Corryvreckan (3)
I was telling you about the famous whirlpool, Corryvreckan. Hereʼs how
it got its name. There was a Scandinavian prince. He was called
Breckan. Breckan fell in love with a daughter of the Lord of the Isles.
But her father was not pleased. He said that the prince would have to
prove that he was a good sailor.
‘What do I need to do?’ asked the prince.
‘Well,’ replied the Lord of the Isles, ‘you must keep your birlinn at
anchor in the whirlpool for three days and nights. Breckan agreed to
the test. He went home to Scandinavia to get his birlinn organised.
He asked old advisers of his fatherʼs for advice. They gave him advice
as follows. He would have to take three ropes with him. The first rope
would be made of wool from sheep. The second rope would be made of hemp
that was growing in a cemetery. The third rope would be of hair from
the heads of virgins. Their virginity would have to be beyond doubt.
Breckan sailed to the whirlpool. He anchored his birlinn in it, tied to
the three ropes. After a day and night, the first rope broke – the one
that was made of sheep wool. On the second day, the second rope broke –
the one that was made of hemp. Breckan was hoping the third rope would
withstand the current. But, on the third day, it broke. That was
because one of the ‘virgins’ was untruthful about her virginity.
The vessel was swallowed by the whirlpool. None came out of it alive
except Breckanʼs dog – the grey dog. He swam around until he found his
masterʼs body. He pulled his body to land.
The dog returned to the sea. He was looking for the bodies of other people.
He was swept [away] by the current. He was drowned in another whirlpool
between Scarba and Lunga. That strait is called ‘the gap of the grey dog’.
And the whirlpool that swallowed Breckan was named Corryvreckan. Cheerio.
Coire Bhreacain (3)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun chuairt-shruth ainmeil, Coire Bhreacain. Seo mar
a fhuair e ainm. Bha prionnsa Lochlannach ann. ʼS e Breacan an t-ainm a bha
air. Ghabh Breacan gaol air nighean aig Tighearna nan Eilean. Ach cha robh
a h-athair toilichte. Thuirt e gu feumadh am prionnsa a dhearbhadh gun robh
e na sheòladair math.
‘Dè dh’fheumas mi a dhèanamh?’ dh’fhaighnich am prionnsa.
‘Uill,’ fhreagair Tighearna nan Eilean, ‘feumaidh tu do bhirlinn a chumail
air acair anns a’ chuairt-shruth airson trì latha is trì oidhcheannan.
Dh’aontaich Breacan ris an deuchainn. Chaidh e dhachaigh a Lochlann airson
a bhirlinn a chur air dòigh.
Dh’iarr e comhairle bho sheann chomhairlich aig athair. Thug iad comhairle
dha mar a leanas. Dh’fheumadh e trì ròpan a thoirt leis. Bhiodh a’ chiad
ròp air a dhèanamh de chlòimh à caoraich. Bhiodh an dàrna ròp de chainb a
bha a’ fàs ann an cladh. Bhiodh an treas ròp de dh’fhalt à cinn òighean.
Dh’fheumadh an òigheachd a bhith gun cheist no teagamh.
Sheòl Breacan chun a’ chuairt-shruth. Chuir e a bhirlinn air acair ann,
ceangailte ris na trì ròpan. An dèidh latha is oidhche, bhris a’ chiad ròp
– am fear a chaidh a dhèanamh de chlòimh chaorach. Air an dàrna latha,
bhris an dàrna ròp – am fear a bha air a dhèanamh de chainb. Bha Breacan an
dòchas gun seasadh an treas ròp ris an t-sruth. Ach, air an treas latha,
bhris e. Bha sin a chionn ʼs gun robh tè de na ‘h-òighean’ breugach mu a
h-òigheachd.
Chaidh an soitheach a shlugadh leis a’ chuairt-shruth. Cha tàinig beò às
ach an cù aig Breacan – an cù glas. Shnàmh esan timcheall gus an do lorg e
corp a mhaighstir. Shlaod e a chorp gu tìr.
Thill an cù don mhuir. Bha e a’ coimhead airson cuirp aig daoine eile.
Chaidh a sguabadh leis an t-sruth. Chaidh a bhàthadh ann an cuairt-shruth
eile eadar Sgarba agus Lunga. ʼS e Bealach a’ Choin Ghlais a chanas daoine
ris a’ chaolas sin. Agus chaidh a’ chuairt-shruth a shluig Breacan
ainmeachadh mar Coire Bhreacain. Beannachd leibh.
