The Black Bodach of Morven (1)
Braemore is in Caithness. It is
near the highest mountain in
Caithness – Morven. It’s a crofting
settlement. Here is a story from
Braemore – The Black Bodach of
Morven. A long time ago, a stranger
appeared in the area. He had
black hair.
The people didn’t have
enough food. But the stranger went
from door to door, asking for food.
The people decided they weren’t
going to give the stranger food any
more.
Next day, the stranger went to
a house. He asked for food. He
didn’t get food. He went to the next
house. The same thing happened.
The stranger grew angry.
There was one mill in the
area. The stranger was strong. He
went to the mill. He picked up the
upper [grinding] stone. He put it
on his shoulder. And he walked
away towards Morven. Without a
mill, the people were not getting
oatmeal.
Somebody was stealing cattle
and sheep. The people saw the
thief. It was the stranger. He was
now enormously large. He had a bow and arrows. He killed a
bullock. He went towards Mor-
ven. The men went after him. But
mist came down upon them. The
Black Bodach disappeared.
The people were losing
valuable things from their houses.
The Black Bodach was stealing.
Every time the people went after
him, he ran towards Morven. And
the mist came down on them.
The people heard about a
woman in Sutherland. She was the
Bodach’s sister. She told them the
way to break the power of the
Bodach over the mist. There was
one day in the year when he didn’t
have that power. That was the
seventh day of the seventh month.
On the sixth day of July, the
men gathered. The next morning,
the Black Bodach appeared. The
men jumped out. The Bodach left
in the direction of Morven. He
shouted strange words in Gaelic.
He was trying to bring down the
mist. But the mist didn’t come this
time. The Bodach went in an open-
ing in the side of the mountain.
And I’ll tell you the rest next
week?
Bodach Dubh na Mòr-bheinne
Tha am Bràigh Mòr ann an Gallaibh.
Tha e faisg air a’ bheinn as àirde ann
an Gallaibh – a’ Mhòr-bheinn. ’S e
baile croitearachd a tha ann. Seo
sgeulachd às a’ Bhràigh Mhòr –
Bodach Dubh na Mòr-bheinne.
O chionn fhada, nochd coigreach anns an sgìre. Bha falt dubh air.
Cha robh biadh gu leòr aig na daoine.
Ach chaidh an coigreach bho dhoras
gu doras, ag iarraidh biadh. Cho-dhùin
na daoine nach robh iad a’ dol a thoirt
biadh don choigreach tuilleadh.
An ath latha, chaidh an coigreach gu taigh. Dh’iarr e biadh. Cha d’
fhuair e biadh. Chaidh e don ath
thaigh. Thachair an aon rud. Dh’fhàs
an coigreach feargach.
Bha aon mhuileann anns an
sgìre. Bha an coigreach làidir. Chaidh
e don mhuileann. Thog e a’ chlach
uachdarach. Chuir e air a ghualainn i.
Agus choisich e air falbh a dh’ionnsaigh na Mòr-bheinne. Gun mhuileann
cha robh na daoine a’ faighinn min-
choirce.
Bha cuideigin a’ goid crodh is
caoraich. Chunnaic na daoine am
mèirleach. ’S e an coigreach a bha ann.
Bha e a-nise uabhasach mòr. Bha
bogha is saighdean aige. Mharbh e
damh. Chaidh e dh’ionnsaigh na Mòr-bheinne. Chaidh na fir às a dhèidh.
Ach thàinig ceò a-nuas orra. Chaidh
am Bodach Dubh à sealladh.
Bha na daoine a’ call rudan
prìseil bho na taighean aca. Bha am
Bodach Dubh ri mèirle. Gach turas a
chaidh na daoine às a dhèidh, ruith e a
dh’ionnsaigh na Mòr-bheinne. Agus
thàinig an ceò a-nuas orra.
Chuala na daoine mu bhoireannach ann an Cataibh. B’ ise piuthar
a’ Bhodaich. Dh’inns i dhaibh an
dòigh airson cumhachd a’ Bhodaich air
a’ cheò a bhriseadh. Bha aon latha sa
bhliadhna nuair nach robh an cumhachd sin aige. B’ e sin an seachdamh
latha dhen t-seachdamh mìos.
Air an t-siathamh latha dhen
Iuchar, chruinnich na fir. An ath
mhadainn, nochd am Bodach Dubh.
Leum na fir a-mach. Dh’fhalbh am
Bodach a dh’ionnsaigh na Mòr-bheinne. Dh’èigh e faclan neònach ann
an Gàidhlig. Bha e a’ feuchainn ris an
ceò a thoirt a-nuas. Ach cha tàinig an
ceò an turas seo. Chaidh am Bodach a-steach air fosgladh air cliathaich na
beinne. Agus innsidh mi an còrr an
ath-sheachdain!
