Corryvreckan (4)
I was telling you about how the famous whirlpool, Corryvreckan, got its
name. But how was it created? Well, here is a wee story about it.
A long long time ago, the crab was incredibly large. At that time, its
carapace was round. It wasn’t flat as it is today. The crab was strong
and confident. She said she was willing to carry the globe on her back.
The other animals were pleased. But the globe was too heavy for her.
The crab was compressed by the weight of the world. Her carapace became
flat and wide as it is today.
Before her carapace flattened, the globe would fall off her. That
forced the crab to walk sideways when she is walking. She got tired of
the affair. She went to seek help from the King of the Fish.
‘I’ll help you,’ said the King of the Fish. At that time, the acorn
barnacles were freely swimming. The King of the Fish asked them not to
continue swimming. They were anchored. Some of them were living on the
rocks. Some of them were living on the crabʼs shell.
The barnacles on the crabʼs shell prevented the globe from sliding off.
The crab was not pleased, however. The globe was still too heavy for
her. She went to the King of the Fishes again and she complained.
‘Whatʼs upsetting you this time?’said the King of the Fish. He was
getting tired of the crabʼs complaining and he beat the seabed with his
tail. ‘OK,’ he said. ‘We’ll get rid of the globe entirely.’ He threw
the globe up to the heavens. He wasn’t having anything to do with it
anymore. But he forgot about the barnacles. They were left as they
were.. And they are anchored to the rocks today.
The crab got smaller. She wasn’t worthy of a large size. When the King of
the Fish beat the seabed with his tail, Corryvreckan was created. Itʼs
centuries later that a Scandinavian prince was drowned there.
Coire Bhreacain (4)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu mar a fhuair an cuairt-shruth ainmeil, Coire
Bhreacain, ainm. Ach ciamar a chaidh a chruthachadh? Uill, seo agaibh
sgeulachd bheag mu dheidhinn.
O chionn fhad an t-saoghail, bha a’ chrùbag cianail mòr. Aig an àm sin, bha
a slige cruinn. Cha robh i rèidh mar a tha i an-diugh. Bha a’ chrùbag
làidir agus misneachail. Thuirt i gun robh i deònach an cruinne a ghiùlan
air a druim. Bha na creutairean eile toilichte. Ach bha an cruinne ro throm
dhi. Chaidh a’ chrùbag fhàsgadh le cuideam na cruinne. Dh’fhàs a slige
rèidh is leathann mar a tha i an-diugh.
Mus do dh’fhàs a slige rèidh, bhiodh an cruinne a’ tuiteam dhith. Thug sin
air a’ chrùbaig a bhith a’ fiaradh nuair a tha i a’ coiseachd. Dh’fhàs i
sgìth dhen ghnothach. Chaidh i a dh’iarraidh taic aig Rìgh nan Iasg.
‘Bheir mi taic dhut,’ thuirt Rìgh nan Iasg. Aig an àm sin, bha na
sgreigeagan a’ snàmh gu saor. Dh’iarr Rìgh nan Iasg orra gun a bhith a’
snàmh tuilleadh. Bha iad air an acrachadh. Bha cuid dhiubh a’ fuireach air
na creagan. Bha cuid dhiubh a’ fuireach air slige na crùbaig.
Chuir na sgreigeagan air slige na crùbaig stad air a’ chruinne bho bhith a’
sleamhnadh dhith. Cha robh a’ chrùbag toilichte, ge-tà. Bha an cruinne
fhathast ro throm dhi. Chaidh i gu Rìgh nan Iasg a-rithist agus rinn i
gearan.
‘Dè tha a’ cur ort an turas seo?’ arsa Rìgh nan Iasg. Bha e a’ fàs sgìth de
ghearan na crùbaig agus bhuail e grunnd na mara le earball. ‘Ceart gu
leòr,’ thuirt e. ‘Gheibh sinn cuidhteas an cruinne uile-gu-lèir.’ Thilg e
an cruinne suas chun na h-iarmailt . Cha robh e a’ gabhail gnothach ris
tuilleadh. Ach dhìochuimhnich e mu na sgreigeagan. Chaidh am fàgail mar a
bha iad. Agus tha iad ceangailte ris na creagan an-diugh.
Chaidh a’ chrùbag an lughad. Cha robh i airidh air meudachd mhòr. Nuair a
bhuail Rìgh nan Iasg grunnd na mara le earball, chaidh Coire Bhreacain a
chruthachadh. ʼS ann linntean an dèidh sin a chaidh prionnsa Lochlannach a
bhàthadh ann.
