The Clanranald books
Perhaps you [have] heard of the Red Book of Clanranald. The Red Book of
Clanranald. It’s in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. I saw
it recently. It surprised me how small it was.
Small or large, the book is precious. It was written at the beginning
of the eighteenth century in classical Gaelic by Niall MacMhuirich.
MacMhuirich lived in South Uist. He was one of a line of bards and
historians to the MacDonald chiefs.
James ‘Ossian’ MacPherson went to Uist in 1760. He had published
Ossian’s poetry. But many people maintained that it was James himself
that created it. He went to look for manuscripts in which there was old
Ossianic poetry. He went to the house of the Clanranald chief.
The chief sent him to a Niall MacMhuirich. He was the grandson of the
man who wrote the Red Book. James got the book on loan. But he didn’t
give it back. When he died, the book was among his effects in London.
After that, Clanranald got it back.
There is another book quite similar – the Black Book of Clanranald.
Between the two books, there is a lot of information about the heritage
of the Gaels at the end of the middle ages. The Black Book was found in
a shop in Dublin in 1840 by the Scottish historian, William Forbes
Skene. Shortly before his death, Skene gave the book to the chief of
Clanranald. About a hundred years after that, Clanranald gave both
books – the red one and the black one – to the National Museum.
The Black Book had more than one author. The most important was Christopher
Beaton. He was a member of another famous family. He was a tutor to the
Antrim branch of the MacDonalds. If you are ever in the National Museum,
I’d recommend that you look at the two Clanranald books.
Leabhraichean Chlann Raghnaill
ʼS docha gun cuala sibh mun Leabhar Dhearg aig Clann Raghnaill. The Red Book of Clanranald. Tha e ann an Taigh-tasgaidh Nàiseanta
na h-Alba ann an Dùn Èideann. Chunnaic mi o chionn ghoirid e. Chuir e
iongnadh orm cho beag ʼs a bha e.
Beag no mòr, tha an leabhar prìseil. Bha e air a sgrìobhadh aig toiseach an
ochdamh linn deug ann an Gàidhlig chlasaigeach le fear Niall MacMhuirich.
Bha MacMhuirich a’ fuireach ann an Uibhist a Deas. Bha e na bhall de
chinneadh a bha nam bàird is luchd-eachdraidh do chinn-chinnidh nan
Dòmhnallach.
Chaidh Seumas ‘Oisean’ MacMhuirich a dh’Uibhist ann an seachd ceud deug is
seasgad (1760). Bha e air bàrdachd Oisein fhoillseachadh. Ach bha gu leòr
de dhaoine a’ cumail a-mach gur e Seumas fhèin a chruthaich i. Chaidh e a
choimhead airson làmh-sgrìobhainnean anns an robh seann bhàrdachd
Oiseanach. Chaidh e gu taigh ceann-cinnidh Chlann Raghnaill.
Chuir an ceann-cinnidh e gu fear Niall MacMhuirich. B’ esan ogha an duine a
sgrìobh an Leabhar Dearg. Fhuair Seumas an leabhar air iasad. Ach cha tug e
air ais e. Nuair a chaochail e, bha an leabhar am measg an stuth aige ann
an Lunnainn. An dèidh sin fhuair Clann Raghnaill air ais e.
Tha leabhar eile ann a tha car coltach – Leabhar Dubh Chlann Raghnaill.
Eadar an dà leabhar, tha tòrr fiosrachaidh ann mu dhualchas nan Gàidheal
aig deireadh nam meadhan-aoisean. Chaidh an Leabhar Dubh a lorg ann am bùth
ann am Baile Atha Cliath ann an ochd ceud deug is ceathrad (1840) leis an
eachdraiche Albannach, Uilleam Foirbeis Skene. Goirid ro a bhàs, thug Skene
an leabhar do cheann-cinnidh Chlann Raghnaill. Mu cheud bliadhna an dèidh
sin, thug Clann Raghnaill an dà leabhar – am fear dearg agus am fear dubh –
don Taigh-tasgaidh Nàiseanta.
Bha barrachd air aon ùghdar aig an Leabhar Dhubh. B’ e am fear a bu
chudromaiche Crìsdean Peutan. Bha esan na bhall de theaghlach ainmeil eile.
Bha e na oide aig meur Aontraim Chlann Dòmhnaill. Ma tha sibh anns an
Taigh-tasgaidh Nàiseanta uair sam bith, mholainn gun toir sibh sùil air dà
leabhar Chlann Raghnaill.
