old people reckoned that Oisean – son of Fionn MacCumhail – was
buried under it.
The Gaels were really respectful of the stone. William Wordsworth heard
about it when he was in Scotland at the start of the nineteenth
century. Here’s a piece he wrote. It’s interesting that it’s ‘narrow
glen’ rather than ‘small glen’ he calls the place. That’s a direct
translation of
caol-ghleann
: In this still place remote from men, sleeps Ossian in the Narrow Glen
... He sung of battles and the breath, Of stormy war and violent death
..
.
When Wordsworth was there, the stone was not in its original place.
Before that, General Wade was building roads in the Highlands. An
engineering team of his decided that Clach Oisein was in their way.
They moved it to one side.
The local people were horrified. A group went, led by a piper, to the
old site of the stone. They dug up the bones. They buried them again in
another place close by. They fired their guns above the grave. But
where is the new grave? I don’t know.
Captain Edmund Burt wrote about the matter in his letters. The Gaels
were believing that a destructive storm would come upon them if the
bones were not reinterred.
This anecdote comes from a really good book that came out recently. The
book examines the relationship between the Gaels and the Gaidhealtachd
through their literature. Its title is ‘Literature of the Gaelic Landscape’
and the author is John Murray. I’ll have more about this book next week.
Clach Oisein
Bha muinntir na Gàidhealtachd uaireigin uabhasach measail air sgeulachdan
na Fèinne. Tha mi an dòchas gum bi a-rithist! Tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu
thachartas eachdraidheil a tha a’ dearbhadh sin. Tha e co-cheangailte ris
a’ Chaol-ghleann – no Sma’ Glen – ann an Siorrachd Pheairt.
Tha clach mhòr anns a’ ghleann. ʼS e Clach Oisein a chanas daoine rithe.
Bha na seann daoine a’ cumail a-mach gun robh Oisean – mac Fhinn
MhicCumhail – air a thiodhlacadh foidhpe.
Bha na Gàidheil cianail measail air a’ chloich. Chuala Uilleam Wordsworth
mu a deidhinn nuair a bha esan ann an Alba aig toiseach an naoidheamh linn
deug. Seo pìos a sgrìobh e. Tha e inntinneach gur e narrow glen
seach small glen a tha e a’ gabhail air an àite. Tha sin na
eadar-theangachadh dìreach air caol-ghleann:
In this still place remote from men, sleeps Ossian in the Narrow Glen
... He sung of battles and the breath, Of stormy war and violent death
..
.
Nuair a bha Wordsworth ann, cha robh a’ chlach anns an àite thùsail aice.
Roimhe sin, bha an Seanalair Wade a’ togail rathaidean air a’
Ghàidhealtachd. Cho-dhùin sgioba einnseanairidh aige gun robh Clach Oisein
anns an rathad orra. Ghluais iad i gu aon taobh.
Bha muinntir an àite air an tàmailteachadh. Chaidh buidheann, le pìobaire
air an ceann, gu seann làrach na cloiche. Chladhaich iad na cnàmhan suas.
Thiodhlaic iad a-rithist iad ann am badeigin eile faisg air làimh. Loisg
iad an gunnaichean os cionn na h-uaghach. Ach càite a bheil an uaigh ùr?
Chan eil fhios a’m.
Sgrìobh an Caiptean Edmund Burt mun chùis anns na litrichean aige. Bha na
Gàidheil a’ creidsinn gun tigeadh gailleann sgriosail orra mura robh na
cnàmhan air an ath-thiodhlacadh fon fhòid.
Tha an naidheachd seo a’ tighinn à leabhar fìor mhath a thàinig a-mach o
chionn ghoirid. Tha an leabhar a’ toirt sùil air a’ chàirdeas eadar na
Gàidheil agus a’ Ghàidhealtachd tron litreachas aca. ʼS e an tiotal a tha
air – ‘Literature of the Gaelic Landscape’ agus ʼs e an t-ùghdar
– Iain Moireach. Bidh tuilleadh agam mun leabhar
seo an-ath-sheachdain.
