Mythical Sea Creatures (2)
I was telling you about imaginary marine creatures – the Cìrean Cròin
and the Cionaran-crò. They are – or were – extremely large. I gave you
this verse:
Seven herrings will fill a salmon,
Seven salmon will fill a seal,
Seven seals will fill a small whale,
Seven small whales will fill a large whale,
Seven large whales will fill a cionaran-crò,
Seven cionaran-crò will fill a great sea leviathan.
A man from Ness in Lewis, Angus Gunn, related a story about the
Cionaran-crò. Angus was 84 years old. For a long time, he was living in
Rona, a small island in the ocean, north of Lewis. Here is his story.
A long time ago, St Ronan came to Lewis. He wanted to bring the people
to Christ. He built a small cell for himself in Eoropie. But the people
were not interested in his message.
Ronan was getting fed up of the situation. He made a prayer to be taken
away from Eoropie. An angel of God came. He asked Ronan to the boat
landing place. The Cionaran-crò was waiting for him. Ronan went to the
landing place. The Cionaran-crò was there. His two eyes were shining
like stars in the heavens.
Ronan got on the back of the Cionaran-crò. They left at speed across
the sea. In the twinkling of an eye, they reached Rona. The island was
full of snakes, griuffons and lions.
Those unusual animals did not last there long. They fled before the
holy man. They went over the rocks to the sea. That’s what left the
scratches on the rocks on Rona. The creatures left the scratches with
their claws when they were fleeing. The island was now peaceful. Ronan
built a cell there for himself.
The story does not tell us what happened to the Cionaran-crò. Perhaps it
returned to the great ocean. And what about the other creature in the
verse? Seven cionaran-crò will fill a great sea leviathan.
Mial Mhòr a’ Chuain must be an incredible size. Perhaps it’s just as well
that nobody has seen one in Scotland for a long time!
Creutairean Macmeanmnach a’ Chuain (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu chreutairean macmeanmnach na mara – an Cìrean
Cròin agus an Cionaran-crò. Tha iad – no bha iad –uabhasach mòr. Bha iad ag
ithe mhucan-mara. Thug mi an rann seo dhuibh|:
Seachd sgadain sàth bradain,
Seachd bradain sàth ròin,
Seachd ròin sàth muc-mhara bheag,
Seachd mucan-mara beaga, sàth muc-mhara mhòr,
Seachd mucan-mara mòra, sàth Cionarain-crò,
Seachd Cionarain-crò, sàth Mial Mhòr a’ Chuain.
Dh’inns fear à Nis ann an Leòdhas, Aonghas Gunnach, stòiridh mun
Chionaran-chrò. Bha Aonghas ochdad ʼs a ceithir bliadhna a dh’aois. Fad
ùine mhòr, bha e a’ fuireach ann an Rònaigh, eilean beag anns a’ chuan,
tuath air Leòdhas. Seo an stòiridh aige.
O chionn fhada, thàinig Naomh Rònan a Leòdhas. Bha e airson na daoine a
thoirt gu Crìosd. Thog e cealla bheag dha fhèin ann an Eòropaidh. Ach cha
robh ùidh aig na daoine anns an teachdaireachd aige.
Bha Rònan a’ fàs sgìth dhen t-suidheachadh. Rinn e ùrnaigh a bhith air a
thoirt air falbh bho Eòropaidh. Thàinig aingeal Dhè. Dh’iarr e air Rònan a
dhol don laimrig. Bha an Cionaran-crò a’ feitheamh ris. Rinn Rònan air an
laimrig. Bha an Cionaran-crò ann. Bha a dhà shùil a’ deàrrsadh mar
rionnagan anns an iarmailt.
Chaidh Rònan air muin a’ Chionarain-chrò. Dh’fhalbh iad ag astar thar na
mara. Ann am priobadh na sùla ràinig iad Rònaigh. Bha an t-eilean làn
nathraichean, ghrìbheanan agus leomhann.
Cha do mhair na beathaichean annasach ann fada. Theich iad ron fhear naomh.
Chaidh iad thar nan creagan chun na mara. ʼS e sin a dh’fhàg sgrìoban air
na creagan ann an Rònaigh. Dh’fhàg na creutairean na sgrìoban len ìnean,
agus iad a’ teicheadh. Bha an t-eilean a-nise sìtheil. Thog Rònan cealla
ann dha fhèin.
Chan eil an stòiridh ag innse dhuinn dè thachair don Chionaran-chrò. ʼS
dòcha gun do thill e don chuan mhòr. Agus dè mun chreutair eile anns an
rann? Seachd Cionarain-crò, sàth Mial Mhòr a’ Chuain. Feumaidh gu
bheil Mial Mhòr a’ Chuain iongantach mòr. ʼS dòcha gu bheil e math nach
fhaca duine tè dhiubh ann an Alba airson ùine mhòr!
